High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a long-lasting, non-invasive treatment that uses targeted ultrasound energy to firm and tighten skin around the face, neck, jawline and decolletage. It works by sending precise thermal energy to the SMAS (Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System) layer – the same layer targeted by the more invasive surgical facelift. Without breaking the surface of the skin, HIFU energy generates enough heat to essentially destroy the targeted cells. This sounds a lot more brutal than it actually but but fundamentally what this does is to trigger the body’s natural wound-healing response, stimulating neocollagenesis and leading to increased collagen and elastin production.