Ultherapy Vs Thermage for Skin Tightening

Keep in mind these are only tools and by themselves are neither good nor bad.  A scalpel is neither good nor bad but can be used to perform beautiful surgery or make a terrible mess.  That being said, these devices are commonly used by practitioners with no formal training in plastic and reconstructive surgery and thus no understanding of what interventions, forces structures and vectors make a beautifully rejuvenated face.  Now that Thermage has a long history, people are begining to understand that the patients are nearly universally displeased to enraged with their results.  I have seen several difficult reconstructve cases resulting from them paying for aesthetic enhancement with Thermage. 

 

Now comes Ulthera the new better thermage and can you guess what is happening. . . the same thing.  I personally do not like deep heating of the face.  it causes the absorbtion and atrophy of fat which over time makes patients look aged and there is no control of vectors.  When a plastic surgeon restores a face with a facelift, there are multiple different vectors created with different forces to create a natural concavity and convexity.  The contraction forces created by these technologies are concentric and pull equally in all directions, flattenening the faces- a very undesirable form.

 

I use infrared energy(Sciton SkinTyte) mostly when skin and tissue tightening is the goal,  I like it because it is gentler and not as deeply penetrating.  I really dont think there is anything wrong with a well trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon using any of these devices in a responsible manner after explaining the risks and benefits to their patients.  I think these technologies are applicable for moderate correction of neck laxity but should really be of limited application in the face because of the inability to control form.  Aesthetic form with wrinkles and laxity is much preferable to unaesthetic form with smooth skin.  There is no question that significant tightening can be achieved, but at what cost?  Remember whether a scalpel, thermage or ultherapy, the hands holding the device are much more important than the device.  Make sure the hands are connected to an experienced and well trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon so that you can benefit from their experience, knowledge and insight.

 

 

All the best,

 

Rian A. Maercks M.D.

Ultherapy is a non-invasive procedure that lifts the neck, chin and brow, and improves lines and wrinkles on the upper chest. As we age, collagen breaks down, resulting in loss of skin strength and elasticity. For tissue tightening, Ultherapy is ideal for the lower face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Morpheus8 to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

I want to start by mentioning that this question was posed 6 years ago! the answer to this question has certainly changed over this time span. Allow me to explain. Thermage was introduced 10 years ago. I had one of the first units in Los Angeles. The origional Thermage was very painful and occasionally resulted in burns or slight indentations. Some patients got amazing results and others benefited marginally. A few years later Thermage NXT was introduced. It was less painful and more consistent. Finally Thermage CPT became even more reliable and 2-3 times more effective. I have used all 3 machines and still have patients who come for skin tightening on a yearly basis. Once you have a great result with a machine you want to continue using the same modality. Ultherapy was introduced 6 years ago. We nor have the 3rd generation machines with the deep-see hand piece. It is powerful and consistent. I find that patient do better with mild oral sedation. Yes- it is very uncomfortable. I personally perform both procedures and get great results. Both machines are tools and the results are very operator dependent. It all depends on how many pulses (line) and what settings and how the pulses are applied. generally speaking I prefer Ulthereapy a little more. I am able to physically see the tissue that is being treated on my screen. please look for an experienced physician and have realistic expectations.

Ultherapy procedure delivers consistent energy to the SMAS layers or deep layers of skin  by using ultrasound technology under direct visualization to lift the sagging skin.Where as Thermage is a  radiofrequency device which delivers the energy into the tissue layer with out direct vision. Both procedures can be effective, but have many limitations,  the results are usually seen after 6 months. The Ultherapy results depends upon multiple factors such as the degree of sagging, age of the patient, the knowledge of anatomy and the experience of the person who performs. In our office all Ultherapy procedures are performed by a Board Certified physician. I firmly believe Ultherapy is a better choice since I can see all the tissue layers before delivering the energy.
Best
Dr. Shanthala

Ultherapy is a more effective treatment for skin tightening. Ulthera allows us to use a monitor to visualize and concentrate on the desired area. Ulthera also allows us to target deeper layers of the skin, giving us better results. 

We carry both Ultherapy and Thermage and they both have place in our clinic. While both treatments offer collagen stimulation through the use of heat there are distinct difference that can set one apart from the other. Thermage uses a patented radio frequency technology to heat the skin, stimulating existing collagen and promoting new collagen. Ultherapy is Ultrasound which goes to work deep in the skin's surfacing creating new collagen. Its because of the imaging we're able to deliver energy in the right areas for a more customized lift. During consultations we help our patients deciding which is the better treatment for them based on many factors such as  extent of skin laxity, areas they want to address and over all desired results. 

Thank you for the question. Thermage and Ultherapy both use energy to restore and rebuild collagen production in the dermal layer of the skin. But Ulthera uses ultrasound energy that can usually reach deeper into the dermal layer, even down to the fat and SMAS, to provide more dramatic and noticeable skin tightening. Thermage uses radio frequency energy at only one depth. Both create heat, which tightens the skin from under the surface. The person performing Ultherapy often has more control over the depth of treatment than a person performing Thermage therefore choosing a qualified technician is key.

Ultherapy has pretty much surpassed the results that Thermage can accomplish on the face.  In addition, Ultherapy continues to do a great job at skin tightening and skin lifting in the jawline, neckline, brows, and decolette.  The area around the eyes and lips work well too but usually require more than one treatment in my opinion.  

I have 5-6 years experience with Ultherapy, and have had several demos with the Thermage.  Therefore, I am biased, but believe that the Ultherapy gives better results with less discomfort than the Thermage. 

In my experience the Ulthera is far superior for tightening, especially for the jowls and neck. It depends on the age of the patient and amount of skin laxity. If you are 30-40 with mild laxity and wish to maintain, or are treating small areas around the eyes the Thermage will be adequate for these cases. Ulthera is the stronger of the two, and can have dramatic results that look great and spare you from needing an invasive procedure.

The difference between Thermage and Ulthera have to do with the technology used to administer the tretment. Thermage uses radiofrequency (RF) that heats the skin which induces a tightening effect. Ulthera uses microfocusedultrasound that heats the deeper tissue layers that provide a more natural tightness leaving top of the skin alone.I preform Ulthera in my office, and my patients have been extremely enthusiastic about the results. The results offer skin lifting and tightening and many patients see improvement in fine lines that are concerning to them. It takes anywhere from 3-6 months to see results after the treatment. Remember, the collagen has been re-stimulated, has to begin growing, and build up enough to be noticeable. The results are worth the wait! I recommend Ulthera to my patients of all ages, and have found that it can be used as a great preventative treatment for patients in their late 20's and early 30's when collagen loss begins. If you have any more questions about Ulthera, feel free to call my office or click the link below.