Shear Wave Elastography in the Evaluation of Facial Skin Stiffness After Focused Ultrasound Treatment

BACKGROUND: No objective method for the evaluation of facial aesthetic procedures has been proposed thus far. The authors hypothesized that shear wave elastography may be an appropriate method to evaluate the outcomes of some aesthetic treatments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare elastographic parameters of facial skin, subcutaneous fat, and superficial musculoaponeurotic system before high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment and 60 days after this procedure. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study included 57 female patients aged 51.5 ± 7.3 years. Shear wave elastography of facial skin was performed before the aesthetic procedure and 2 months thereafter. RESULTS: Baseline stiffness of all examined layers correlated inversely with patients' age. Sixty days after the aesthetic treatment, the stiffness of all tissues improved significantly. The extent of the improvement correlated inversely with patients' body mass index. CONCLUSION: Shear wave elastography can accurately assess the outcomes of facial treatment with high-intensity focused ultrasound. Using this method, the authors documented improved stiffness of facial skin as early as 60 days after the procedure. The beneficial effect of the aesthetic treatment was observed regardless of patients' age but was less evident in women with excess body weight.