What Risks Are Involved with Ultherapy?

Ultherapy is extremely safe when considering the number of cases performed since its evolution.  The deep ultrasound has been reported to cause self-limiting, non permanent tingling, soreness, numbness, muscle weakness, brusing, swelling, tenderness. These are more side effects than complications.  A weakness of the motor nerve, such as the marginal mandibular nerve at the front of the jaw has been reported to cause a couple of weeks of inability to lower the corner of the mouth when smiling. Soreness or tenderness in the scalp from forehead ulthera or over other areas such as the cheekbone can occur. I am not aware of any permanent problems. Theoretically there is a chance of a skin burn but most doctors have not seen this. This may not be a complete list of side effects so discuss this in greater detail with your doctor when considering having Ultherapy.

The most common side effect is brief discomfort during the treatment.  Patients may also experience minor swelling, redness, and bruising. Uncommonly, patients may experience hyper pigmentation, wheals on the skin, temporary numbness or weakness.Overall, the treatment is extremely safe and well tolerated.

Ultherapy
is a non-invasive and very safe procedure if done by an experienced technician.
There may be slight redness or swelling following the treatment for up to a
day. Patients might experience tenderness to the touch for few days after the
treatment. Very rarely the patient experiences numbness and tingling
but these are mild and temporary in nature.

There aren’t any major risk or contraindications for Ultherapy as long as proper treatment protocol is followed. What should be considered prior to treatment is how much collagen and sagging skin exists. Ultherapy responds to collagen so depending on how much collagen and/or loose skin you have will determine the success of your treatment. If you are younger your skin naturally has more collagen and should respond much better to Ultherapy vs. someone who is older with sagging skin. Consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon to see if Ultherapy or an alternative treatment, such as a face lift, is right for you and what the benefits and risks are.

We see very few risks with Ultherapy. There is no "downtime" with this procedure as the ultrasound energy is very safe to use and precise to deliver.  With new techniques we see that you don't need to feel pain in order to get a result. In fact, pain as opposed to mild discomfort is an indicator that the treatment was too deep. The ultrasound image on the screen also provides a safeguard by letting the practitioner know exactly where they are delivering the treatment. With the more aggressive treatments there may be some minor bruising, swelling, and small bumps under the skin. It is possible to have inflammation around the nerves which can cause temporary nerve weakness. Some patients have reported some tenderness and numbness in certain areas. None of these have been permanent and all resolve in a small number of days or weeks. 

Patients should consider what areas bother them the most and what expectations they have for improvement after the treatment to decide which modalities will be right for them.