If you're new to ultrasound skincare, you've probably wondered some version of: "Do I really need the gel?" It's a fair question. The device is the expensive part, and the gel looks like the add-on. But with ultrasound, it's the other way around. Without the right gel, the device has very little to work with.
Ultrasound can't cross air
Ultrasound is sound, just at a pitch far too high to hear. Sound travels well through water and through skin. It travels very badly through air. Even a thin pocket of air between the device and your face bounces most of the sound back before it reaches your skin.
That's why every ultrasound you've seen in a clinic starts with a cold dollop of gel. The gel fills the tiny gaps between the metal head and the skin so the sound has a continuous path. The technical term is a coupling medium. The everyday version: no gel, no contact.
Why not just use my serum?
We understand the appeal of using what's already on your shelf. The trouble is that most serums are made to sink in. A good ultrasound gel is made to stay put: thick enough to keep the head gliding and in full contact for the whole session.
If what's on your skin absorbs or dries partway through, you end up with the same problem as no gel at all: dry patches and a head that drags instead of glides.
What we made FORHERTZ 3D Booster Mask Gel to do
We made FORHERTZ 3D Booster Mask Gel to be used with Titan, keeping full contact and a smooth glide through a full 10-minute session. It's also the gel used in our 4-week test with P&K Skin Research Center, where 20 participants used Titan with this gel. Measured skin radiance rose 156% and the appearance of deep-set pores improved 44.8%. Results vary from person to person, but those numbers came from the device and the gel used together.
How to use it (and the mistakes that are easy to make)
- Use more than you think. A layer you can see is about right. If the head starts to drag, that's your cue to add a little more.
- Work in sections. Apply gel to one area at a time so it doesn't dry before you get there.
- Keep the head flat on the skin. Tilting it lifts one edge off the skin and breaks contact.
- Start clean. Apply to freshly cleansed skin so makeup or oil isn't sitting between the gel and your face.
- Take it slow at first. If you have sensitive skin, start every other day. Some people with sensitive skin see mild redness that usually fades within 1–2 hours.
Can I use any ultrasound gel?
Any gel made for ultrasound will carry the sound. FORHERTZ 3D Booster Mask Gel is the one we tested Titan with, so it's the one we can speak for.
Questions about your routine? Email us at hello@quadthera.us.
