Effectiveness of high intensity micro-focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy for non- surgical facial and body contouring: A systematic review of Prospective and Experimental Studies.

Abstract

Background: Liposuction, the most common body sculpting surgical procedure known today is associated with the risk of numerous complications. A safer and more noninvasive approach involves the use of high-intensity focused ultrasonography (HIFU) lasers, which work by selectively damaging fat tissue through apoptosis or necrosis induction of fat cells. The authors' systematic review was designed to identify the effectiveness of HIFU for nonsurgical facial and body contouring. Methods: An exhaustive literature search was conducted of the PubMed/ MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, Scopus, and EBSCO electronic databases for the period from November of 2005 to July of 2020. The full text of selected articles was reviewed for possible study inclusion, and articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria were recruited. Characteristics of the included studies were noted, and outcomes were assessed. Assessment of quality and risk of bias was performed for all the studies using the RevMan tool and the methodological index for nonrandomized studies. Results:The initial search revealed a total of 4584 citations, of which only 11 were included in the present review: nine used HIFU for recontouring of the abdomen and only two used HIFU over the face and neck. Studies evaluated either the efficacy of HIFU or the safety of its use. The average total energy ranged from 140 to 248 J/cm 2 for the abdominal region and 0.3 to 1.2 J/cm 2 for the face and neck. The focal depth ranged from 1.1 to 1.8 cm. All the studies showed promising results with the use of HIFU. Conclusion: HIFU therapy is safe, effective, and minimally invasive, with predictable results when used for body and facial recontouring.

Healing Process after High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment of Benign Skin Lesions: Dermoscopic Analysis and Treatment Guidelines

“…Furthermore, HIFU offers advantages in the formation and reorganization of collagen, and a potential explanation for this effect could be an elevation in TGF-β levels along with the inhibition of MMP3 activity [24]. Furthermore, HIFU is recognized for its capability in non-surgical facial and body contouring, providing a safer and non-invasive alternative to traditional methods, effectively targeting fat tissue for contouring purposes in areas such as the abdomen, face, and neck [28]. Additionally, HIFU is known for its safety, with the most common adverse effect being transient pain during the procedure, while other significant adverse effects are notably rare, thus establishing it as a relatively safe option for skin treatment [29,30].…”

Review of high-intensity focused ultrasound for lipolysis: clinical and preclinical studies

“…Although the lipolytic effects of HIFU have been well reported, there is a lack of research on overall metabolic changes [19]. A meta-analysis of metabolic changes with non-surgical fat removal including HIFU conducted by Badran et al [20] found that 2 units of body mass index, 1 kg of body weight, 5 cm of waist circumference, and 1.5 cm of abdominal fat thickness were maintained up to 60 days after treatment.…”