Successful treatment of submental fat using a non‐focused pulsed ultrasound

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of non‐invasive aesthetic treatments is increasing, with patients demanding easier, safer, and more effective non‐invasive cosmetic procedures. Submental fat is usually addressed using liposuction, which is associated with significant adverse events and a long recovery. Although newer, non‐invasive submental fat treatments are gaining popularity, they are often complex, require frequent injections, or have adverse side effects.AimsAssess the safety and efficacy of vacuum‐assisted acoustic wave technology for treating submental.Patients/MethodsFourteen female patients underwent a total of three weekly 15‐min treatments using ultrasound with a 40 mm bell‐shaped sonotrode. Improvement in submental fat was assessed 3 months after the final treatment using questionnaires for the patients and physicians. Two blinded dermatologists rated each patient using the Clinician‐Reported Submental Fat Rating Scale (CR‐SMFRS) 5‐point scale.ResultsBoth physicians rated a significant improvement in all 14 patients. Furthermore, self‐evaluation of the 14 patients on a 1 to 5 satisfaction scale averaged 2.14, indicating that most patients were somewhat satisfied.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that a three‐treatment course with an acoustic wave ultrasound applicator with 1‐week intervals leads to a significant reduction in submental fat and can be used as a novel, efficient treatment paradigm.