Sofwave results: when you see them and how long they last

You see an early change at one to two weeks, the result builds from six to eight weeks to its peak at three months, and it lasts around a year in our clinic's experience. Sofwave works by heating the dermis, the living layer of the skin, so that it contracts and lays down new collagen, and collagen takes months to build, which is why the three-month photograph, not the mirror on the day, is the honest measure.

The timeline

• The day of treatment: the skin is red for one to three hours and may be mildly swollen or tender for up to a day. Some people see a slight tightening at once; that is swelling, it settles within days and it is not the result.
• One to two weeks: an early change as the swelling settles and the first collagen forms.
• Six to eight weeks: the result building, visible to you and to people who know your face.
• Three months: the peak, when we take the after photograph and compare it with your before photograph.
• Six months: the result holds. A 2024 study of 34 full faces measured the skin contraction at eight weeks and found it unchanged at 24 weeks.
• Around a year: the result eases gradually, and in our experience a session a year keeps it. The manufacturer's own wording is that results are maintained for up to 12 months.

What the studies measured

The clearance study for facial lines and wrinkles followed 59 patients for 12 weeks after one treatment: blinded reviewers picked the after photograph correctly in 78% of cases, 72% of patients noted improvement, and in its 2021 publication 86% of the 58 who completed improved by one to three points on the wrinkle scale. For the brow and the neck, in 80 patients treated twice, the brow rose by an average of 0.69 mm along its length and 0.78 mm at its highest point, and reviewers picked the after photograph in 79% and 80% of cases. A 2024 study of 15 patients treated on the brow, under the chin and on the neck found the improvement stable to six months. These are measured, natural changes, which is the kind of result Sofwave gives: a natural lift and tightening, not a different face.

What makes it last longer or shorter

Skin treated early, with mild laxity, tends to hold longest. In our experience, heavier laxity (loose skin), sun damage and smoking shorten it. Sunscreen protects the new collagen, and the clinician sets your maintenance interval at the three-month review rather than guessing in advance.

Compared with the alternatives

Sofwave is one session lasting around a year. Morpheus8 at our sister clinic at the same address is a course of three with two to five days of downtime and lasts a year or more; EMface, also at the same address, is four sessions working the muscles and lasts around a year. The full Sofwave guide compares them side by side, and the sessions page covers when a second session helps.

Keep the result

Book a free consultation at Sofwave Clinic on 0207 099 9640 or through the form below. The clinician tells you what result to expect on your own skin and when, and gives you the price per area in writing, with 0% finance available.