Sofwave is a skin treatment that uses ultrasound technology to stimulate collagen and elastin production. I’ll explain how it does that in a second (along with what makes it so novel compared to other ultrasound devices), but I’d first like to give a brief overview of why we target collagen and elastin in the first place.
Collagen and elastin are your skin’s primary structural proteins. Collagen keeps skin firm and lifted, while elastin gives skin its spring, stretch, and suppleness. Together, they’re responsible for many of the characteristics we associate with healthy, vibrant skin. At some point in the mid-20s, the balance of how much the skin produces versus how much is lost tips—and not in our favor. At this point, our natural supply of both declines, and we start to see many of the visible signs of aging, such as sagging skin and fine lines.
So much of what we do in skin care is geared toward revitalizing that production—so our skin looks and feels like it might’ve in our early 20s.
Which brings me back to sofwave. “After age 25, our collagen production goes down. Anything we can do to get that collagen production back up and turn that whole physiology back on, is a good thing. There are a lot of technologies that can improve collagen production in that dermal layer, but they all have downtime. With this, you can go back to life quickly after,” says board-certified dermatologist Amy Lewis, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine.
Lewis explains to me that it uses seven parallel beams that bypass the epidermis (the surface of the skin) and enter the mid-dermal layer. This is where collagen and elastin are made, so it more effectively supports their production.
This isn’t the first ultrasound treatment to hit the market, but it is the most sophisticated. “With the way that the energy enters into the skin, it’s more effective than ultrasound therapies of the past. It’s a fixed depth, so it’s only targeting the dermal layer where the collagen and elastin is being produced,” says medical assistant Rebecca Manzi at the office of Amy B Lewis M.D.
The treatment is approved for the full face (with a focus on brows and jawline in particular), neck, chest, and on the body (to help with cellulite). It has no downtime whatsoever, but you will have to wait one to three months before you start to see results, with the full benefits at about the six-month mark. It’s recommended for once-yearly treatments, but that’s really up to you and your dermatologist.
Oh, and it’s pricey: Depending on the amount of surface area you’re treating and the practitioner you go to, it will cost you anywhere between $1,500 to $4,500. A full face (which is what I got) starts at $2,500.
For full disclosure, mine was comped since I’m a beauty journalist—however, it came with no strings attached. What you’re reading here is my honest assessment of the experience.
