Written by: Anna Avaliani, MD
I wrote this blog in order to answer the most frequently asked questions in my practice about Ultherapy treatment. Many people heard about it and many people read mixed reviews about it, hence there is a lot of confusion and I hope this blog will clear them for you.
Here are some of the solid facts about Ultherapy treatments:
- The ONLY gold standard skin tightening treatment
- FDA approved since 2007
- Only One treatment is needed
- Results last 2 years
- Treats face AND body
- No downtime
- Totally non invasive
- Ideal for Women and Men
Here are the solid facts about my own treatments:
- I absolutely love this treatment and I love personally performing it on my patients
- I highly recommend it for both men and women
- I recommend to start receiving this treatment around mid 30’s for prevention
- I use it as a great alternative for people who do not wish to have facial surgery
- I use it on people who already had surgery and need to maintain their investment
- I use it in combination with Kybella and PicoSure Focus treatment for overall facial rejuvenation
- I see results in people in their 30’s to people in their mid 70’s
- I personally perform this treatment
- I customize the treatment to each patient individually
- I use fully advanced treatment protocols developed by me
Myth #1: Ultherapy requires multiple treatments
It’s a single treatment which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to up to 2 hours depending on the area that needs to be treated
Myth #2: Ultherapy results last only 3 to 6 months
Ultherapy stimulates production and generation of “baby collagen”, which takes about 3-6 months to mature and get strong enough to provide visible support to the loose skin. Once the collagen has fully matured, it lasts up to 2 years!
The answer is that it gives long lasting results after only a single treatment
Myth #3: Ultherapy treatment is extremely painful
The treatment has a stigma of being considered painful but it’s a myth. When it was first introduced in 2007, yes, it was extremely painful, but since then, many improvements have been made with energy setting adjusted and modified to deliver the amazing results it is able to provide today. The treatment is very tolerable and it varies between no discomfort zones to sensitive zones like neck or under chin. With proper pain management protocol, my patient handle this treatment without any difficulty at all!
Myth #4: Ultherapy can melt your fat
None of the studies ever published proved that it can actually melt fat. In theory, if the technician performing the treatment is not educated, lazy or both, the continuous heat introduction into the same spot over and over can generate high enough temperature to cause some of the fat cells to start bursting and melting. It will never happen if you go to a respectable place and have someone with a clear understanding of human anatomy and physiology to perform this treatment.
Myth #5: Ultherapy treatments are the same because everyone uses the same protocol
Being an expert Ultherapy provider especially trained in Advanced techniques this statement is very sensitive for me.
Ultherapy is unique because it is the only ultrasound based device on the market, which means you see where you need to treat. Not everyone is trained in ultrasound or even has the ability to visualize the zones needed to be treated. Majority of people receiving the treatment are seen in a factory like setting where everyone has the same treatment parameters and this how you get different results.
My protocols are individualized and customized. This equipment was designed for people with creative skill and understanding of human anatomy, so if you choose to go receive this treatment in a medial spa by a laser technician, then you will get what you paid for. Not all Ultherapy treatments are the same. It is also worth mentioning that the device was upgraded in 2014, so majority of the practices offering it, also offer the old painful protocol with it.
Myth #6: Ultherapy can only be performed on the face
The Ultherapy device is very unique and versatile and can tighten the skin in virtually any places where it starts to get loose and saggy
- Brow lift
- Eye lift
- Neck lift
- Chest lift
- Butt lift
- Arm tightening
- Under Butt tightening
- Above Knee skin tightening
- Abdomen skin tightening
- Under chin skin tightening
Myth #7: Ultherapy can melt your fillers
Although there is no actual study performed where people received fillers and then had Ultherapy treatment performed, it is generally wise not to experiment and have Ultherapy treatment first, and then next day or even next week have your fillers injected. If you are going to have a brow lift procedure, then you can definitely have your cheeks or lips treated with fillers on the same visit. Just don’t have the same area of the face treated at the same time with both.
Myth #8: Ultherapy can be performed by anyone, even a laser technician
The results you get from this treatment do strongly depend on the knowledge of the technician performing it. Ultherapy is unique, it is not a laser but rather an ultrasound, meaning you need to see where to deliver energy as opposed to as just blindly delivering pulses as it is done with the rest of the machines. You can’t learn Ultrasound techniques in one day, it takes practice and knowledge. Please choose where you get your treatment done very wisely
Myth #9: Ultherapy gives bruising
This is a no downtime, no surgery, no scar procedure. There are no injections performed, so bruising is not even an issue.
The only time you can possibly get a bruise is you have Rosacea, then the heat used in the treatment can potentially heat that tiny capillary and make it burst, resulting in a tiny bruise.
This should be carefully discussed with you at the time of your consultation.
Myth #10: Ultherapy damages facial nerves
Ultherapy is an ultrasound based device and you actually see your anatomy markers. There is no risk of nerve damage but rather if too much heat is delivered to the same area over and over it can definitely irritate the nerve and make it a painful procedure. Rest assured that there is no permanent nerve damage her, but the nerve irritation can easily be avoided as well.
Please choose your Ultherapy provider wisely.