Ultherapy

How long do results last?

Patients treated with Ultherapy can maintain their results for 2-3 years. For up to one year, collagen continues to refresh. Patients who take care of their skin with a good skin care regimen and live a healthy lifestyle will see the longest results.

What side effects should I expect?

There might be slight increase redness to skin for up to an hour or two. Mild swelling can continue for a few days. Tingling, numbness, and slight soreness are mild and may continue for several weeks. If bruising occurs, this generally last about 7-10 days.

A dimpled or thinner spot has been reported but is rare. It may be from affects on the fat or prior filling agents and is treatable. Deep treatment is not recommended directly around the mouth or sides of the chin because if the heat irritates the nerve there, it can cause a temporary inability to move that side of the mouth normally. However, when the current treatment protocol is used, ultherapy is a safe and effective treatment.

Is Ultherapy safe?

Yes. The procedure is FDA cleared and there has over 100,000 cases world-wide to demonstrate its safety.

Does Ultherapy hurt?

Most patients experience mild to moderate discomfort. Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. If you know that your pain tolerance is not excellent, you can discuss this with your provider, and we can give you prescriptions to lessen the pain during the procedure. This will require you to have a driver, but we want to make sure that your are as comfortable as possible during your procedure.

Who is a good candidate for Ultherapy?

Both men and women are great candidates for Ultherapy. A good candidate is someone that has some degree of laxity or feels that their skin is not as firm. While not a replacement for a surgical facelift, results can be impressive for those looking for a great clinical improvement without looking pulled and unnatural. Additional benefits include no surgery and less expense than surgical alternatives. It is also wonderful for those who are trying to stay ahead of their aging. The procedure helps prevents future laxity. A lowered eyebrow line or sagging skin on the eyelids, for instance, is often the first sign of “maturing” skin. Loose skin under the neck and under the chin signals a patient might be a candidate. Typically, those in their thirties and older who have mild to moderate skin laxity are candidates.

How is Ultherapy different from other cosmetic procedures?

Ultherapy is the only non-surgical cosmetic procedure that uses focused ultrasound to stimulate the growth of new collagen deep within the skin. The production of new collagen occurs over time, so results can become more apparent over three to six months. The procedure takes only about an hour for most patients, and there is no downtime.

It also is the only procedure to use ultrasound imaging, which allows us to actually see the layers of tissue we target during the treatment and ensure the energy is deposited precisely to where it will be most effective. With the ability to penetrate into the deeper levels of tissue, ultherapy is more effective than its predecessor, thermage.

How many treatments does it take?

The majority of patients only need one treatment; however, some may benefit from more than one treatment depending on how much laxity they have and their body’s own biological response to the ultrasound and the collagen-building process. At Frederick Dermatology Associates, we also include 2 complimentary treatments of our Exilis skin tightening treatments as well (spaced 4 and 8 wks after your Ultherapy treatment). This enables us to use ultrasound and monopolies radiofrequency to maximize your skin tightening results.

What other procedures are commonly used in combination with ultherapy to maximize non-invasive results?

For the neck, we commonly combine Coolsculpting or Kybella to non-invasively get rid of the fullness/fat under the chin. If you have apparent muscular (platysmal) banding, Botox or Dysport is great in combination. If you have deep horizontal lines in your neck, Belotero can be used after your Ultherapy to soften lines even more.

For the lower 1/2 of the face, dermal filler, like Restylane or Juvederm products can be used to replace volume in the face and maximize lift. When re-inflation occurs of shrinking fat pads in the mid and lower face, one can achieve outstanding, natural looking results. Botox and Dysport can also be used along the jowl line (called the Nefertiti Lift) in order to create more definition in one’s jowl line when sagging is a complaint.

For the brow, we can achieve even more lift when we combine Botox or Dysport. When you relax the muscles pulling down on the brow, you get a naturally looking brow lift that is a great supplement to an Ultherapy treatment.

What about treating anatomical regions other than the face?

Currently, Ultherapy is a treatment mostly used for the face, neck and chest with a specific clinical indication for lifting the skin on the neck, chin, brow and décolletage. Yet, at Frederick Dermatology Associates, we have developed protocols for other off-the-face body areas like sagging of arms, buttocks and knees.

If my budget is limited, should I do Ultherapy or fillers?

This is a great question that we are asked by many. Yet, it really depends on the patient. In our assessment, we will evaluate whether volume loss is your main issue or whether it is truly the skin’s loss of collagen and elastin. We always try to keep our patient’s budget in mind. We will give you an honest answer which will “give you the biggest bang for your buck”. Optimally, we would perform a skin tightening procedure and then a few weeks later volumize with filler for the best results if your budget allowed. Yet, we understand this is not the case for everyone.

What does collagen do? How does Ultherapy stimulate the creation of collagen?

Collagen is a natural protein that gives skin its youthfulness by keeping it firmed and toned. As we age, collagen loses its strength and its ability to stand up to the effects of gravity that pull the skin downward. Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound to generate a thermal effect under the skin. The thermal effect stimulates a repair process that strengthens existing collagen and produces fresh, new collagen.