Beyond Lifting: Exilis Ultra for Tightening

It's a fact. No matter how much some patients exercise and follow a healthy diet, some stubborn fat deposits may remain. And, despite the occasional outlandish magazine report or gadget ad to the contrary, it's impossible to tone a sagging neck and jowl or face with exercise.

Enter Exilis Ultra, a radiofrequency (RF) device that adds ultrasound energy for a fat reducing and tissue tightening effect. Houston's Suneel Chilukuri, MD participated in initial trials of the Exilis device and was so impressed with the results versus a comparator RF device that he says he begged to pre-purchase it.

“This device is used multiple times a day, similar to our IPL device. The biggest advantage of this: there's zero downtime with minimal to no discomfort. Everybody describes it as feeling like a hot stone massage in a spa. The results are immediate. You see immediate tightening of the skin,” Dr. Chilukuri says. “Immediate lifting of the neck and the face, and then that continues to improve over the next six months.”

“Exilis Ultra utilizing RF and ultrasound energy to create 360-degree volumetric heating is clever technology,” explains Washington, DC area dermatologist Terrence Keaney, MD. “This mechanism of action eliminates the risk of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia in my male patients.”

Even more importantly, the device has multiple potential applications.“The versatility of the device with skin tightening and the ability to treat so many body areas is important for my new growing practice,” Dr. Keaney says.

Exilis Ultra: Technology of Choice

“I chose Exilis Ultra and Vanquish because of my practice demographics and the devices' efficacy. My patient population skews younger and male, so a versatile system that could effectively treat this population was ideal,” Dr. Keaney explains. He has had experience with multiple technologies, including ultrasound, cryolipolysis, and radiofrequency devices. “I believe Exilis Ultra and Vanquish ME are the premier radiofrequency devices that can provide fat reduction and tightening of skin.”

Results are immediately evident, and there is no downtime. Exilis Ultra 360 is a “Red carpet device,” Dr. Chilukuri asserts. “It allows us to really treat patients during the week of a wedding, anniversary, class reunion, or any other special event. We have patients come in one or two days, or even the day of the event, and see this immediate tightening…It's so incredibly natural because there's nothing that's being injected.”

Exilis Ultra 360 appeals to a wide range of patients in his growing practice, Dr. Keaney says. “For my younger patients who only have modest laxity, I think RF is ideal. Exilis Ultra 360 was my choice given the minimal treatment discomfort and flexibility to treat the entire body—eyes, lower face, vagina. I love it for post-baby young moms who have some excess abdominal fat and skin laxity. I also like the Exilis Ultra for male pseudogynecomastia.” Exilis Ultra 360 is also popular for treating the upper arms and legs.

A Fine-tuning Device

When applied to specific sites for sufficient time to heat the adipose deposits, Exilis Ultra 360 can tighten the skin in areas such as “love handles” or around the bra and bra straps. However, the device truly stands out as particularly useful for tightening the skin following large volume fat treatments with Vanquish ME.

In Dr. Chilukuri's practice, he may treat patients with Vanquish ME for fat reduction, Exilis Ultra 360 to tighten the skin, and use Cellutone to help hasten lymphatic drainage. This “signature treatment” from Dr. Chilukuri's practice is called the Silhouette Procedure. “With the Silhouette Procedure, we're really able to do pretty remarkable body contouring results,” he says.

“Body contouring is really appealing to male patients,” Dr. Keaney observes. “Contouring or tightening is appealing to both genders, but compared to other aesthetic procedures, men have no fear of feminization with it. My favorite combination is Vanquish ME for reducing fat in the abdomen and Exilis Ultra for tightening the chest.”

Delivering on Demand

Buying a device for the practice is “just like buying a car,” Dr. Chilukuri say. It's essential to assess safety, efficacy/reliability, ease of use, and return on investment.

“In all four categories, BTL continues to come out ahead and they provide us with equipment and technology that patients are asking for,” Dr. Chilukuri says. “To measure the proper return of investment, you have to ask ‘Do patients in your practice, in your location, actually demand that procedure?'” If the demand isn't there, then no device will be a good fit for the practice, he adds.

Not to worry: Trends and data suggest that demand for fat reduction and skin tightening is high and growing. For practices interested in satisfying patient demand, Exilis Ultra offers a range of treatment options, and it comes from the family of BTL products focused fully on reshaping bodies. “In terms of all four of the considerations above, BTL excels,” Dr. Chilukuri says.

Body by BTL Patient Perspectives

“Going to the gym is one thing. Eating right is another, but the things that were naturally starting to happen were frustrating…After a couple of treatments, I started noticing a difference…The Exilis was a really simple treatment for me. I think Botox is more uncomfortable. To me, it's way more affordable and safer than anything that could be done medically, cutting.”

—Tom, Real Estate Agent and BTL Patient btlaesthetics.com

“I don't have to freak, because I don't have a needle near my eye. So I love it. There was absolutely no downtime and I just got up and left. Went back to work. Almost immediately, you see the eye is smoother.”

—Annette, Banker and BTL Exilis Patient btlaesthetics.com

Body by BTL Provider Insights

“I really love combining, not only the technologies within BTL, but sometimes I actually use BTL devices as an enhancement for some of the surgical procedures we do here at Art of Skin MD. I'm a liposuction surgeon. I actually use Exilis Ultra 360 post-procedure to try to enhance some of the healing, for some of the tightening of the skin.”

—Melanie Palm, MD btlaesthetics.com