Comparative evaluation of moving and stamping techniques on immediate lifting outcomes

Objectives: To compare the immediate lifting effect of moving and stamping HIFU techniques and determine which approach produces greater collagen shrinkage-induced lifting immediately after treatment. Introduction: High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a well-established non-invasive modality for facial rejuvenation and skin tightening. Its clinical efficacy is primarily attributed to collagen remodeling, a process involving collagen denaturation followed by neocollagenesis that typically requires 2–3 months to achieve maximal results. However, many patients seek immediate visible improvement following treatment. This early lifting effect is believed to result from collagen shrinkage induced by thermal coagulation. Different treatment techniques, including stamping and moving methods, may influence Materials / method: A split-face pilot study was conducted involving three Chinese-Indonesian subjects aged 25–30 years with similar facial characteristics to minimize potential bias. Each subject received HIFU treatment using identical treatment parameters, including device, cartridge depth, energy settings, and total number of shots. The right side of the face was treated using the stamping technique, while the left side was treated using the moving technique. Standardized facial photographs were obtained before and immediately after treatment using the Quantificare imaging system. Immediate lifting effects wer Results: All three subjects demonstrated an immediate lifting effect following HIFU treatment. Quantificare analysis revealed that the moving technique consistently produced greater lifting than the stamping technique. On average, the lifting effect achieved with the moving technique was 1.87 times greater than that observed with the stamping technique immediately after treatment. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this pilot study, the moving HIFU technique appeared to provide superior immediate lifting compared with the stamping technique, suggesting enhanced collagen shrinkage immediately following treatment. These findings indicate that treatment delivery technique may significantly influence the instant clinical outcome of HIFU procedures. Larger controlled studies are required to validate these preliminary observations and determine their long-term clinical significance.