Ageing is a real fear for many of us here in Singapore – adulting aside, you can’t halt your skin from giving in to inevitable smile lines, saggy jawlines, double chin, droopy eyelids, and visible wrinkles.
Surgical facelifts can set you back tens of thousands of dollars, and if you’re afraid of spending so much to go under the knife, you can put your money into non-invasive treatments that work. Since I just turned 30, I tried out 2 ultrasound-based treatments at Sozo Aesthetic Clinic to regain some of my youth.
The concept of Ultherapy seems simple enough. It is a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment that uses medical-grade ultrasound energy to deliver heat deep into the skin. So, rather than treating the surface of the skin, it stimulates collagen production deep within your tissues and muscles to create a natural lifting and firming effect.
No foreign substances like fillers are injected into the skin, so it’s considered a natural facelift.
Since the results are said to last between 6 to 18 months, Ultherapy is regarded as a “once a year” treatment. After each treatment, your skin will gradually improve for the next 2-3 months. The skin rebuilds itself through the growth of new collagen cells, and this gradual collagen production will naturally lift and tighten your skin over time.
During the medical consultation, Dr Justin Boey or Dr Sau Po Yi will give you an analysis of your skin and info of the procedures that’ll take place.
Put simply, the treatment typically works best for those who have skin that’s just beginning to sag, like loose skin on the neck and under the chin, as well as droopy brows. It’s also safe to use for non-invasive sculpting and lifting of the face, neck and upper chest. A suitable candidate is usually in their mid-30s and older.
It won’t give you the same extreme outcome as that of a surgical facelift, but it’s an alternative for those who prefer less invasive treatments. Plus, you won’t need any downtime whatsoever – no cutting, stitches, or injections required.
The treatment typically takes between 30-90 minutes, depending on which areas you’re going for – we’re not going to lie, it does get uncomfortable but it’s a small hurdle to get past.
Your skin is first cleansed, and after specific treatment areas are marked with a pen, an ultrasound gel is applied. The machine then scans your skin depth before delivering the ultrasound frequencies needed for different areas, so the entire process is safe and targeted.
The Ultherapy machine has a visualisation function that allows doctors to see which layer of your skin the ultrasound energy is being delivered to.
When the energy is “delivered” into your skin, it feels like a series of deep stings. It may continue to ache and appear flushed for a couple of hours after, but it is said that most patients are able to go about their day as usual after treatment.
Ultherapy procedures cost from $2,000/session at Sozo Aesthetic Clinic. Its price depends on the treatment area – whether you’re going for small areas or the entire face – and the number of ultrasound shots delivered.
The doctors here perform the treatments based on an official protocol that’s used by doctors all around the world, so you’ll be getting the same Ultherapy treatment in Singapore as what you’d get in New York, London and South Korea.
Ultraformer – otherwise known as High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) – is also an ultrasound-based form of treatment. Since it’s often confused with Ultherapy, we decided to give Sozo Aesthetic Clinic’s HIFU (Ultraformer 3) a try.
It functions pretty much the same, except that Ultraformer is Korean-made and doesn’t come with the visualisation function that Ultherapy has. It’s also slightly cheaper per session.
HIFU (Ultraformer 3) is an approved medical device that’s safe to use in Korea and Singapore.
HIFU (Ultraformer 3), is popularly used in South Korea since it doesn’t require you to go under the knife. It comes with a slimmer build that’s suitable for Asian facial contours so you can target areas like under the eyes and between the nose and cheeks.
While it also targets loose and wrinkled skin on the face, it’s more suitable for those who don’t require a treatment as intense as Ultherapy – usually folks who are in their early 30s. This also means that the treatment you’ll get is less painful, with little to no downtime too. Your skin’s elasticity, firmness, and texture will then continue to improve over the next 6-12 months.
Ultraformer procedures cost from $300/session for small treatment areas at Sozo Aesthetic Clinic. Full-face treatments cost from $1800/session.
The word “facelift” may often be associated with surgical procedures, but these ultrasound-based solutions go to show that there are non-invasive alternatives out there.
Run by Dr Justin Boey and Dr Sau Po Yi, Sozo Aesthetic Clinic tailors these procedures to their clients’ individual needs. So if you have several problem areas like saggy skin, enlarged pores, and pigmentation, they’ll recommend suitable treatments for you. They also offer acne scar removal treatments and hair loss services.
Skin-lifting effects can also be achieved via Infini micro-needling, depending on your skin’s needs.
If you’re concerned about visible signs of ageing like saggy skin and wrinkles, consider Ultherapy or HIFU (Ultraformer 3) for a more natural lift. You won’t have to worry about lengthy downtimes and you’ll be comforted knowing that your skin can possibly be tightened and lifted without going under the knife.
Address: 1 Raffles Place, #05-12/13, Singapore 048616
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10AM-8PM | Sat 10AM-3PM (Closed Sundays)
Telephone: 6935 1811
This post was brought to you by Sozo Aesthetic Clinic.
Photography by Faith Toh.
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