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POSTED UNDER Ultherapy REVIEWS

Very Painful, Saw Quick Results That Did Not Last - New York

ORIGINAL POST

I was drawn to this procedure after watching it on...

Mineola
$1,800

I was drawn to this procedure after watching it on the Dr. Oz show. I was sold when the woman it was demonstrated on said it wasn't uncomfortable. I had it done this past Friday and it was nothing like she described.

My dermatologist applied numbing cream to my cheeks and neck and let it sit for over an hour. He offered me a Vicodin pain killer as well, but I declined. A nurse stood by with a hose blowing cold air on my face as he started to go over the areas half inch by half inch. The ultrasound felt like firecrackers exploding under my skin; the intensity varied but it could never be described as being uncomfortable. When he fired it over my jaw line, the pain felt like a tooth in need of a root canal. The fan was really just a distraction and I told them to turn it off. He went over the treatment areas twice. Knowing the level of pain I'd have to go through again made my entire body tense and shiver.

Afterward, the areas of my face were super red and very hot. They gave me a mild cortisone foam to apply and an ice pack. The redness went away completely after 2 hours, and you would never know I had anything done. But the feeling of being bruised under my skin remains. This procedure really should have been done under a local anesthesia. No one should have to endure this much pain. I couldn't wait for it to be over.

Was all this worth it? I saw an immediate difference which I hope continues through the 4-month recuperation period.

Mineola's provider

Jason Applebaum, MD

Jason Applebaum, MD

Board Certified Dermatologist

Mineola rating for Dr. Applebaum:

Overall rating

Replies (15)

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December 6, 2010

Welcome to RealSelf! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. How are you feeling today?

December 7, 2010
Feel great. No signs of the procedure but skin still tender to the touch. Improvement everyday!
December 9, 2010
Mineola,

Did you have your forehead done as well or just your lower face?
December 9, 2010
Just the lower face. After six days, the only areas that are still tender to the touch are around my jaw line.
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January 6, 2011
Mineola, where exactly did you facial sagging? Laugh lines, marionette lines, undereyes?

I'm considering this and have all of the above. So hard to decide.

Also, how much % improvement would you say you experienced?

Hope you're feeling much, much better.
UPDATED FROM Mineola

Update as of June 2011: It's been 7 months and...

Mineola
Update as of June 2011:

It's been 7 months and the treatment has all but worn off. What a disappointment! My sagging neck skin is back to pre-treatment status. Looking back, it was an excruciating, expensive and VERY short term fix... and if given the option, not one that I would repeat. Sorry for the bad but truthful news.

Replies (5)

July 15, 2011
Pretty confusing because 85% of the people think it's worth it!
July 16, 2011
It's been a year now. Face has returned to droopy jowls and saggy neck. :(
Worked fairly well for about 6 months..but then started noticing saggy skin returning. now..after a year..it's as if I never had it done.
so disappointing!

artemis123 --- the 85% that say it's worth it ... how long after the procedure are they posting? if within months of having it..heck yeah it's worth it! but i'm telling you...does NOT last!
July 16, 2011
thanks for writing. so you aren't planning on going again?? gee if it's only six months i think i will still be depressed about everything....

xoxoxox
July 16, 2011
i had mine done for free at a research trial when it first came out. i'm not paying $$$ for something that only lasts 6 months.
if anyone knows of a place that does it for around $500..i would certainly do it again.
it DOES work - just didn't last
July 16, 2011
Interesting! I think the price will come down over time. I guess I just don't want to get depressed, look great and then look horrible again but maybe it's a viable option!

xoxoxox!!
UPDATED FROM Mineola

Lots of questions regarding whether I would repeat...

Mineola
Lots of questions regarding whether I would repeat the procedure. Only if it was offered free every 4 months and they knocked me out! There has to be a better way short of surgery.

Replies (6)

July 20, 2011
Does anyone know of a dermatologist in the Sacramento area doing this procedure or a research trial in northern california?
August 10, 2011

I am thinking about doing it, but reading all the reviews complaining how painful it is scares me A LOT, cause I have no tolerance for pain at all, had done thermage once and had to stop, cause the numbing cream and painkillers were not enough. QUESTION IS: can this procedure (Ulthera) can be done under local anesthesia? can I ask the doctor for a face nerve block? also did anyone took Valtrex /Zovirax to prevent break outs ? Comments please. Thank you ! And any recommendations for a Doctor here in Miami area?

August 12, 2011
this sounds like a very honest comment. there are some suspicious, overwhelming positive comments given to this treatment in here (no other treatments can get this high rating!). Those comments must have lured many of the people (including me) here to try this treatment. I hope there won't be anyone posting their comments for some particular reasons (like promotional).
August 17, 2011
I'm wondering the very same thing. I'm also curious as to why nobody seems to be posting before and after pictures.
August 18, 2011
exactly! those comments only make me doubt the effectiveness of the machine.
August 18, 2011
i'm not posting before or after pics because i don't want my face plastered on the internet! LOL! Especially now that it is back to a turkey neck!
Sooo disappointed.
If anyone has had luck with this procedure lasting AFTER one year..please let me know where you went. I wouldn't mind doing it again if the cost was around $500 OR if someone knows of a place that has PROVEN results lasting at least a year.