Can I Take a Steroid Medicine (Methyprednisolone) After Ulthera?

Ultherapy helps induce new collagen production which can help tighten and lift tissues. Corticosteroids for other diseases, may inhibit new collagen production and might decrease the clinical response to Ultherapy but I'm not aware of clinical study results. I'm not aware this has been studied. If you need to take the corticosteroid then do so but worry about the end result of the corticosteroid treatment later. Anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin (Ibuprofen, Advil) can cause the same problems. So if you can avoid the steroid and the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents, you're so much better off.

The information provided in Dr. Shelton's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice.  The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs

 

While there is some theoretical concern that the efficacy of Ulthera treatment may be impacted by anti-inflammatory medication such as systemic steroid, there is no published clinical report to support such theory. In addition, Ulthera's mechanism of action is not just inflammatory related as there often is skin and muscle retraction and lifting that can be seen immediately after the Ulthera treatment. As one of the busiest Ultherapy center in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have not seen any demonstrable difference in patients who needed to take a variety of anti-inflammatory medications shortly after Ultherapy treatment.

Steroids are anti inflammatory in the maximal sense and Ultherapy creates a controlled environment of focused energy delivery to stimulate collagen deposition by creating the absorption of tissue at dertain depths of the skin. Steroids will reduce the 'controlled injury' that Ultherapy creates which in effect reduces the stimulation of collagen deposition.