Skin Lifting and Tightening Clinical Trial
Official title:
Safety and Efficacy of Combining Thread Lifting With Microfocused Ultrasound for Lifting and Tightening the Face
Skin aging is a continuous and inevitable presses usually starting at the age of
mid-twenties, this prosses affects all facial layers including skin, subcutaneous fat,
superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS), deep facia, the retaining ligaments, muscle
activity, and even facial bony structure . The clinical outcome of this process causes the
aging signs of the face and neck, including loose facial skin, sagging cheeks, excess skin
hanging from the lower jawline and excess fat in the neck .
In the last decade with the introduction of absorbable threads, thread lifting has gained
interest and popularity among patients and physicians, as noninvasive technique to treat
ptotic skin and reposition of ptotic soft tissue into a more anatomical direction.
Histopathological studies indicated that dermal and subcutaneous foreign body reaction after
inserting the threads, in forms of collagen deposition, and fibrosis , could explain the
tightening effect throughout contracture and remodeling. However, some studies question
efficacy especially in the aspects of durability and patient satisfaction .
Another nonsurgical alternative for facial rejuvenation is high-intensity focused ultrasound
(HIFU) therapy, during the past decade, HIFU has been used as a clinical noninvasive surgical
tool to treat tumors, including those of the liver, prostate, and uterus (10-12) The HIFU
devices heat tissue with acoustic energy in a focused, controlled manner. The thermal injury
within the tissue leads to focal necrosis and cellular damage, initiating an inflammatory
cascade that culminates in tissue remodeling, similar to changes that occur after ablative or
nonablative laser treatments .
The Investigators hypothesis that the HIFU treatment followed immediately by thread insertion
can amplify and enhance the skin fibrosis, tissue lifting capacity and might give better and
longer clinical results in treating ptotic skin.
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