Ultherapy procedure protocol, does this sound right?

Question

I went for Ultherapy and she told me the energy level was 25 and there were no lines drawn on face. She gave me 70 pulses of energy thru my jaw area on one side. Then to other side. 40 pulses on each side of lower face. Does this sound right?

Dilip D. Madnani, MD, FACS · Answer

it all depends on which part of the face you are being treated, usually there are protocols for the treatment and suggested number of lines, we utilize two transducers at the minimum, and we check which depths to use based on the ultrasound reading- then the treatments are done, for the lower face, usually 660 lines are performed, fewer lines for smaller areas. The markings are helpful to see where to go.

Deborah Kessler Hudak, MD, MHA · Answer

The answer as to whether the Ultherapy protocol on you sounds right is, "It depends."  It depends on what the target tissue was (deep dermis vs. subcutaneous layer fat vs. SMAS, superficial-musculo-aponeurotic-system), and the pre-treatment assessment regarding the symmetry of your left and right sides of the face.  The protocols that come with the Ultherapy machine are guidelines.  A real Master Ultherapist recognizes you seldom want to get rid of (ie treat) the fat in the forehead or cheek, but often want to treat it in the jowls and under the chin---so the transducer chosen for that application is most commonly (but not always) the 3.0mm transducer.  Likewise, the seasoned Ultherapist recognizes a person with crepey skin of the neck or eyelids needs to have skin-tightening done using the 1.5mm transducer, and apply the treatment line to the deep dermis.  When LIFTING a brow or neck or face is desired, often we need to treat the SMAS, which most often needs the 4.5mm transducer.  More lines of treatment may need to be applied to one side vs the other side, in order to lead to a final result of improved facial symmetry.  Sometimes only one tissue is needing targeted; other times two target tissues, and yet other times all 3 target tissues.
Ultherapy is a GREAT device with amazing ability to make faces and necks look better, but results are only as good as the Ultherapist's understanding of the technology and experience using it, and understanding of which target tissues to treat, and reading the shades of gray on the monitor correctly to recognize the target tissue, and having patience and excellent technique in delivering the lines of energy.  Most places tell their patients to not expect any results initially, and wait on final results for 3-6 or even 12 months.  I can honestly say that more than 70% of our patients can see results immediately after treatment, and everyone's results improve over time, up to (even) 12 months. This is a testament to the potential to do amazing wonderful things with Ultherapy.

Ultherapy procedure protocol, does this sound right?

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Ultherapy procedure protocol, does this sound right?

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Ultherapy

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.