POSTED UNDER Ultherapy REVIEWS
Bad Experience with Ulthera - Birmingham, AL
ORIGINAL POST
I am a a very young 60 year old with really good...
14A19LSeptember 5, 2013
$3,500
I am a a very young 60 year old with really good skin. However, I started developing some sagging around my jaws and decided to do Ulthera to tighten up my jaw line last September. I arrived for the procedure knowing that it would cost $2500 but when I got there I was told it would be an extra $1000 to have my forehead included. (Normally 1500.00 but a discount came with facial treatment) Now, a year later, I could KICK myself for adding it.
For some reason I developed a "sink hole" in my forehead a couple of months after the procedure. The doctor had no explanation for it and seemed quite unconcerned so I contacted the parent company after finding their telephone number online. They put me in touch with a plastic surgeon in California who is apparently paid very well to promote Ulthera because all I got from him was lip service. He did finally tell me that no procedure is risk free and that sometimes there are adverse consequences to pay for the risks we take.
So I am here to advise you to run, don't walk, away from Ultherapy. No one ever took responsibility for my mishap although the doctor did offer me free Sculptra which filled in the hole in my forehead and finally achieved the result I had wanted with the Ultherapy. But Sculptra only lasts two years (at best) so I suppose that for the rest on my life I'll be paying have the hole in my forehead filled back in.
Oh, by the way, the treatment did absolutely NOTHING to tighten my face or jaw line. That fact couldn't be disputed because my "before" and "after" pictures look the same. The reason it didn't work on me could be due to my age, although people tell me that I have the skin of a 40 year old. But I would advise anyone who asked NOT to do Ulthera.
For some reason I developed a "sink hole" in my forehead a couple of months after the procedure. The doctor had no explanation for it and seemed quite unconcerned so I contacted the parent company after finding their telephone number online. They put me in touch with a plastic surgeon in California who is apparently paid very well to promote Ulthera because all I got from him was lip service. He did finally tell me that no procedure is risk free and that sometimes there are adverse consequences to pay for the risks we take.
So I am here to advise you to run, don't walk, away from Ultherapy. No one ever took responsibility for my mishap although the doctor did offer me free Sculptra which filled in the hole in my forehead and finally achieved the result I had wanted with the Ultherapy. But Sculptra only lasts two years (at best) so I suppose that for the rest on my life I'll be paying have the hole in my forehead filled back in.
Oh, by the way, the treatment did absolutely NOTHING to tighten my face or jaw line. That fact couldn't be disputed because my "before" and "after" pictures look the same. The reason it didn't work on me could be due to my age, although people tell me that I have the skin of a 40 year old. But I would advise anyone who asked NOT to do Ulthera.
Replies (19)
September 15, 2013
THANK YOU!! I am a very young 51 yr old. and I have very young skin. I also paid the extra for my forehead, lower neck and around my mouth. It's almost 6 month's and ...nothing....in the mean time I have had 2 sessions of botox in my forehead, neck and around my eyes and mouth areas and some Juvederm ultra in my lips. So that's about $2500...this is the money I was hoping to save by doing the Ultherapy :(
Since I wrote my review on Realself, I received a call from the office I had the procedure at asking me to set up a 'final picture' in November. I will go for it, but, since I have had the botox and fillers since, I wonder how much credit they will take for any facial improvement?? I am sorry you had a disappointing ulthera experience....if it makes you feel any better.........you are not alone. :(
September 15, 2013
Margaret, Thanks for your comment. I was beginning to feel as if I were a freak, reading about all the success stories when after a full year I've seen no results at all. And I paid $1000.00 more than you did! I can't believe I'm going to try something else but I signed up to have Venus Freeze done on my face and neck. A friend told me about it and the before and after pics of people who had it done at the spa are amazing. It's painless and 6 sessions are only $900.00 dollars. Am I a sucker or what? I'll keep you posted and thanks for the affirmation.
September 15, 2013
WOW??!! I never heard of Venus Freeze!! HA! I would be very interested in your experience with that!! I am sorry, maybe I didn't make it quite clear, I paid the $2500 AFTER I had the ulterapy for additional services! :(
I paid $3300 for the ultera treatment! argh...so....$900 for 6 painless sessions?? sadly, I am very interested!! I know it sounds conflicting when I say I am a young 51yr old, with good skin, I am... I am sorry to admit it, but I want to look like I am 30...that is why I do all of this.
September 15, 2013
I'm 61 and want to look 40 so I completely understand. Will keep you posted. And I thought I paid too much for nothing. . . you really got screwed!
October 17, 2013
The science is not sound. They are using radio frequency to generate the heat which in turn is supposed to tighten the skin. The problem is that the heat generated isn't hot enough to denature or breakdown the collagen. Collagen needs to be broken down before it can be rebuild. The temperature to denature collagen is 60-70 degrees Celsius at the depth of the collagen. All RF devices only generate heat at about 40 degrees Celsius. That subtherapeutic. You'll get temporary results but that's about it.
October 17, 2013
Interesting. . .I've had two treatments of Venus Freeze so far and although I was skeptical I've seen more tightening than I ever did with Ulthera (which was zero). I realize nothing is permanent, even surgery but at least the Venus Freeze hasn't gotten hot enough to burn a hole in my forehead like the Ulthera did. I'll take not hot enough over too hot any day of the week!
October 17, 2013
I'm certain your problem with Ultherapy was related to operator error. Any of these devices, laser, IPL, RF , can damage you if the treatment isn't administered by a skilled trained operator. Ultherapy wasn't the issue it was the person doing the treatment.
October 18, 2013
I don't disagree with that assessment, but what is the excuse for it not working at all? And I'm not the only one, from the reviews on the internet there are lots of others. There couldn't be that many bad operators with Ultherapy certificates framed on their wall.
October 18, 2013
Can't answer that. I was referring to the hole in your forehead. I do know that a lot of times patient expectations aren't in line with realistic results. Being 60 and wanting to look 40 isn't a realistic outcome for a non invasive procedure. I know that for every unhappy person that complains there ate three that are happy with Ulthera. You also have to remember that not everyone that is having an Ulthera treatment is posting it on the Internet. The science is sound the most sound of any noninvasive aesthetic device on the market. Good luck with your treatments. Let me know how they work for you.
November 2, 2013
I empathize with you - I'm 54 and was told that I was a perfect candidate for Ultherapy. It's been 4 months now and NO results but burn marks on the sides of my neck that hurt every day. I paid $3500 for damage to my skin and nerves. Here is the FDA link to nearly 300 Ultherapy adverse events reported: http://google2.fda.gov/search?q=ulthera&client=FDAgov&site=FDAgov&lr=&proxystylesheet=FDAgov&output=xml_no_dtd&getfields=*&ie=UTF-8&ulang=en&ip=71.194.62.254&access=p&sort=date:D:L:d1&entqr=3&entqrm=0&oe=UTF-8&ud=1&filter=0&start=10
November 6, 2013
Lindsey, I tried to go to the website you posted but it wouldn't come up and could find nowhere to post a complaint. My biggest problem is that, unfortunately, I didn't take any photos to substantiate my claim. I have a bulging vein in my forehead with a bump beside it where they filled the hole in my forehead with a little too much filler, but I couldn't prove it. I will tell you some positive news though. I have just finished my fourth treatment out of six of Venus Freeze and I like it very much. My face and neck are tighter and my jowls greatly diminished although not gone. It is easy and not painful at all, and a fraction of the cost of Ultherapy. If you can find it in your area I would recommend it. Good luck!
December 29, 2016
I also live in Birmingham and am considering ulthera - would you mind sharing where you had your ulthera done?
March 11, 2017
Hi, please read the negative reviews about Ultherapy before you make a decision. 15 to 20 percent of women leaving reviews about Ultherapy say they had major long-term damage from it. Most of the women who wrote positive reviews wrote them shortly after their procedure. More and more people are coming out of the woodwork to say that the Ultherapy they had done 1 or 2 years ago ruined their looks. Please be careful!
What a bummer to feel things got worse from your treatment instead of better. :( I'm glad you were able to get some Sculptra to help. Hopefully it lasts longer than expected for you.
Do you know how many passes were done with your Ultherapy treatment?