This Buzzy Noninvasive Treatment Can Smooth Fine Lines as Well as Botox

As a beauty editor, it's my job to stay in the know when it comes to buzzy beauty treatments and injectables. Honestly though, it can be a tad exhausting. Sometimes it feels like new technology and services are hitting the market every day, and it's hard to keep up. But it's also my job to weed out which ones are worth talking about and which ones you can skip. Sofwave made the cut in terms of treatments we need to talk about.

I have a few editor friends who tried this treatment recently and were impressed with the results. What does it do, you ask? Well, for starters, it's a less invasive alternative to Botox that can help smooth fine lines, firm sagging skin, and reduce wrinkle depth. While Botox can only reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, Sofwave kick-starts new collagen production, which actually reduces them. I found out everything you need to know about this exciting treatment below. Keep reading for a full rundown.

First, you might be asking, "What exactly is Sofwave?" With so many treatments out there on the market now, it can start to get confusing. RejuvaYou founder John Shieh, MD, breaks it down for us. 

"Sofwave is one of the latest in noninvasive treatments for the skin [that lifts] the lax skin around the eyes and brows as well as the lower face, jawline, under the chin, and the neck," he says. "It uses ultrasonic energy to coagulate the collagen at 1.5mm below the surface, causing collagen remodeling. As a result, not only does it cause lifting of the lax skin; it helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as reducing acne scars. It is the only treatment that is FDA cleared for reducing fine lines and wrinkles; lifting of the brows, submental jawline, neck, and arms; reducing appearance of cellulite; and treating acne scars."

As intrigued as I was by this treatment upon first learning about it, it raised a few questions for me. I wondered how it produces different results than treatments like SkinVive, micro-needling, or microchanneling. Shieh was able to clear that up for me too. "Sofwave is in a totally different class of treatments than injectables or micro-needling," he explains. "The biggest difference is that it is noninvasive and doesn't break the skin or cause the degree of downtime that micro-needling and injectables cause.

"The other big difference is that a Sofwave treatment is causing a result that your own body is producing.  The lifting and collagen remodeling is caused by what your own skin has been stimulated to do. On the other hand, injectables are just external substances injected into the skin or face to create the illusion or appearance of improvement. But Sofwave results are from your own body and skin producing the remodeled collagen. Finally, the results of Sofwave are significantly better and more natural compared to injectables and micro-needling."

There you have it! Sofwave is a less invasive alternative to Botox that doesn't just create the appearance of smoother, fine line–free skin—it actually creates it from within! Naturally, a treatment like this doesn't come cheap (ugh), but it's definitely worth it in the long run if you want to keep your skin looking youthful. Shieh shares a bit more about what kind of results you can expect and how much each treatment costs.

"People can expect to see lifting and wrinkle reduction of the areas treated," he says. "For someone that receives a typical full-face treatment, including under the chin, at around the two-week [mark], they enjoy seeing brows that are lifted naturally, improvement in wrinkles and fine lines, and improved lifting of the jawline and under the chin area. This result continues to improve as collagen remodels and can be more noticeable at two months. A single treatment gives noticeable results in the majority of patients. Although, additional treatments may be performed for additional improvements."

As for the price, I'll be honest, it's steep. But it could be well worth it for those long-term results since Botox can't exactly provide that. Shieh says, "Sofwave costs vary depending on the size of the area being treated. A partial face treatment starts around $1500, with full-face treatments running approximately $2500 to $5000. A neck and under-chin-area treatment can run $2000 to $3000."

Collagen-building treatments will be more effective in the long run if you pair it with good skincare. Shieh has a few recommendations in that department. "We always recommend at least combining skin treatments like Sofwave with a high-purity L-ascorbic acid vitamin C [serum] and a zinc and/or titanium mineral sunscreen. An L-ascorbic acid serum has been shown to help the skin produce more collagen.  Combining this with Sofwave that causes collagen remodeling is ideal to gain maximum result as well as for maintenance. The mineral sunscreens are important because the chemical-based sunscreens may be able to block UV-caused damage, but the chemicals themselves are actually damaging to the skin. And worse, they are shown to cause hormone imbalances in people that use it regularly," he says.

Shop a few key products to help maintain your results below.