Ultherapy® is an innovative skin tightening and lifting procedure using focused ultrasound energy by a private pharmaceutical company based in Germany. Although it has made waves during its initial introduction in 2008, patients still wonder, “Is it right for me? Will it hurt? Is it costly?”
Below are the most common myths about Ultherapy® and why it is important to separate fact from fiction regarding ultrasound energy, face, wrinkles, and elastin.
Ultherapy® Uses Radiofrequency
Radio Frequency (RF) machines tap into electromagnetic waves between 1 km and 1 cm and primarily tighten skin by focusing on the more superficial tissue. Several ultrasound procedures in a year are usually advised when it comes to RF because although the comfort level is high, the penetration is not as deep.
Ultherapy® uses ultrasound technology to tighten and smoothen the deeper layers of the skin focally. As a matter of fact, Ultherapy® treatment goes as deep as 3 mm to 4.5 mm using ultrasound and reaches temperatures of up to about 70 degrees Celsius beneath the skin. Treating the deeper layers of the skin with ultrasound promotes collagen tightening and lifting from the inside, resulting in dramatic and prolonged results.
This is also why Ultherapy® treatment can be performed twice annually. The goal of this skin treatment, aside from stimulating collagen production, is to create better symmetry for the patient’s face by improving the appearance of large jowls, reducing a double chin and droopy brows.
How Long Does the Procedure Take?
Ultherapy® treatment can be done anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half, and will be quick or could also take longer, depending on your comfort level. Some patients experience little to zero discomforts during the skin treatment, allowing the aesthetic doctor to proceed with the procedure without any delays whatsoever. However, if a patient feels some discomfort on the skin, the aesthetic doctor may stop and pause between pulses to allow the patient time to feel comfortable while the treatment is being performed.
There are also patients who opt to focus on areas like the jawline or neck and choose to forego other areas like the brow bone area, and this may influence the overall time it takes to complete the procedure.
There is absolutely no downtime with this skin treatment, though one may feel slight discomfort or stinging along the cheeks or jowls. The discomfort may be compared to the feeling when you have chewed on something for a long time, but the sensation goes away pretty soon after.
The Procedure is Painful
The comfort level of a patient varies depending on his/her pain threshold. Nevertheless, since Ultherapy® treatment uses various depth levels, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5mm, the patient has the choice to work with the most comfortable level. It is also important to note that the sensation felt on the skin is limited to the time when the ultrasound energy is being delivered and doesn’t linger long afterwards.
You Have to Repeat the Treatment Several Times a Year
There’s absolutely no need to repeat the procedure several times because, unlike treatments that work only on the skin’s surface, Ultherapy® works on the deeper layers of skin, and this stimulates collagen production that lasts up to a full year, and in some cases, up to three years even.
Using the original Ulthera® system, Ultherapy® is a noninvasive treatment that utilizes micro-focused ultrasound to lift and tighten the skin under the chin, on the brow, neck, and chest. It encourages the body’s own natural healing process, which starts the production of fresh, new collagen in the skin.
HIFUs are Later “Generations” of Ultherapy
Ultherapy is the only FDA-approved Ultrasound-based device for skin. They are the originator of the technology and also the ones with the most clinical results and presentations at major conferences. Hence, all other “generations” of HIFU are just copy machines of the original.