If you’ve been researching skin tightening treatments, you’ve probably come across a flood of device names — Sofwave, Ultraformer, XERF and dozens of others promising the same thing: firmer, lifted, more youthful skin without surgery. Patients in my Beirut and Dubai clinics ask me almost daily, “Which machine is the best?”

My honest answer, after years of practicing aesthetic medicine? The device is critical but matters less than you’d think.

It’s Not the Device — It’s How It’s Used

Sofwave, Ultraformer, and similar ultrasound or radiofrequency-based skin tightening devices are all capable of delivering good results. But a powerful device in the wrong hands, with the wrong settings, on the wrong patient, will always underperform or cause harm— while a well-established device used with precision and clinical judgment can transform a patient’s skin safely and predictably.

What actually determines your results is:

  • Whether you truly need the treatment — not every patient with skin laxity is a candidate for the same energy-based device. A proper consultation should always come before a machine recommendation.
  • The technique used — depth of energy delivery, treatment pattern, and number of passes all vary based on your skin type, age, and area being treated.
  • The parameters selected — energy levels and settings need to be individualized. This is where experience separates an average outcome from an exceptional one.

My Journey with Skin Tightening Devices

When I started using Thermage about 25 years ago, this Radiofrquency treatment was painful and the results quite modest. Around 2015, I started using Ultherapy, the first High Intensity Focused Ultrasound device, but soon after I moved to using the Ultraformer, the Korean, improved version of it, which I use till today in its ugraded form. The results have been consistetntly good, with predictable firming of the lower face, peaking at 6 weeks and lasting up to 6-9 months. Enter Sofwave, which has brought a breakthrough in the HIFU technology, as it treats a more superficial but a larger percentage of the collagen layer, causing a smoothening in addition to firming of the skin. This device, available at Skin Experts Polyclinic in Dubai since 2024, has shown amazing and unprecedented results on the body areas such as loose skin of the abdomen, thighs and arms. Today, XERF is the new device that is heavily marketed on social media. In reality it is a redesign of the older radiofrequency technology. Experience has shown that it takes 2 sessions to achieve results comparable to a single session of Sofwave. So I chose not to offer it in my clinics for now.

Why Combination Treatments Give Better, More Natural Results

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is that skin tightening rarely works best as a standalone treatment. The skin ages on multiple levels simultaneously — volume loss, texture and quality decline, and muscular movement all play a role. Addressing only one of these leaves results incomplete.

In my practice, I often combine skin tightening devices with:

  • Dermal fillers – to restore lost facial volume, which supports and enhances the lifting effect of skin tightening
  • Skin boosters with PRP or Salmon DNA (PDRNs)– to improve skin quality and rejuvenation, amplifying the results of energy-based tightening treatments
  • Botox – to relax the muscular tension patterns that contribute to lines and skin laxity, allowing the skin to settle more smoothly

This layered, personalized approach — rather than relying on one “miracle device” — is what consistently delivers natural, long-lasting results for my patients in both Beirut and Dubai.

‘Beware of Misinformation.. and Newer Isn’t Always Better’

The aesthetic device market moves fast, and new technologies are launched every year, often marketed aggressively as “revolutionary”, before firm studies are established. My advice to every patient: be cautious of what’s simply new, and prioritize what’s established.

Look for treatments and devices that are:

  • Backed by solid clinical research
  • Proven over years of real-world use, not just marketing campaigns
  • Used by reputable practitioners with genuine, demonstrated experience with that specific technology
  • Be cautious when influencer names are used to support a device, sometimes the scientific evidence is simply not there yet.

BOX::  HIFU devices are often misrepresented by users of other technologies as causing fat loss. This is not true of the devices like Ultraformer and Sofwave, which according to studies barely reduce fat layer by an insignificant 0.2mm Ultraformer, and none for Sofwave. Even HIFU devices specifically designed to disolve fat, have not met with clinical success.

The Most Important Decision Isn’t the Device — It’s Your Doctor

At the end of the day, the single biggest factor in your outcome is the expertise of the person treating you. A skilled, experienced physician will:

  • Assess whether skin tightening is even the right treatment for you
  • Choose the most appropriate device and settings for your specific skin and concerns
  • Build a complete treatment plan — combining tightening, volumizing, and skin quality treatments — tailored to your face and goals
  • Prioritize safety and natural-looking results over trends

Skin Tightening at Dr. Dany Touma’s Clinics in Beirut and Dubai

Whether you’re consulting me at my Beirut, Lebanon clinic or my Dubai, UAE clinic, my approach remains the same: a personalized consultation first, an honest assessment of what you actually need, and a treatment plan — not just a single device — designed to restore your skin naturally, safely, and beautifully.

If you’re considering skin tightening and want an expert opinion on the right approach for your skin, book a consultation at either of our locations in Beirut or Dubai.