Ultherapy® Skin Tightening, Lifting and Sculpting

Any area on the body with mild to moderate skin laxity or crepey skin can be successfully treated with Ultherapy.

These areas include:

• Forehead; wrinkles and eyebrow droop
• Cheeks; crepey skin and smile lines
• Lower face; sag / jawline droop / jowls
• Chest; wrinkles
• Knees; sagginess and wrinkles
• Abdomen; stretch marks
• Upper arms; wrinkles and saggy skin

You will have an initial consultation and assessment with either Dr Csilla or Nurse Fay to ensure that Ultherapy is the right treatment for you.

On the day of Ultherapy treatment you will have baseline photographs taken to allow objective assessment of results.

The treatment is performed as you lie on a comfortable treatment bed. Your skin will be cleaned and a cool ultrasound gel is applied to the skin of the area to be treated to allow good contact and penetration of the ultrasound energy.  The area is then visualised with ultrasound (just like any ultrasound procedure with a radiographer) to view the skin thickness and precisely identify the optimal target level for collagen stimulation, tightening and lifting.

The handpiece is then guided across the skin surface, firing pulses of focused ultrasound energy into the skin. As the energy is delivered a sensation of building heat is felt momentarily.  Many patients do not find this uncomfortable at all. Some patients will feel brief discomfort or even pain (lasting less than 2 seconds) with each ultrasound pulse.

The new Ulthera® machine has a vastly improved comfort level compared to previous generation machines, and many patients are amazed at the difference. Discomfort is most noticeable at higher energy levels, over bony regions and in the vicinity of nerves. Oral pain killers (paracetamol) can reduce discomfort. For those who need it, we have laughing gas (nitrous oxide) available which is usually sufficient to provide a comfortable treatment experience.

The treatment time varies from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the areas to be treated. A simple browlift including treatment around the eyes takes 30 minutes whereas a full face and neck may take 1.5-2hrs.

As Ultherapy has no downtime, you can return to normal activities immediately.

Discomfort varies from patient to patient, and on the region being treated. In some areas there is mild to moderate discomfort associated with each ultrasound pulse. This is usually well tolerated, however, discomfort can be lessened with oral pain medications prior to the procedure and use of localised vibration during the procedure.  We also have laughing gas (nitrous oxide) for those who need it.

Our latest generation Ulthera® machine has vastly improved comfort and patient tolerance compared with previous generation machines.

Some patients see an immediate result post-procedure due to collagen coagulation and contraction, however, this varies and may disappear over a few days.

Collagen production with associated tightening and lifting will start to become visible at 2-3 months post-procedure, and continued improvement can be seen for up to 6 months.

Most patients need only one treatment. Results vary, however, depending on the degree of skin laxity, accumulated sun-damage, individual biological response to ultrasound energy, and the individual’s collagen-building ability. Anti-inflammatory medications may also affect new collagen production. Some patients benefit from additional treatments. Because skin continues to age, future touch-up treatments can help patients keep ahead of the body’s natural aging process.

Typically the benefits last for about 2 years, but this does vary between individuals. Some patients may need a maintenance treatment yearly.

Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound energy to stimulate collagen production in the skin’s deeper layers, resulting in a clinically significant lift of tissue over 2-3 months. Lasers rely on light energy, which typically only treats the superficial skin layers (epidermis and dermis) and are not FDA-cleared to lift skin.

Lasers also usually affect the surface of the skin, often resulting in some downtime after a procedure. Ultherapy’s ultrasound energy bypasses the surface of the skin, hence no downtime is required after the treatment.

Since the two technologies often treat different types of skin problems they can frequently be used together.

• Precision and visualisation – Ultherapy uses precisely focused ultrasound energy with visualisation to produce discrete zones of thermal coagulation at 1.5mm, 3mm and 4.5mm depth. RF uses general volumetric heating that is not targeted or visualised.
• Temperature – Ultherapy heats collagen at specific depths to a range between 60-70℃, the optimal temperature for new collagen production. Because of superficial safety issues, RF heats tissue to only 40-50℃ which induces less new collagen synthesis.
• Effect on skin surface – Ultherapy heats tissue at specific depths under the skin surface and has no effect on the superficial layers at all. RF causes volumetric heating, which also affects the superficial layers.

No. You can return to normal activities immediately after Ultherapy treatment, and there is no specific aftercare needed.

Some patients experience minor flushing or redness, including welts, for a few hours after the procedure. It is also not uncommon to experience slight swelling for a few days.

Mild, temporary tingling or tenderness might persist for a few weeks after the procedure.

The cost of the procedure depends on the area to be treated, including the time and number of ultrasound pulses required.

Treatment areas include:

• Brow only
• Neck only
• Decolletage only
• Lower face (including cheeks and submental area under chin)
• Full face including brow, cheeks and submental area

Treatments start at $880 for Brow only.

An accurate quote will be given to you during your initial consultation and assessment.

The safety and efficacy of authentic Ultherapy has been established through clinical studies and over 1 million treatments performed worldwide. Ultherapy is approved in over 90 countries and is the only non-invasive procedure with US FDA approval proven to tighten the skin of the face, jawline, neck and chest. Ultrasound energy is time-tested and has been used safely for more than 50 years.

Side effects are uncommon and temporary. They usually resolve within 2-6 weeks and include:

• Tingling
• Tenderness
• Bruising
• Numbness
• Muscle weakness

No permanent nerve injuries have been reported with Ultherapy.

Contraindications to Ultherapy include:

• Open wounds or sores in the treatment area
• Severe or cystic acne in the treatment area
• Active implants (pacemakers / defibrillators)
• Metallic implants in the treatment area