Ultherapy Reviews
82%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
162 Reviews
Ultherapybefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Ultherapy Cost: $2,700

Learn about Ultherapy

496 people and 114 doctors are talking about Ultherapy

Get Free Email Updates

“Full Face and Neck - United Kingdom, GB”

Worth It
Spent: $3,000 in UK

Comments (20)

Posted 6 Sep 2011

I am 46 and had ultherapy - full face and neck - in May. I had a very strong reaction to the treatment - swelling, welts, swollen lumps for up to 10 days after. Also one burn. It was also extremely painful and I generally have a high pain threshold. I have uploaded a photo so that others can see that this is not a no down time treatment for everyone. I had to teach two days after and my face was like a football - embarrassing!

Having said that, I have had good results. Many people have asked me what I've done although I haven't told people about the treatment. Good result on forehead with eyebrows raised, lessening of nasolabial lines, but the most noticeable thing is fuller cheeks and much improved skin tone. I started to notice the positive effects about a month after the treatment. I'm particularly happy about the fullness in my cheeks as I felt that I was starting to look drawn and a big haggard.

Downside is that I have two indented scars, one on my forehead and one on my neck. I haven't heard of anyone else who has had this side effect so it's obviously not common. I still think it was worth it despite this.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

Helpful review?

Comments (20)

Post a Comment Sort:
63Girl 11 Sep 2011
Hi Cate,

Happy about your good results but sorry about your scars. I asked my doctor to look at this photo and he commented that the Ulthera was likely too shallow due to the technician holding the treatment head incorrectly. He said it was a burn because the Ulthera was heating up the upper layer of the skin and shouldn't do this if the depth of treatment was accurately placed 3.5-4.5 mm below your skin.
CateBM 12 Sep 2011
Hi 63Girl

Thanks very much for asking your Dr - I'm glad that I've got some explanation for a) the burn and b) the scars. I will go and have a follow up appointment soon to have some before and after photos and also to discuss this.
BrittB 13 Sep 2011

Hi Cate, 

I'm glad that although you had some side effects and two scars you still considered it worth it. Your review will be important for the community to know. 

Thanks so much,

-Britt

63Girl 17 Sep 2011
Hi Cate,

Called the clinic and the Dr. Cheng was nice enough to call me back. He said he needed more information in order to give a more specific answer. He did mention that most of these will settle with time. If after a month, you still have raised bumpy red scars, he called it hypertrophic scarring. He said there is a high risk for keloid especially in patients with darker skin. If that is the case, he highly recommend that you get steroid injected in the scar and make sure the doctor is experienced. Hope your scars have settled nicely and you do not need to do the nasty injections. Hope this helped.
63Girl 17 Sep 2011
Cont'd Too bad you are not in Western Canada, otherwise you could visit the doctor directly at Skin Matters in Vancouver.
CateBM 19 Sep 2011
Thank you 63Girl. The red lumps and raised welts resolved themselves in a few weeks as your Dr suggested they might. What remains is two indented 2cm long lines - most likely the energy from the ultrasound has somehow melted the flesh. They are not noticeable to others and don't bother me, but they would stop me from doing another treatment unless I was into body art!!!! I have a feeling that I was probably one of the earliest patients that the Dr had treated.
Meilina80 19 Oct 2011

Hi CateBm, could you let me know who is the doctor, I am planning to fly over to the U.K. For this treatment as it's the closest country to where I live. Thanks.

CateBM 19 Oct 2011
http://www.alizonne.co.uk/non-surgical-lift-ultheraete

http://www.eternalyouth.co.uk/?page_id=47

The first link is for the only other Dr in UK who offers ulthera.

The second link is for Eternal Youth which is where I went for my treatment.

Good luck!
Meilina80 19 Oct 2011
Thanks CateBM, I actually enquired Eternal Youth for the treatment but they said they will have to rent the machine and group enough patients for this treatment. I wonder if they have good experience on this treatment. What did the doctor say about your burn and has it been healed? Do you recommend me to go there? I was thinking to go to NY for that. Thanks.
CateBM 19 Oct 2011
Interesting! I haven't been back for any post treatment so I didn't know that they don't have the machine on a permanent basis. I thought the staff there were lovely and I was well looked after. By his own admission, the Dr was new to doing the treatment - it is after all the first in the UK - but he was very thorough in explaining what I could expect in terms of side-effects and also results. I think it's possible that the lack of experience contributed to what happened to me and, if I did this again, I would go to a practitioner who had treated at least 100 patients. NYC is probably a good idea.
CateBM 20 Oct 2011
The burn has healed but left a scar although it's not noticeable.
angelica26 2 Feb 2012
Hello CateBM. I am very happy about your good results. My question is how you look now after several months from the treatment? Did the results last??
CateBM 3 Feb 2012
Hi Angelica,
Yes I would say the results have lasted. The main change is in skin tone and quality on my cheeks. I don't think I notice much difference in my jaw but I'm not particularly saggy there anyway. Eyebrows might be a bit lifted but hard to tell as that's so mood-related! I imagine that these results will recede as the months pass and my skin continues to age. I probably wouldn't do it again though, as I clearly have a propensity to scarring and don't want to risk that happening again on a more serious scale.

I hope that helps.

Cate
KCPsyc 22 Mar 2012
Hi, CateBM. I have Ultherapy in January, and I have one very noticeable indented scar about an inch from the left corner of my mouth. I am terribly disappointed about the indented scar, as I am sure it is permanent. I have not noticed much lifting in my skin, but the texture is improved. Unfortunately, I do not think the minimal improvement I received is worth the permanent scar. Best of all to you.
KCPsyc 22 Mar 2012
Hi, CateBM. I had Ultherapy in January, and I have one very noticeable indented scar about an inch from the left corner of my mouth. I am terribly disappointed about the indented scar, as I am sure it is permanent. I have not noticed much lifting in my skin, but the texture is improved. Unfortunately, I do not think the minimal improvement I received is worth the permanent scar. Best of all to you.
ponygirl 17 May 2012
I did this procedure on January 21, 2012 and had a very negative experience with Ultherapy. It damaged my facial nerves and I looked like a stroke victim. Could not drink properly either. Fortunately the nerve damage healed. However I have two indented scars: one on the left side of my mouth and one on the left side of my forehead. Positive results are minimal. DO NOT get Ultherapy unless you are willing to gamble with your face. Complications are not as few as advertised.
phoebekins 31 May 2012
How long did the nerve damage last? I am now one week post-treatment, and my mouth still pulls slightly to the left. Have to struggle to eat and talk normally. Thank you!
ponygirl 1 Jun 2012
So sorry to hear this! My nerve damage did last from 4-6 weeks, but it now appears to be healed. Still have indentation at the left corner of my mouth and above left brow. The indentations are definitely due to Ultherapy damage. Of course, the doctor's office conveniently lost my preprocedure photos. Too bad for them that my photos from a photofacial 8 months earlier were still available. They showed no indents before Ultherapy. Phoebekins, I think there are a lot of us unhappy customers out there. I wish there were a more public forum to warn others. Good luck to you!
phoebekins 1 Jun 2012
Thank you for your reply. So sorry about the indentations. Sounds like the doctor or technician applied the heat too close to the surface of the skin in those areas. I did have a few welts on one side of my face immediately following, but they were gone by the next morning. Every day the nerve damage is a little better - guess I'll just have to wait it out. Can't tell if I'll have any positive results yet - or not.
CateBM 19 May 2012
Although I did have positive results as listed above, I also would not do this treatment again due to the risk of scarring again. However, it's been a lesson for me in not tampering at the edges of cosmetic surgery and I'd rather spend the money on a decent haircut and good clothes in future!

Post a Comment

used for verification

Read more Ultherapy reviews

“What You Need to Know About Ulthera - Vernon Hills, IL” 1 comment
“Very Happy with Results - Mountain View, CA” 6 comments
“One Month After - Glendale, CA” 201 comments
“At the 3 Month Point and Happy! - Pittsburgh, PA” 1 comment