How Long Will I Feel Sore After Ulthera?

I’m sorry to hear you’re still uncomfortable following your Ultherapy treatment.  Depending on the of amount energy that is used, it is not uncommon to have some mild sensitivity one month following treatment.  I had Ultherapy myself on December 1, and still have some mild sensitivity along my jawline and under my chin, which is due to the normal healing process.  I wouldn’t be concerned at this time, and you can expect this to continue to resolve over the next several weeks.

Hi Maggie,

After we treat patients with Ulthera we let them know that they should expect to feel "muscle type" soreness for usually about 1 to 2 weeks, but sometime they may feel the "sensations" that you describe for up to one month.  We can't tell you exactly when it will go away, but we can tell you that it always does (at least in my practice).  Enjoy your rejuvenation with Ulthera.  Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

Ultherapy as a treatment has a very low level of discomfort after the procedure.  There may be, however, areas that remain hypersensitive due to transient injury to the underlying sensory nerves.  You might notice this when you wash your face.  On the forehead, for example, you might find that this hypersensitivity extends beyond the treated area to the scalp.  This is because sensory nerves that are responsible for the scalp sensation travel across a treated area - the forehead.  This sensitivity is almost always transient if it happens, and usually well tolerated.  There is also a risk of injury of you overtreat an area as Ultherapy uses ultrasound to heat the underlying tissues.  Too much energy can cause more than intended injury.  Make sure your provider is well trained.

There is an inflammatory wound healing response that develops in the deep dermis as a result of the focused ultrasound energy that the utlhera delivers. This incites more collagen production and tightening. As inflammation is an active process it is not unusual to feel tenderness or tingling.  Some people will feel this less than others. As long as the symptoms are not preventing  you from doing your normal routines, then this merits a routine evaluation by your doctor but it will probably pass over another several weeks to even a few months. Your doctor may recommend a treatment to help your symptoms feel better.

Some patients are more sensitive and have prolonged sensations of tingling in the jawline after Ultherapy. I find that a good indicator as to who develop this prolonged sensation are patients who complain of excessive discomfort when these areas are treated DURING the procedure. As we are alerted by the patient, we reduce the energy settings to these localezed treatment areas which are innervated by the variable course of the marginal mandibular nerve. Read the Ultherapy ebook provided on the link below. 

Ultherapy is an entirely non-invasive procedure and as such, there is no downtime. You are able to return to your normal activities right away, and there are no special measures you need to take. Everyone heals differently, however, and it is not abnormal to still feel sore. I would suggest consulting with the doctor who performed the treatment and address your concerns with them to ensure there are no issues. 

As the others have mentioned, its very common to have sensitivity after a treatment.  This discomfort will go away and hopefully should be improving for you as time passes.  In my experience, no one has had permanent pains following Ulthera. 

Hi Maggie,Ultherapy works by heating small targeted amounts of soft tissue below the surface of the skin to a point where the tissue will contract and the body will create new collagen. In order to achieve a significant lifting effect, the right amount of heat needs to be delivered to the right depths of tissue.This is supposed to be achieved without causing any injury to the skin. While there is some mild discomfort with the procedure, it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable to a point of being intolerable. How you tolerated the treatment is a good indication on how your healing process will be. Post treatment it is normal to feel sensitivity for 2 to 4 weeks, sometimes longer. If you still feel concerned, it's best to see the practitioner who performed your procedure so they may perform an in-person examination on your areas of concern.Good luck healing!