LDM Ultrasound
Facial in Dubai

Acne and acne-prone skin

Acne is inflammation around a blocked follicle. Most acne treatments attack it with acids, light or medicines that dry or irritate the skin. LDM works differently: the alternating waves reduce swelling in the tissue around each lesion and change the activity of matrix metalloproteinases, the enzymes that break down collagen in inflamed skin. Wellcomet lists acne and acne scars among the dermatological indications of the LDM MED platform.

The best published evidence is a retrospective two-centre study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2025). Twenty-two patients with mild to severe acne had triple-frequency LDM. Nine blinded dermatologists graded photographs: acne severity improved by 74% by the last session and by 90% at follow-up, so the skin carried on improving after the course. The study was co-authored by the manufacturer's CEO and had no control group, which is why we describe it as promising rather than proven. In our clinic we combine LDM with a prescription acne plan from one of our doctors, not instead of it.

Rosacea-prone, sensitive and reactive skin

Skin that flushes with heat, sun, wine or a new cream needs a treatment that adds none of those triggers. The American Academy of Dermatology lists heat, sunlight, stress, alcohol, spicy food, exercise and some skincare products as the most common rosacea triggers. LDM adds no heat, no light and no product beyond a neutral gel. The waves reduce the fluid and swelling that make cheeks look puffy and red, and most patients see a visibly calmer face within the 20 minutes. Rosacea itself is a chronic condition managed by a doctor; LDM is a supporting treatment, not a cure.

Eczema, atopic and perioral dermatitis

Wellcomet lists atopic dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis as dermatological indications for LDM. The NHS names emollients and prescribed steroid creams as the foundation of eczema treatment, and we do not replace them. What LDM adds is a course of 1 to 2 sessions a week that reduces the itch-scratch cycle by calming the inflamed tissue and improving how the skin takes up moisturiser. Our doctors review the skin after 4 sessions and stop the course if it is not helping.

Puffiness, dullness and recovery after other treatments

This is the most common reason our patients book LDM: we delivered 114 LDM facial sessions in the last 12 months, plus 66 sessions of the combined LDM and HELEO4 facial. Swelling after Morpheus8, a peel, a laser or a long flight drains faster after one session. A 2015 randomised pilot on 7 patients found that LDM around injection lipolysis improved the volume reduction by 66% compared with the untreated side and reduced pain, which is the basis for using LDM before and after energy treatments on the face.

Scars

Fresh hypertrophic scars, acne scars and post-surgical scars are listed LDM indications. The 10 MHz frequency acts in the top 3 mm of skin where a young scar is remodelling. We start scar courses once the wound has fully closed, usually 2 to 4 weeks after surgery, with 1 to 2 sessions a week.

What LDM does not do

LDM does not tighten the SMAS layer, lift the jawline or reduce fat. For lifting we use Ultraformer HIFU, which focuses ultrasound into heated points. For firming we use Forma radiofrequency. For deep hydration we use Restylane Skinboosters. LDM is often the session we book alongside those, never their substitute. Our guide on LDM, ultrasound and skin comfort sets out these limits in more detail.

The Skinova device

Our LDM facial runs on a Wellcomet Skinova, made in Bruchsal, Germany, on the LDM MED platform. It carries the CE 2797 medical mark and uses two titanium sonotrodes: a 3/10 MHz head of 1.2 cm² for the face and a 1/3 MHz head of 2.5 cm² for the neck and body. Output is up to 3 W/cm². The unit is an original device from the official UAE distributor and we can show you the paperwork.

The physics behind the name: ultrasound at 10 MHz loses half its energy within about 3 mm, so it stays in the epidermis and dermis. At 3 MHz the half-value depth is about 1 cm; at 1 MHz about 3 cm. Switching frequencies many times per second creates a pumping effect in the tissue that the manufacturer calls Local Dynamic Micromassage. Its research links this to changes in three groups of molecules: matrix metalloproteinases (which break down collagen), heat-shock proteins (which protect cells under stress) and hyaluronan (which holds water in the dermis).

LDM versus HIFU

Both use ultrasound; nothing else is shared. Ultraformer MPT HIFU focuses the beam into tiny points deep in the skin and the layer beneath it and heats them until collagen contracts, so the tissue lifts over the following 2 to 3 months. A patient who wants a sharper jawline needs HIFU; a patient whose cheeks are red and swollen needs LDM. The two are often booked in the same month, LDM a few days after HIFU to bring swelling down. Our article LDM or HIFU: two different uses of ultrasound goes through the differences point by point.

LDM versus HydraFacial

HydraFacial cleans: suction, a mild acid peel and an extraction step remove sebum and blackheads, followed by a serum. It is the right choice for congested, oily skin with clogged pores. LDM does not clean or exfoliate; it changes what is happening under the surface. For acne with active red lesions we start with LDM and add HydraFacial once the inflammation is down, because acids and suction on inflamed skin make it redder.

LDM versus LED and HELEO4

LED therapy uses red and near-infrared light to reduce inflammation and support healing; it is painless and often booked after injectables. LDM uses mechanical energy rather than light, and reaches deeper.

LDM and injectables

LDM is booked before exosome therapy and Restylane Skinboosters because the micromassage improves uptake of anything applied to the skin afterwards. After filler we wait 14 days before any LDM on the injected area.

Before your session

Bring your skincare product list so we can confirm what to pause and when to restart. Do not stop prescribed treatment without your prescriber’s advice.

Come with or without makeup; we cleanse the skin first. Do not use glycolic or salicylic acid or a scrub the evening before, because a freshly exfoliated surface feels more sensitive under the handpiece. Shave if you normally do; hair does not affect ultrasound. If you had filler in the last 14 days, tell us and we treat around the area or wait.

Bring the name of any acne or eczema prescription you use. Our doctor keeps it in the plan; LDM sits alongside prescribed treatment, not instead of it.

After your session

There is no aftercare beyond your normal routine. Makeup, sunscreen, exercise, swimming and flying are all fine the same day. Use SPF 30 or higher as you would on any day. Apply your moisturiser or serum after the session rather than before it; the skin absorbs more in the hours after LDM.

Side effects

Ultrasound is non-ionising; the FDA notes it does not carry the risks of X-ray-type imaging, and that it can warm tissue slightly. At the intensities LDM uses, that warmth is mild and even. The 22-patient acne study recorded no significant side effects. The most a patient normally notices is a faint pink flush on very fair skin that fades within 20 minutes. Contact us the same day if you notice anything else, such as itching, a rash or lasting redness; do not treat it with a new product before we have looked.

Who should not have LDM

• Pregnancy: we postpone every ultrasound treatment. - A pacemaker, implanted defibrillator or metal implant in the treatment area. - Active cold sores, impetigo or any skin infection on the face; we treat once it has cleared. - An open wound, a suspicious mole or a known skin cancer in the area. - Skin that is blistered, crusted or weeping, which the NHS advises should be seen by a doctor as possible infected eczema. - Filler injected in the last 14 days in the area.

Our care standards

Evolution Aesthetics Clinic holds DHA Polyclinic License 6000514. Our doctors are DHA-licensed and treat within their approved scope; a doctor assesses acne, rosacea or dermatitis before a course starts, and licensed aesthetic practitioners perform the sessions. The Skinova is an original Wellcomet device bought from the official UAE distributor, serviced on the manufacturer's schedule, and we are happy to show the paperwork. Our guide on LDM facial safety and suitability covers each of these points in more depth.