Patient Frequently Asked Questions
Get general Ultherapy questions answered, below. For more in-depth information and a personalized Ultherapy® treatment plan, we encourage you to contact an Ultherapy provider in your area.
Ultherapy is a safe, non-surgical ultrasound treatment that counteracts the effects of time and gravity on your skin. Ultherapy uses the body’s own regenerative response to gently and gradually lift skin on the eyebrow, under the chin and on the neck, and smooth lines and wrinkles on the décolletage.
The cost of an Ultherapy® treatment can range depending upon the area being treated and factors such as geographic location and individual physician practices.
The FDA-cleared Ultherapy® procedure has been used safely in over 250,000 treatments worldwide. Ultrasound energy has been used safely in the medical field for more than 50 years. In addition, every Ultherapy practitioner receives extensive procedural training.
The skin might appear flushed at first, but the redness should disappear within a few hours. Some patients experience slight swelling, tingling or tenderness to the touch, but these are temporary in nature. Other, less common post-procedural effects may include temporary bruising or numbness on small areas of skin. As with any medical procedure, there is the possibility for other rare effects, which your practitioner will review with you.
Most patients only need one treatment. However, based on the degree of skin laxity, the biological response to ultrasound energy and the individual’s collagen-building process, some patients benefit from additional treatments. Because skin continues to age, future touch-up treatments can help patients keep pace with the body’s natural aging process.
After your Ultherapy® Treatment, you may see some initial effect, but the ultimate results will take place over 2-3 months, as your body naturally regenerates collagen. Since the procedure stimulates your own collagen production, how long the results last really depends on you. The treatment produces new collagen on the inside, but your natural aging process will dictate how long that translates into visible results on the outside.
As the ultrasound energy is delivered, you will feel tiny amounts of energy being deposited to precise depths, indicating that the collagen-building process has been initiated. Comfort levels vary from person to person, but the sensation only lasts while the ultrasound energy is being delivered.
With Ultherapy, there is no downtime. After your procedure, you can resume your normal activities immediately, without having to follow any special post-treatment measures.
The length of the treatment will depend on the area being treated and your individual treatment plan. A face and neck procedure typically takes 60-90 minutes, while a chest treatment takes approximately 30 minutes.
Ultherapy deposits focused ultrasound energy deep beneath the skin at the optimal temperature for collagen regeneration. The treatment jumpstarts a natural process, known as neocollagenesis, to produce fresh, new collagen. Ultherapy doesn’t involve any creams, fillers or toxins; it just relies on your body’s own collagen-building process for natural, noticeable results.
Ultherapy uses sound energy – tried-and-true ultrasound – which has unique properties that allow it to bypass the surface of the skin to treat depths not matched by any other non-invasive cosmetic device. Ultherapy ultrasound stimulates collagen production in the skin’s foundation, resulting in a clinically significant lift of tissue over 2-3 months.
Lasers rely on light energy, which cannot reach deeper skin layers at an optimal temperature, so laser treatments typically only treat superficial skin and are not FDA-cleared to lift skin.
Since the two technologies often treat different types of skin issues, they’re actually very compatible.
Ultherapy treats the deep foundational layer addressed in cosmetic surgery, but won’t duplicate the results of a facelift. Ultherapy is a great alternative, however, especially for those not ready for surgery or for patients looking to extend the effects of cosmetic surgery.
Ultherapy is the only non-invasive treatment cleared by the FDA to actually lift skin. Ultherapy is also the only cosmetic procedure to use ultrasound imaging, which allows practitioners to see the layers of tissue targeted during the treatment to ensure the energy is deposited to where it will be most beneficial.
With the addition of the new Ultherapy® Décolletage Treatment, Ultherapy is also now the only non-invasive procedure specifically indicated by the FDA to improve lines and wrinkles on the chest.