Sofwave skin tightening in Birmingham
Non-surgical lifting for the brow, jawline, under-chin and neck — and treatment for selected acne scars
Sofwave uses ultrasound to firm and lift the skin without surgery, needles or significant downtime. The improvement builds gradually over the months after treatment.
Start with a £50 Sofwave assessment, where an aesthetic practitioner will tell you whether Sofwave is likely to give you a worthwhile result.
Quick Facts about Sofwave
Best for
Mild-moderate skin laxity
Anaesthetic
Numbing cream
Duration
1.5-2.5 hours
Recovery
Redness 1-2 days
Practitioner
Aesthetic practitioner
Price
See below
Sofwave in Birmingham and Solihull
Sofwave is a non-invasive ultrasound treatment for mild to moderate skin laxity, facial lines and wrinkles. It can produce a subtle brow lift, improve lax skin around the jawline, beneath the chin and on the neck, and treat selected acne scars.
Midland Skin offers Sofwave at its Birmingham clinic for patients from Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Worcester and the wider Midlands.
Before and after pictures of Sofwave
What is Sofwave and how does it work?
Sofwave delivers controlled ultrasound energy into the middle layer of the skin, at a depth of approximately 1.5 mm. This heats small treatment zones and stimulates collagen contraction followed by new collagen and elastin formation, while integrated SofCool™ technology protects the surface of the skin.
It is not a laser, a radiofrequency treatment or traditional HIFU. There are no incisions and no needles, and the skin surface is not removed. Because the improvement comes from your own collagen and elastin remodelling, it develops gradually rather than immediately.
In the United States, Sofwave holds FDA clearance for improving facial lines and wrinkles, lifting the eyebrow and lax submental and neck tissue, improving upper-arm skin laxity and treating acne scars.
Who is Sofwave suitable for?
Sofwave is most worthwhile when the concern is early or moderate laxity and you want a visible but natural improvement without surgery. An assessment is likely to be worthwhile if:
- Loose skin on the jawline, under the chin or neck – where the change is early to moderate
- A heavy or lowered brow – where a subtle lift would open up the eyes
- Facial lines and wrinkles – becoming more noticeable with time
- Selected acne scars – particularly rolling and shallow atrophic scars
- Crepey or lax skin on the upper arms
- You want to avoid injectables – no needles, no tox, no filler
- A treatment usable across a wide range of skin tones
- You are maintaining results – after previous treatment or facial surgery
When might another treatment suit you better?
Sofwave is designed for subtle lifting and firming. If you have substantial excess skin, advanced jowling or significant neck laxity, surgery is more likely to produce the change you want.
Sofwave also does not directly treat volume loss, muscle-related lines, pigmentation or redness. If it is unlikely to address your main concern, we will say so at your assessment and discuss what would work better.
Mohsen Faraji
What results can I realistically expect?
The aim is for skin to look firmer, smoother and better supported — not for you to look different or treated. Standardised photographs taken before treatment let us assess the change objectively rather than by memory.
- Facial lines and wrinkles – in a multicentre study, 86% of participants who completed follow-up improved by at least one point on the Fitzpatrick Wrinkle and Elastosis Scale, 12 weeks after a single treatment.
- Brow and submental lifting – in a separate study using two treatments, investigators recorded improvement in approximately 80% of brow areas and 85% of submental and neck areas.
- Upper-arm laxity – in a study of 46 women having two treatments, blinded reviewers rated 93.3% of photographs as improved at three months.
- Acne scars – after up to three treatments, masked reviewers judged approximately 97% of participants to have some improvement, with average scar severity reduced by approximately 46%.
These studies involved selected patients and relatively short follow-up. “Improvement” is not correction, and these figures cannot predict your individual result.
How many treatments, and when will I see the result?
Most patients having Sofwave for facial lines, laxity or skin quality are recommended one or two treatments, depending on the area, the degree of laxity and the improvement being sought. Where two are recommended, facial treatments are usually spaced around eight weeks apart.
Some early change may be visible within a few weeks, but the result is properly assessed at around three months, and improvement can continue for three to six months.
The natural ageing process continues afterwards. Many patients consider a maintenance treatment 6 to 12 months later, depending on their response and their goals.
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Ready to get started? Book a consultation with our team at Midland Skin. Friendly, expert advice tailored to you.
Sofwave for acne scars
Sofwave may improve selected atrophic acne scars by heating the middle layer of the skin while leaving the surface intact. Because it does not remove the skin surface, it avoids the recovery and pigment-change risks that limit some resurfacing treatments in darker skin tones.
It is most likely to help where there are rolling or shallow atrophic scars, depressed scars accompanied by laxity, or acne scarring alongside early ageing changes.
At Midland Skin, acne scar treatment with Sofwave is given as a course of three treatments, approximately eight weeks apart. Complete removal of acne scars is not expected and the degree of improvement varies. Active inflammatory or cystic acne must be properly controlled before the affected area is treated.
Sofwave is usually planned as part of a wider acne scar programme, which may also include subcision, TCA CROSS, laser resurfacing, punch excision, biostimulators or vascular and pigment lasers.
Treatment Pathway for Sofwave
Sofwave Assessment
An aesthetic practitioner assesses your skin, anatomy and areas of concern, discusses what you want to improve, and reviews your medical history, medications and previous procedures.
Care Plan
If Sofwave is appropriate, your plan covers the areas to be treated, the number of treatments, likely improvement, limitations, risks, recovery and alternatives. A minimum 48-hour cooling-off period applies before treatment.
Treatment
Numbing cream is applied for approximately one hour, then your practitioner delivers the treatment across the agreed areas.
Review
Your practitioner assesses your response against your baseline photographs and advises whether a second treatment, further acne-scar treatment or future maintenance is worthwhile.
On the day: what to expect FAQs
Who performs Sofwave treatment?
Your assessment and treatment are carried out by an aesthetic practitioner.
How should I prepare?
Have a light meal beforehand. Arrive with clean skin and no makeup. Men having the lower face or neck treated should be clean-shaven. Bring headphones if you would like to listen to something while the numbing cream works.
Should I stop any medication?
Tell us about all prescribed medicines, over-the-counter treatments and supplements. Do not stop anticoagulants, antiplatelet medication or any other prescribed medicine without appropriate medical advice. Also tell us about recent isotretinoin, implants, dermal fillers and previous procedures in the treatment area.
Does it hurt?
Sofwave produces brief pulses of heat. Discomfort varies between patients and areas, and areas close to bone can feel more intense despite the numbing cream and the device’s cooling. Paracetamol may be offered where it is safe and appropriate for you.
How long should I allow?
Approximately 1.5 hours for facial treatment and up to 2.5 hours for face and neck, including the hour for numbing cream.
Can I drive home?
Yes. Only numbing cream and simple pain relief are normally used.
After treatment: recovery and aftercare FAQs
What will I look like straight afterwards?
Your skin may be red or mildly swollen. This usually settles within one to two days. There are no stitches or dressings.
What aftercare do I need?
Gentle skincare, and avoid potent skincare ingredients, makeup, saunas, excessive heat and strenuous exercise for 24 hours. Continue daily sun protection.
When can I return to work and wear makeup?
Most patients return to normal activities the same or the next day. Makeup can usually be reapplied after 24 hours. Bear the one to two days of possible redness in mind when planning events or photographs.
What if I am concerned?
Contact Midland Skin if you develop blistering, crusting, oozing, increasing pain, or redness or swelling that is severe or does not settle as expected.
Risks, recovery and limitations
Most patients have little interruption to normal activities. Redness, swelling, tenderness or sensitivity can occur and usually settle within one to two days.
Less commonly, patients may experience:
- significant discomfort during treatment
- bruising
- persistent redness or swelling
- an irritation reaction to the numbing cream
- temporary pigment change
- scabbing, crusting, blistering or oozing
- an incomplete or uneven response
- little or no visible improvement
Although Sofwave can be used across a wide range of skin tones, this does not mean pigment change is impossible.
As with any medical treatment, there are some individuals for whom the treatment may not work as well or may not work at all. A guarantee of any particular outcome is not provided with Sofwave treatment.
Who may not be suitable?
Sofwave for skin laxity, facial lines and brow lifting is offered to adults aged 18 and over.
Sofwave cannot be performed over open wounds, untreated lesions, severe or cystic acne, or certain electronic implants within the treatment area.
Treatment may also need to be avoided or postponed during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with an active infection or inflammatory skin condition, after recent isotretinoin, or where there are certain implants or fillers in the proposed treatment area.
Please tell us about all medical conditions, medications, implants, previous surgery and injectable treatments at your assessment. Do not stop prescribed medication unless advised by the clinician responsible for your care.
Why choose Midland Skin for Sofwave?
Sofwave at Midland Skin is delivered inside a consultant dermatologist-led clinic, with a consultant dermatologist on site. If something is found during your assessment that needs a dermatologist’s opinion, that opinion is available here rather than somewhere else.
We also provide medical dermatology, skin surgery, laser treatment and a full range of acne scar procedures — so Sofwave is recommended when it is genuinely the right answer, not because it is the only thing on offer.
We will tell you when Sofwave is likely to give a worthwhile improvement, and when your money would be better spent on a different approach.
Fees for Sofwave
Sofwave Show pricing
Book AssessmentInitial Sofwave assessment
Assessed by our aesthetic practitioners. Redeemable against treatment within 3 months. Up to 25 minutes
Sofwave – Full face
Course of 2: £3,495
Sofwave – Full face and neck
Course of 2: £3,995
Sofwave – Lower face
Course of 2: £2,350
Sofwave – Lower face and neck
Course of 2: £3,495
Sofwave – Neck
Course of 2: £2,350
Sofwave – Brow lift and eyes
Course of 2: £1,600
Sofwave – Arms
Sofwave – Acne scars
References used for this article
- Wang JV et al. Efficacy and Safety of High-Intensity, High-Frequency, Parallel Ultrasound Beams for Fine Lines and Wrinkles. Dermatologic Surgery (2021).
- Wang JV et al. High-Intensity, High-Frequency, Parallel Ultrasound Beams for Submental Lifting. Dermatologic Surgery (2023).
- Gold MH, Biron J. Efficacy and Safety of High-Intensity, High-Frequency, Non-Focused Ultrasound Parallel Beams for Facial Skin Laxity. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2024).
- Boonchoo K, Hongcharu W. The Efficacy and Safety of a Single Treatment of High-Intensity, High-Frequency, Non-Focused Ultrasound Parallel Beams for Facial Acne Scars in Asian Patients: A Preliminary Study. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2025).
- Wang JV et al. High-Intensity, High-Frequency, Parallel Ultrasound Beams for Facial Acne Scars. Dermatologic Surgery (2025).
- Wang JV et al. High-Intensity, High-Frequency, Parallel Ultrasound Beam Device for Skin Laxity of the Upper Arms. Dermatologic Surgery (2025).
- Suh DH et al. High-Intensity, Parallel Ultrasound Tightening of Facial Skin: Clinical and Pathologic Results. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2025).
- Sofwave Medical. Sofwave indications, contraindications, precautions and potential adverse events.
About the Author
This page has been written and/or medically reviewed by Dr Sajjad Rajpar, Consultant Dermatologist and Medical Director of Midland Skin, Birmingham.
Dr Rajpar is on the GMC Specialist Register in Dermatology and has over 20 years’ experience in clinical dermatology. He provides clinical oversight to ensure the information on this page is accurate, balanced and consistent with current dermatology practice.
Dr Sajjad Rajpar
Date last updated: 23rd Sep 2026
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Expert, consultant led care in dermatology, skin surgery, eyelid surgery, lasers and aesthetics.
Disclaimer
The content on this website is provided for general information only. It is not, and must not be treated as, medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation for any particular treatment. We make reasonable efforts to keep information accurate and up to date, but medicine and technology change, and content may not reflect the most current evidence, guidance, product information, or individual practice. You should not rely on this website to make decisions about your health or treatment. Always seek personalised advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Any examples, images, testimonials, and outcome descriptions are illustrative only. Results vary between individuals and no outcome can be guaranteed.
