Have you looked in the mirror recently and noticed the skin around your chin and neck isn’t as firm as it used to be? Do your eyebrows seem to be sagging and appear to look less alert? How about the skin on your chest (or your décolletage)? Does it appear wrinkly and just not as smooth as you want it to be? You have tried creams, spa visits, and unique scrubs and washes, and as of yet, nothing has worked. Frankly, you have tried everything short of plastic surgery in hopes of finding some of that lost youthful appearance in your skin.

Unfortunately, many people believe plastic surgery or similar invasive procedures are the only solution. The good news is this is not the case at all. At Solara Skin & Laser Center, we offer a highly successful, nonsurgical treatment called Ultherapy (or Ulthera) which can help you achieve the results you are hoping for, without the pain and discomfort of invasive surgical procedures.

What is Ultherapy you ask? Please read on below to learn about this treatment, how it works, what to expect for results, and more. If you still have questions at the end of this article, contact at Solara Skin & Laser Center so we can guide you in the process of determining if this treatment may be right for you.

What is Ultherapy?

In short, Ultherapy is a nonsurgical therapy that utilizes ultrasound technology to boost the production of collagen in the skin and, in turn, tighten the skin. For many people (women and men alike), Ultherapy is a nonsurgical, noninvasive alternative to a traditional facelift. Ultherapy has been used for over a decade to treat the signs of aging on the face, neck, chest, and eyebrow area. Since receiving its clearance from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009, Ultherapy has proven to be safe and effective in clinical studies and has been used in over 350,000 treatments worldwide.

It is not uncommon for people to attempt to avoid invasive surgical procedures, especially on or around their face. With this consideration, the popularity of noninvasive and nonsurgical skin tightening procedures like Ultherapy has grown consistently over the past several years. Statistics show between the years 2015 and 2015, the use of procedures like Ultherapy increased by almost twelve percent.

How does Ultherapy work?

Ultherapy relies on ultrasound technology to tighten the skin. Ultrasound is a technology that has been used safely in various areas of the medical field for well over fifty years. Ultherapy targets a specific area beneath the skin with focused ultrasound energy. When used at the right temperature, these ultrasound waves help to support collagen regeneration. The heat energy emitted from the applicator is aimed at three different depths of the skin resulting in changes to three different layers. Ultherapy can have a visible (or noticeable) impact on the muscles, skin, and superficial wrinkles on the face and chest. The ultrasound waves stimulate collagen and elastic tissue in these areas. This results not only in increased collagen production, which can help to improve the elasticity and texture of the skin but in firmer skin overall with less sagging and fewer facial and chest wrinkles.

Is Ultherapy safe?

As noted above, Ultherapy received its clearance from the U.S Food and Drug Administration in 2009. With technology such as Ultherapy, the Food and Drug Administration commonly “clears” a device or treatment to be used on specific body areas initially and then on others at a later date. In 2009, Ultherapy was cleared to be used as a form of noninvasive eyebrow lift. It was also cleared for use on the neck and submental (under the chin area) as a form of noninvasive lift as well as to improve the signs of fine lines and wrinkles of the chest or décolletage area. Since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration, millions of Ultherapy procedures and procedures similar to Ultherapy have been done all over the world. In the year 2016 alone, 526,000 noninvasive facelifting procedures were safely completed.

What is the procedure like?

Unlike traditional surgical skin tightening procedures, an Ultherapy session requires minimal preparation. Up until (and immediately after) the procedure, your regular eating, drinking, exercise, and work routines can be maintained. There is not a special dietary preparation or required reduction in activity, as anesthesia is not required. Before your procedure, you should remove your makeup and skincare products to make sure your skin is clean and free of potential things that could cause infection. You may also be instructed to take an over the counter pain reducer or anti-inflammatory medication prior to the procedure.

Once the procedure is ready to begin, your technician will clean the areas they plan to work on. This is to assure the complete removal of any skin oils or residues. They will then apply an ultrasound gel, much like a technician would for an abdominal ultrasound during pregnancy. The Ultherapy device is placed against the skin, and an ultrasound viewer is used to adjust the device to the appropriate settings. Once preparation is complete, and the device is set to your individual needs, ultrasound energy is delivered to the targeted areas. There may be quick, intermittent feelings of heat and tingling during treatment, but for most, this pain is not significant enough to warrant ending the procedure. Pain medications can be administered to address any further after the procedure has finished.

The average Ultherapy therapy procedure lasts between thirty and ninety minutes, depending on the area of the body being treated. Procedures on the chest take closer to thirty minutes, whereas those on the neck and the facial regions can take between sixty and ninety minutes.

In most cases, there is minimal to no recovery time required after an Ultherapy procedure. Most people are able to return to their daily activities immediately after the procedure is completed. In some cases, the treated skin areas can sometimes become red or flushed in appearance in the hours after the procedure. There may also be short-term sensations, including tingling, swelling, and tenderness, which may last for a short period after the treatment. As with any procedure, there are risks of some other longer-term or rare side effects such as bruising and numbness. These also typically go away within a few days of the procedure.

Does Ultherapy work?

Plastic surgery and other surgical interventions have indeed successfully treated and warded off the signs of aging for many years now. However, understandably not everyone wants to undergo an invasive surgical procedure. Clinical studies show that approximately sixty-five percent of patients who receive Ultherapy reported some improvement in their skin sixty to one hundred and eight days after their treatment. Additionally, sixty-seven percent of patients were very satisfied with their results ninety days after treatment.

For most, the results of Ultherapy are visible within a few days. The speed at which treatment results are visible depends mainly on the body’s ability to produce new collagen. Improvement typically lasts for up to three months after the procedure is complete. As long as the body is able to continue producing collagen, the results of Ultherapy will continue to last. Eventually, the natural aging process will take over again. At this point, it is up to the patient to decide if the response to Ultherapy was such that they want to have additional sessions.

If you are experiencing unwanted saggy skin or lines and wrinkles but are hesitant to undergo an invasive procedure such as a face or eyebrow lift, consider Ultherapy at Solara Skin & Laser Center. Contact us today to schedule an informative consultation where we can help you understand the Ultherapy procedure and if it is right for you.

Resources

https://www.healthline.com/health/ultherapy

https://www.today.com/style/does-ultherapy-turn-back-time-review-cost-non-surgical-mini-t73356