Skincare enthusiasts are increasingly interested in beauty treatments that activate the skin’s innate rejuvenating mechanisms and deliver natural-looking results.
Some of the most popular procedures today utilize the body’s inflammatory healing response to trigger collagen production. Sofwave is one of the recent additions to this clean, natural beauty trend.
This article explains how Sofwave works and what advantages it has over similar treatments.
What Is Sofwave Therapy?
Sofwave™ therapy is a revolutionary cosmetic treatment that uses patented ultrasound technology to stimulate more collagen and elastin production and rejuvenate the skin. Ultrasound energy passes through the epidermis without causing damage and only heats the mid-dermis, triggering the skin’s natural healing process.
Unlike similar treatments (e.g., laser resurfacing), Sofwave is suitable for all skin types and tones, even tanned skin, and can be performed any time of year.
How Does Sofwave Therapy Work?
The three components that give skin structure, firmness, elasticity, and hydration are collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Their production starts to decline in our 20s, resulting in a gradual loss of skin elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles, sagging, and other signs of aging.
Sofwave stimulates the body’s natural production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, revitalizing the skin and counteracting aging signs. It uses a unique Synchronous Ultrasound Parallel Beam Technology (SUPERB™), which heats the skin at just the right temperature and location in the mid-dermis to optimally stimulate collagen and elastin fibers.
The device contains seven parallel-beam transducers that heat the dermis for 4-5 seconds per pulse, providing optimal coverage during the treatment. It also has a built-in cooling system, Sofcool™, which enables real-time skin temperature monitoring and ensures the uppermost skin layer is safe and protected from the heat.
The treatment session takes 30-45 minutes per treatment area and doesn’t require downtime.
Sofwave Therapy Target Areas
Sofwave therapy treats skin laxity and wrinkles in the following areas:
- Brows (forehead)
- Eyelids
- Jawline
- Submental skin (under the chin)
- Neck
- Facial fine lines and wrinkles
- Cellulite on the buttocks and thighs
- Upper arms
Who Is the Best Candidate for Sofwave?
Sofwave therapy is a good solution for patients with mild to moderate aging signs, such as sagging brows, hooded eyelids, laxity and wrinkles in the lower face and neck, and loose upper arms. The ideal patient is healthy and realistic about their expectations, because Sofwave is not an alternative to surgical lifts, which provide more dramatic results.
What Age Is the Best for a Sofwave Treatment?
Sofwave is most effective for patients with premature aging signs, which typically appear from the early 20s to the late 30s. The treatment is especially beneficial as a preventative treatment, delaying the visible effects of aging and maintaining youthful skin firmness.
The treatment lifts, firms, and smooths mildly loose and wrinkled skin, but it doesn’t reverse deep wrinkles or severe sagging. Patients over 40 and 50 can expect a subtle transformation in skin firmness and elasticity, resulting in a naturally refreshed look.
What Are the Benefits of Sofwave Therapy?
Sofwave therapy enhances the skin in several ways.
Firmer, Lifted Skin
The treatment increases collagen and elastin reserves, helping to tighten the skin in the treatment area. It lifts eyebrows and hooded eyelids, decreases laxity in the lower face and neck, and tightens loose upper arms.
Fewer Fine Lines and Wrinkles
By stimulating collagen synthesis, Sofwave firms and lifts the skin, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. The treatment is effective for early wrinkles before they become too deep and prominent.
Reduced Appearance of Cellulite
Cellulite is the latest indication for Sofwave therapy. The treatment increases skin elasticity and improves its structure, smoothing out the appearance of dimpled “orange skin.”
Note: Learn what causes cellulite and how to reduce its appearance.
Decreased Acne Scars
Sofwave can also reduce the appearance of atrophic acne scars. They typically appear due to inadequate acne care and collagen loss. Sofwave can be combined with subcision, microneedling, and other acne scar treatments for better results.
Suitable for All Skin Types
Patients with any skin type and color can use Sofwave. It heats the mid-dermis without affecting the uppermost skin layers, which makes it suitable for darker, hyperpigmented, and tanned skin. It can be used throughout the year, unlike lasers, which are not recommended during the summer.
Natural Results
Sofwave relies on building more collagen and elastin over weeks and months, providing gradual and natural-looking results. The changes are subtle, but the overall improvement in appearance is apparent.
Safe and Minimally Invasive
The ultrasound energy from Sofwave passes safely through the skin’s surface, eliminating the risk of burns, post-inflammatory pigmentation, and other skin damage. Because it doesn’t use needles and laser heat, it is less invasive than many other collagen-building treatments.
No Downtime
Patients can resume all regular activities after the treatment, including working out, drinking alcohol, wearing makeup, and other activities that are usually avoided after cosmetic treatments.
How to Prepare for Sofwave Therapy?
The cosmetic provider inspects the patient’s skin during the initial consultation and discusses the patient’s desired goals to determine whether Sofwave can achieve them.
On the day of the treatment, the patient should wear no makeup or jewelry. Providers recommend having a light meal before the procedure because the patient will spend a few hours at the location.
What to Expect During the Sofwave Procedure?
Before the ultrasound session, the cosmetic provider cleanses the patient’s face and applies a numbing cream. They may also offer a painkiller, such as Ibuprofen, if the patient has a low tolerance for pain.
When the numbing cream takes effect, the provider uses a handheld Sofwave device to deliver ultrasound energy through the patient’s skin in pulses. They place the device on the patient’s skin and leave it on for 4-5 seconds or for the duration of one pulse. Then they move on to the adjacent spot. The whole session lasts for 30-45 minutes per area (face, neck, etc.)
Most patients require a single treatment for optimal results. In some cases, especially for acne scars, they may require additional treatments. To maintain results, providers recommend annual maintenance sessions.
How Painful Is Sofwave?
Sofwave is not considered painful, thanks to the numbing cream and the integrated Sofcool mechanism, which calms and soothes heated skin. Patients describe feeling quick, snapping heat with each pulse, as if they’ve touched a hot pan, but it lasts only a second. Most patients report slight discomfort rather than pain.
What Are the Results of Sofwave Therapy?
Sofwave provides tighter, smoother, lifted, and more elastic skin, with a more defined jawline, elevated brows, and fewer wrinkles in the lower face and neck. The overall effect is a more youthful complexion.
Some patients experience an improvement in their appearance after a week or two. The full effects of the treatment can be seen within three months, because that is how long collagen and elastin remodeling takes.
Does Sofwave Cause Facial Fat Loss?
There is zero risk of facial fat or volume loss with Sofwave therapy. The device heats the dermis at a precise depth where collagen and elastin fibers are stimulated. Fat cells are located in the deepest skin layer below the dermis, which ultrasound energy from Sofwave doesn’t reach.
How Long Does Sofwave Therapy Last?
Sofwave is a relatively quick treatment, typically lasting 30-45 minutes per treatment area. Most patients treat their face and neck together, and the treatment can take about 90 minutes. Adding the time it takes the provider to prepare the patient (cleanse their skin, apply the numbing cream, and wait for it to take effect), the total time spent at the spa can be two or three hours.
Can Sofwave Cause Nerve Damage?
Sofwave is designed to avoid nerve damage. The device delivers ultrasound energy at a controlled depth within the mid-dermis, without penetrating deeper layers, where the nerves are located.
What Are the Side Effects of Sofwave?
Sofwave is considered very safe and well-tolerated, with minimal risk of side effects. Some patients experience mild redness, swelling, and tenderness immediately after the treatment, but these typically resolve by the time the patient leaves the spa. Bruising after Sofwave is rare.
Who Should Avoid Sofwave Therapy?
Sofwave is safe and suitable for most healthy adults. However, some individuals may not be the best candidates for the procedure. They include:
- Pregnant and lactating women.
- Individuals who had dermal fillers within the previous two weeks.
- People who want to eliminate dynamic wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, double chin, and other aging signs that Sofwave doesn’t address.
- Patients with open wounds, active acne, and skin infections.
- Patients with bleeding disorders.
Sofwave Therapy Aftercare
Unlike many other cosmetic treatments, Sofwave doesn’t require special aftercare. Patients can exercise, wear makeup, and do most things that are restricted after similar treatments (e.g., laser and microneedling).
Some skin experts advise avoiding saunas, hot yoga, and potent skincare ingredients for 24 hours after Sofwave.
Otherwise, the recommendations include treating the skin with the same attention as usual, regardless of whether a person has had a treatment: maintaining hygiene with gentle cleansers, staying hydrated, and wearing sunscreen when leaving the house.
How Much Does the Sofwave Procedure Cost?
At Vibrant Skin Bar, Sofwave costs $3,000 for the face and $3,500 for the face and neck. The sessions last for 60 and 90 minutes, respectively.
Patients typically need a single treatment to achieve desired results.
Sofwave Therapy FAQ
Sofwave is one of the most recent and innovative cosmetic treatments, inviting many questions from interested patients. The following FAQ will help you determine if the treatment is suitable for you.
Is Sofwave Better than Botox?
Sofwave and Botox are not comparable because they address different aesthetic concerns using entirely different technologies.
Botox is a wrinkle-smoothing injectable that delivers botulinum toxin into specific facial muscles to relax them and reduce wrinkles caused by muscle movement. It is primarily used to minimize wrinkles in the upper face – forehead, frown lines, and around the eyes.
Sofwave uses ultrasound energy to heat the mid-dermis and stimulate collagen and elastin production. It is primarily used to tighten and smooth loose skin in the lower face and neck. Unlike Botox, it doesn’t use needles.
The following table can help you choose between Botox and Sofwave or combine the treatments for superior results.
| Sofwave | Botox | |
|---|---|---|
| What is the technology? | Ultrasound energy that heats the mid-dermis. | An injectable that delivers botulinum toxin under the skin. |
| What does it do? | Stimulates collagen and elastin production and tightens loose skin in the lower face and neck. | Reduces dynamic wrinkles in the upper face – forehead, between the brows, and around the eyes. |
| How long do results last? | Up to 12 months. | 3-4 months. |
| Side effects | None or minimal redness and swelling. | Swelling, bruising, pain, redness, headache. |
What Is Better, Sculptra or Sofwave?
Sculptra and Sofwave use different technologies but address similar cosmetic concerns.
Sculptra is an injectable that delivers poly-L-lactic acid into the dermis to stimulate collagen production and restore volume in loose skin. It volumizes the cheeks, smooths nasolabial folds, decreases lower face and neck wrinkles, tightens sagging jowls, firms the buttocks, and more.
Sculptra is more versatile than Sofwave, treating a wider range of areas and providing longer-lasting results. Sofwave produces more natural-looking results and comes with fewer side effects.
The following table can help you choose between Sculptra and Sofwave, depending on whether you want more volume or firmer skin.
| Sofwave | Sculptra | |
|---|---|---|
| What is the technology? | Ultrasound energy that heats the mid-dermis. | An injectable poly-L-lactic acid filler delivered into the dermis. |
| What does it do? | Stimulates collagen and elastin production and tightens loose skin in the lower face and neck. | Stimulates collagen production, tightens loose skin on the face, neck, and body, and volumizes thinning, sagging skin. |
| How long do results last? | Up to 12 months. | 24+ months. |
| Side effects | None or minimal redness and swelling. | Swelling, bruising, redness, pain, and lumps under the skin. |
How Deep Does Sofwave Go?
Sofwave delivers ultrasound energy at a precise depth of 1.5 mm into the mid-dermis. This is the ideal depth and location for stimulating collagen and elastin fibers.
Is Sofwave FDA-Approved?
Sofwave is FDA-approved for treating skin laxity and reducing wrinkles in these areas:
- Eyebrows
- Jawline
- Under the chin
- Neck
- Upper arms
The treatment is also approved for the following procedures:
- Reducing acne scarring
- Reducing the appearance of cellulite
The FDA approval is valid for patients aged 22 or older.
Conclusion
Sofwave is an innovative treatment for mild to moderate signs of aging resulting from a decline in collagen and elastin. It effectively lifts and tightens loose skin on the face and neck to restore a refreshed, rejuvenated, and naturally vibrant appearance. Sofwave also offers a key advantage over many other collagen-stimulating treatments. Its patented ultrasound technology enables precise results with minimal risk of side effects and no aftercare requirements.
