What Should I Do to Prepare for Ultherapy Treatment? (Arnica Montana or Avoiding Ibruprofen Something Like That?)

There are no good studies to state whether Arnica helps minimize swelling from ultherapy.  Swelling usually is minimal, not significant after ultherapy but if you want to minimize the chance of swelling then Arnica montana may be helpful. There are many different doses recommended. Bruising is very rare with Ultherapy but again, if you want to minimize the chance of bruising then you can take Arnica. There also aren't studies to reveal whether taking non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), Alleve, etc. interfere with collagen build up after the procedure. They may however contribute to a slight increased risk of bruising.

 

The information provided in Dr. Shelton's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice.  The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs. If you are experiencing a medical emergency proceed to your nearest emergency room.

 

Hello! Thank you for your question! The recommendations for the use of these homeopathic medications are surgeon preference. I typically suggest the use of Arnica Montana to decrease swelling and bruising. It is an herbal medication that is propagated from the seeds of an herb. I, as well as my patients, have seen some benefit with the treatment in the postoperative period. Although there is little evidence to its effectiveness, I believe there is some benefit, and no harm. I recommend 4-5 tablets under the tongue 4x/day for 3-5 days prior and 5-7 days after the procedure. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

Thank you for your question! If you decide that dermal fillers might be an option for you, you should start the process by making an appointment with an expert who will evaluate your personal case and lead you to choose dermal filler that is right for you. Best of luck! 

I have been doing Ultherapy since 2011 and have done hundreds of patients I give them a liquid oral dose of ibuprofen when they check in (half hour before procedure) and give them a second 400 mg dose just before I start. I recommend a product called Swell-X, a bioflavonoid formula, to be taken for a week after the procedure. I recommend that they take ibuprofen for 24 hours following the procedure. 

You know, I had the same question when starting to provide Ultherapy treatments.  For decades now, I have told my patients to stay away from non-steroidals (ie, Motrin, Advil, Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc) when they are having "open" surgical procedures.  I found it quite interesting that Ultherapy trainers recommend these drugs around the time of treatments. In our experience, there are levels of treatment as to how aggressive one wants to be with the specific therapy.  Average treatments will normally not have any bruising. More aggressive treatments, may have some transient bruising ( lasting a week or less) but these patients have usually had the most dramatic results!We discuss these issues with our patients before their treatment and let them make this decision.

The studies from the Ulthera company used Ibuprofen as the pain medication of choice.  Bruising rarely occurs with Ulthera unless you are on blood-thinning medication such as Plavix and Coumadin.  I have not seen any bruising in the absence of these medications and I routinely recommend Ibuprofen prior to Ultherapy.  HOwever,in theory these types of NSAIDs can contribute to bruising. Arnica can be used, although there is no data to suggest that it is truly superior to not using it in terms of bruising.