Whenever I make treatment recommendations for this column, I think of the American psychologist Abram Maslow’s Law of Instrument: “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Because every skin concern is different, a one-tool-fits-all approach hardly works for everyone.
The Aivee Clinic is dedicated to bringing in the latest innovations and Sofwave is their newest star, a new 3D ultrasound lifting technology that firms and tones with every pass. The superstars love it too: Sharon Cuneta, who’s in her 50s, and Nadine Lustre in her late 20s both swear by it. It’s that tightening boost for Cuneta who just went from Size XXL to Medium. Lustre loves it for that “snatched” look, sans filters and face tape. It restores and rebuilds your collagen over time–smoothing away fine lines and wrinkles on the face and body, lifting and tightening sagging skin in areas such as the jowls, jawline, neck, and brows.
Sofwave is also able to target something that I haven’t been able to with every other treatment in the market until now. Now that I’m in my 30s, my nasolabial folds are my biggest concern. It’s a high-risk area to treat because of the concentration of nerves under it, which is why until now, dermatologists choose my safety and lift only areas around it (such as filling my cheekbones), therefore minimally reducing the fold. It’s able to do this because it targets the tissue in the mid-dermis (approximately 1.5mm deep). In November 2021, the US FDA cleared it for lifting above the eyebrows, under the chin, and the neck tissue.
It’s inevitable to bring up the pioneering Ultherapy, which uses microfocused ultrasound to generate a thermal effect under the skin–a popular treatment since 2009 and has been in use in the medical community for over 50 years. It can do this because Ultherapy goes deeper (up to 4.5mm). I have tried it and it is one of my favorite treatments.
So if you’re wondering which ultrasound treatment is better, I think the better question to ask is which one is better for you and your concerns. During my 30 to 45-minute Sofwave procedure, I appreciated the cooling system integrated right into the probe, alternating between warm jolts into my skin. With my very low pain tolerance (I cry on pimple extractions), I was able to chat away during my treatment, wincing only at the bony parts of my face like the sides of my forehead and cheekbones.
Just three days later, I was shocked to wake up to smoothness and plumpness all over my face skin despite bingeing Pachinko into the wee hours. Over a week in, the shadow cast on my face by my nasolabial folds are much lighter. The hooding of my lids have been reduced, too. And it’s supposed to get better in two months and last up to a year. Those who can’t get enough of these results can do it again six to eight months later. With all these advancements in technology, those contemplating a face lift down the line might never need to go under the knife.
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Sofwave is available at The A Institute, The Aivee Clinic Fort, and The Aivee Clinic Alabang. Visit www.aiveeclinic.com or @aiveeclinic on Instagram for more information.