Can Ultherapy Cause Natural Face Volume Loss (Not from Fat Graft or Fillers, but Natural Fat)?

I'm considering ulthera for lifting my jowl area, upper & lower cheeks. I have good volume but some sagging.I don't want to lose my natural cheek volume, is this a danger? Also, can it be used above the upper lip for some lip lifting? Thanks.

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by the_scream in New York, NY

Doctor Answers (8)
Community Comments (4)

Ultherapy and Volume Loss

Thank you for your question. Ultherapy deposits focused ultrasound energy below the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s creation of new collagen. As a result, skin will actually begin to lift and tone over time. Collagen is a natural protein that gives skin its youthfulness by keeping it firmed, toned and elastic. The treatment will not reduce facial volume, only lift and tighten the skin.

Ultherapy has not been shown to dissolve fat, only tighten and lift

There is ongoing investigation if ultherapy can, in fact, thin out a thick neck as an example. The current protocols used have not shown fat atrophy to result from the energy, level or number of lines of treatment. As physicians, we are interested to see if any modification of the protocol, could induce some fat reduction, safely! I will await for scientifically-controlled medical studies to be performed and their results published before being able to comment further with any factual... more

Ultherapy for Lip Lift

Ulthera is a great NON surgical option for lifting the face, jowl and neck area. In general, Ulthera will enhance your natural volume. There are new techniques, including above the upper lip that are being tested and used off-label. I recommend you talk to your doctor about treating the upper lip area.

Will Ultherapy treatment cause Facial volume loss due to injury to natural fat?

The answer to your question depends on the person operating the Ultherapy machine and the depth of the treatment. To obtain only skin tightening then the layers treated should not involve the fatty layer. The great thing about Ultherapy as opposed to all other skin tightening technology out in the market, is that Ultherapy is an ultrasound machine that lets the doctor see exactly were he is delivering the energy!!! All other treatments put global heat energy out but are not... more

Ultherapy and fat loss

Excellent question. Ultherapys focused ultrasound technology delivers micro thermal burns in the treated areas. Depending on the depth of treatment that may be fat. Ultimately the design of the treatment and delivery of the same is such to minimize fat reduction and tighten the SMAS to provide a lift. At times, I have used Ultherapy to intentionally decrease fat for example under the neck. Best of luck.

Ulthera should not affect facial fat volume

Ulthera uses microfocused ultrasound energy targeted at collagen-rich layers under the skin. this in turn stimulates colalgen rebuilding for a lifting effect. Because it is not targeted at the fat, and the focusing is precise, there should not be a significant risk of affecting facial fat.

Ultherapy will improve facial volume

Ultherapy will likely stimulate collagen production and will lead to enhancing facial volume. It is highly unlikely that Ultherapy would cause facial volume loss. We occasionally combine Ultherapy with Sculptra (Sculptherapy) to further enhance facial volume by aggressively stimulating natural collagen production. I believe there are news tips and protocols that allow for perioral treatment with Ultherapy. However, I do not have personal experience with treatment of this area. more

Ulthera Does Not Reduce Facial Volume

Due to the technology by which Ulthera uses, there is no risk for losing facial volume due to the procedure. The ultrasound deepSEE technology does not affect the adipose tissue or bone, which is what gives your face much of its volume. Instead, it focuses precisely on penetrating the structural tissues, signaling them to tighten and remodel collagen themselves. In fact, this tightening can actually accentuate what fullness you already have in your face, as the skin will be more taut around... more

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Comments (4)

san jose 1 20 Oct 2012

PS: a quick addendum to what I just wrote - the skin laxity I mentioned was in the jawline and underneath the chin area. And, in both of us, it was clear as day, adding years to our faces. So, brow area is only place I'd get Ulthera done. Ulthera works in the brow area.

the_scream 21 Oct 2012

Wow-- thankyou so much for posting this! I really appreciate it. The lower face is where I was considering it. Yikes.

san jose 1 22 Oct 2012

No problem. If you discover something awesome, I hope you will come back to share your experience :) . It isn't easy to decide what to do, if anything at all, sometimes. I wish you the best with whatever you decide to do :) .

san jose 1 20 Oct 2012

I've had two full-face and neck treatments a little less than a year apart at 48/49 years old. I had my last one nearly a year ago. Here's my opinion and what appears to happen to lots of folks. It's amazingly wonderful for the forehead/brow area, which really gets a nice lift, and in turn, pulls up your upper eye area, which opens your eyes up very nicely. Improvement was beyond my expectations, though, of course, I didn't get nearly as much from my second treatment, as you would expect. However, here's the bad news. I would NOT get it done on the lower half of your face. Others have mentioned how they have seen some sort of fat loss. I do not know what to attribute this too, but after my first treatment, I saw no improvement in my jawline or neck/under chin area. After my second treatment, I saw with horror, my skin laxity had NOTICEABLY increased. AND, you have to know this too - the nurse who did my procedure the second time - who is my same age, Caucasian like me, and looks a lot like me, had the same exact problem! She had had two procedures done on herself, just as I had. I know, because we both sat in a small room in the doctor's office comparing our before/after photos. It was clear that something bad had happened to us BOTH and it was the EXACT problem. Do NOT get it done on the lower half of your face. DO get it done for your brow area. There IS a reason that Ulthera keeps declaring it great for the brow. THAT is where it works, and then because of that, gives your upper lids a lift and opens up your eyes. I wish I had stopped there. sigh Also, with my first treatment, I was completely numb on the front of my neck and chin. The numbness lasted three months. I tried to tell the Ulthera folks a few times that they need to disclose this as a side effect, but to be honest, they didn't seem as if they cared and I can pretty much guarantee you, they have, as of this date, not put it in their disclosure. I came across some poor patient who was completely freaking out because she had this happen to her. All I can say is that, in my case, my feeling came back. And, I didn't experience much numbness on my second treatment.

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