Cosmetic dermatology technology in Houston and across the nation has made tremendous strides in the last 25 years, which means better treatment modalities for patients seeking to rejuvenate the skin and face.  The 1990’s presented physicians with lasers to assist with laser hair removal and skin resurfacing; even though lasers are still widely used in dermatology today, and are quite effective they do have their limits, one of which is an inability for the physician to see the tissue below the dermis which he/she is treating.  Another is the inability to carefully focus energy to treat subcutaneous tissue and fibro-muscular tissue without impacting intervening tissues.  Ulthera became 510K FDA approved in the United States during September 2009 and prior to that received the CE mark of approval in December 2008.  Ulthera works using intense ultrasound energy focusing and ultrasound imaging.  Ultrasound for medical imaging is nothing new, and in fact, has been used by OBGYN’s for decades to monitor the progress of an unborn child.  Therefore, it is safe and effective for imaging.  The high intensity ultrasound waves are designed to treat the underlying skin structure in an effort to tighten and lift areas of skin laxity.  At West Houston Dermatology Laser & Skincare Center, we use an Ulthera transducer to focus a precise amount of energy to a precise plane and depth of the patient’s face and/or neck to produce the desired results.  This technology is similar to focusing the sun’s rays through a magnifying glass to create energy – sort of like childhood science labs.  Prior to the development of Ultherapy, when patients seeking to treat skin laxity but who did not want to undergo surgery, physicians had nothing to offer them, but Ultherapy has changed the way female and male patients seek non-surgical facelifts.  Fore more information on Ultehrapy and how it can help you, stay tuned for future blog posts.