Ultherapy

Overview

Focused ultrasound is one of the many energy technologies that have lately been created to address the ever-increasing public desire for considerable, noninvasive skin lifting and tightening. Focused ultrasound shares many characteristics with ultrasound used in medical imaging, however, it is highly convergent and uses different acoustic energy frequencies. Special transducers focus the ultrasound energy to create a small focused area where increased temperatures might trigger tissue coagulation. Similar to medical imaging, a focused ultrasound beam can be made to innocently pass through skin, allowing the main focus to target subcutaneous tissues like the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS), where the protein around the central focus will achieve over 65°C and be denatured within milliseconds.

 

What is Ultherapy?

Ultherapy is considered to be the Gold Standard therapy for non-surgical lifting and tightening. It is a completely non-invasive anti-aging procedure that works softly beneath the skin with no downtime or need for needles. It is the only micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) technology that has received FDA approval and is CE-certified in Europe for the non-surgical lift of the skin on the upper and lower face, neck, and décolletage. The FDA is one of the world's strictest regulatory bodies for healthcare, ensuring the safety and efficacy of medical devices and products.

 

Ultherapy Advantages

• It is a clinically proven, risk-free, and successful procedure (over 1.7 million treatments have been done worldwide)
• Surgery, needles, or any other invasive procedure on your skin are not necessary.
• Little to no downtime is anticipated; you may expect to resume your regular daily activities right away.
• Utilizing focused ultrasound energy, ultherapy encourages your body to produce collagen and elastin on its own.
• The procedure can be perfectly customized to your anatomy.
• Without affecting the skin's top layer, the Ultherapy device enables your doctor to see layers of your subdermal tissues on a screen and aim heat energy at the proper depth and temperature to promote the synthesis of new collagen and elastin where it is most needed.
• Expected outcomes include gorgeously renewed, tightened, and lifted skin that returns elasticity and luminosity to the contours of your face.
• Ultherapy produces incredibly natural-looking outcomes by working organically with your body.
• For the majority of patients, a single Ultherapy treatment can produce results that last for more than a year.
• Outcomes will develop gradually for a few months after treatment since it takes time for your body to produce fresh collagen and elastin. As a consequence, results will get better over time, with the best results appearing around six months.
• Depending on your goals and budget, you can decide whether to pursue a whole facial rejuvenation method or to focus on certain, smaller treatment areas.
• For non-surgical facelifting of the skin on the lower and upper face, neck, and décolletage, Ultherapy is the sole micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) therapy that has been FDA approved in the US and CE mark certified throughout Europe.

 

Ultherapy vs Laser Therapy

Laser therapy and ultherapy target various issues with different types of energy. Typically, in a single session, the Ultherapy device is utilized to address internal anti-aging issues. The best outcomes from laser therapy typically come from numerous sessions since it penetrates the skin from the outside while addressing issues that are only present on the skin's surface. Ultherapy treats aging issues at their root without making any cuts or causing damage to the skin's surface by using ultrasound waves to reach deeper layers of tissue and promote your body's natural production of collagen and elastin.

 

Area Treated with Ultherapy

In the beginning, ultherapy was approved to treat drooping in the neck, under the chin, and on the brow. Later, the FDA gave it the go-ahead for minimizing deep chest wrinkles in the décolletage (the area below the throat).

• Brow. A heavy appearance can be produced by loose skin where the eyebrows are situated, giving off a constant expression of worry, anger, or tiredness. A more alert and attractive natural appearance is possible by tightening the skin, which also helps reduce hooding and opening the eyes.
• Submental area. Even though extra fat is typically to blame for a double chin, loose skin can also hang down and give the appearance of a bulge. Whether the skin is sagging as a result of normal aging or considerable weight loss, ultherapy tightens it.
• Neck. Because the saggy skin resembles the floppy wattles of the bird, drooping tissue can result in a condition known as turkey neck, which is quite unattractive. Collagen rejuvenation gives patients' shapes more definition and a more youthful appearance.
• Decolletage. As a result of the skin's ongoing loss of collagen and elastin due to exposure to the sun daily, this area is particularly susceptible to developing deep creases and crepey skin. It can be smoothened with ultrasound energy.

 

Ultherapy Candidates

The fact that most healthy adults are regarded as good candidates for this treatment is one of its most interesting advantages. During your initial evaluation, doctors will make sure you are healthy enough for treatment, but if you are between the ages of 30 and 64, you are likely to be a good candidate for this specific procedure. It is rarely advised for those in their 20s because it is for those with moderate-to-severe skin laxity.

Remember that even though this procedure can be quite helpful for people with moderate to severe skin sagging, your skin must still be somewhat elastic for you to be a suitable candidate for it. Juvederm injections may be necessary to improve the elasticity of your skin if you have lax, inelastic skin a few weeks before your planned ultrasound-based anti-aging therapy.

 

Poor Ultherapy Candidates

Patients who have a bleeding illness, a current viral or bacterial infection, a connective tissue disorder, or an autoimmune disease are poor candidates for treatment. If you have implants in the area you are seeking to treat, doctors will also suggest an alternative anti-aging treatment to you. Finally, if you have an open wound or cystic acne in the treatment area, they recommend that you postpone thinking about treatment.

 

Ultherapy Preparation

Ultherapy is a non-invasive procedure, thus preparation is simple. There is no need for general anesthesia or the 12-hour fast that is necessary before general anesthesia because it employs heat produced by soundwave energy. You can continue to eat, drink, and exercise as normal on the morning of your treatment. Removing any cosmetics you may have worn to the treatment area before you arrive is the most crucial thing you can do to get ready for treatment. Remove any makeup or moisturizer you may be applying if you are arriving at work during your lunch break. After your treatment, you can put on more makeup. You can take 800 mg of ibuprofen an hour before therapy if you are sensitive to heat.

 

How Does Ultherapy Work?

Ultherapy targets the deep structural layers of the skin, where collagen is formed, using precise micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) energy with the least amount of downtime for you. Following treatment, your body's tissue healing process stimulates the synthesis of new collagen and elastin, resulting in a progressive effect that gradually lifts, contours, and tightens your skin in the treated area over two to three months.

It is the only non-surgical procedure that can penetrate the SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System), a layer of deep tissue that lies beneath the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat and is essential for maintaining the firmness and suppleness of your skin. In the past, the SMAS layer could only be treated via invasive methods like surgical procedures because non-surgical skin tightening treatments could not penetrate this layer. With its ability to address anti-aging issues at their root without making any incisions or causing damage to the skin's surface, Ultherapy is quite a groundbreaking procedure in this regard.

 

Procedures That Complement Ultherapy

Many patients frequently select to combine Ultherapy with additional face rejuvenation treatments or procedures, such as the following, for the best aesthetic outcomes:

• Fractionated laser resurfacing. The use of fractionated laser resurfacing decreases fine facial and hand wrinkles and helps balance skin pigmentation. Ultherapy improves collagen and elastin underneath the skin's surface while it works to enhance the skin's surface.
• Dermal fillers.  One of the main reasons for facial aging is addressed by long-lasting dermal fillers, which restore volume loss brought on by aging. Ultherapy and Sculptra Aesthetic are excellent combinations because they both gradually restore lost collagen and strengthen underlying tissue.
• Cosmetic Botox. Doctors usually suggest Botox, which smooths out wrinkles brought on by repeated muscle contraction, when a lifted look does not properly revitalize a patient's facial appearance. For instance, Ultherapy lifts the brow naturally in the forehead while BOTOX stops particular muscle spasms that result in deep grooves across the brow. When applied in this manner, a combined strategy produces better outcomes.

 

How to Extend Ultherapy Results?

You must prioritize skincare if you want the skin-tightening effects to stay the longest. We'd like to focus on a few of the most crucial factors you may control to maintain the health and strength of your collagen because numerous factors have an impact on the condition of your skin.

 

Protect Your Skin From UV Damage

Even while you can't stop your skin from aging, you can take precautions to reduce your chance of developing premature skin aging. Wearing adequate sunscreen and staying away from tanning beds are two of the most crucial things you can do to delay the onset of premature aging. It is simple to avoid tanning beds. Choose a spray if you have the desire to bronze your skin.

It can be a little more difficult to shield your skin from the sun. An SPF 30 or SPF 35 sunscreen will do if you have dark skin. To fully protect your skin from the sun if you have a light complexion, you will need a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 55. No matter what SPF you require, be sure the sunscreen you apply is not past its expiration date and was kept in a cool, dark, dry environment.

 

Stop Smoking

Nicotine use is another factor that you may control that has an impact on the quality of your collagen. If someone in your home smokes, you may not be able to prevent exposure to secondhand smoke, but you can quit directly consuming nicotine. It's crucial to remember that you should quit smoking abruptly if you're a smoker. Physical withdrawals only persist for 72 hours, and nicotine-containing smoking cessation products continue to harm your skin.

Since collagen makes up the majority of the skin's supporting structure, quitting smoking completely is crucial. Under a microscope, nicotine appears to be sticky and resembles mesh. It sags as a result of becoming stuck in the mesh. Your skin sags and develops deep wrinkles as a result of the sagging of the structure that supports your skin. If you started smoking when you were young, you can even appear much older than you are.

 

Consume a Lot of Fruits and vegetables

Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables is an additional way to ensure your skin looks young for as long as possible. Vitamin C, an important component that enables your body to make pro-collagen, is abundant in citrus fruits. When you consume protein sources that provide collagen, such as egg whites, chicken, and lean fish, your skin must first make pro-collagen to do so.

You don't need to use dietary supplements if your food contains adequate vitamin C. Simply increase your intake of citrus fruits like oranges and clementine. Additionally, you can receive vitamin C by putting a grapefruit, lemon, or lime slice in your tea. Micronutrient-rich foods like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard help your skin produce the building blocks of collagen.

 

Get a HydraFacial

Ultherapy stimulates the skin's production of collagen and elastin. You need to keep your skin making more collagen if you want the effects of treatment to persist much longer than two years. It's not too difficult to alter your lifestyle if you're young and have saggy skin as a result of your lifestyle choices.

In contrast, your skin simply stops producing new collagen at the same pace it did when you were in your 20s if you're in your 50s or 60s. Every so often, you should give your skin a boost. Your skin can be revitalized and prompted to produce more collagen and elastin with the help of a HydraFacial. Experts advise getting one at least once every year.

 

Ultherapy Cost

The size of the area that needs to be treated has a significant impact on how much Ultherapy will cost. While treating the full face and neck can cost up to $3,500 to $4,000, treating a tiny area like the brow can cost as little as $1,800.

 

Conclusion

The power of ultrasound, which has been utilized in medicine safely for more than 50 years, is used in ultherapy. Micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) is a technique utilized by the Ulthera System to target areas of the face or chest with lax or sagging skin. Usually, the collagen, elastin, and underlying structural tissue in these places break down naturally, causing these areas to lose their suppleness. To properly treat these deep structural tissues and promote the production of new collagen, ultherapy energy passes through the skin. The final appearance is tighter, firmer, and smoother.