Local anesthetic for Ultherapy?

At our office we use two medications to help with pain and to relax our patients.  Each office has it's own technique in handling the discomfort and may range from anesthetic injections, nerve blocks and topical agents.  We find that using medication provides relief and makes the procedure tolerable for our patients.  I would have a consultation with the doctor you are choosing to see what types of options they offer.  Thanks for your question.

Ultherapy bypasses the dermis and treats deeper structures so topical numbing is not necessary as it is ineffective.  Ultherapy can target three different depths: 4.5 mm, 3.0 mm and 1.5 mm below the surface of the skin.  If your clinician uses the transducer that treats the most superficial skin (1.5 mm) topical numbing may help.  In our practice, we use a Zimmer which is a cooling device that is very effective in pain management. We often offer an anti-anxiety medication as well. It is important to go to a practice that excels in Ulthera as the pain can also be technician dependent.  In our practice, our patients tolerate Ulthera procedures very well. Good Luck.

Ultherapy shouldn't hurt much after treatment. During treatment using injectable numbing helps limit pain much more. Best, Dr. Emer.

While local anesthesia could be used for Ultherapy, I have never found this to be necessary for any patient I have treated.  There are different pain management techniques that can be used for the treatment though.  Some doctors may use nerve blocks, some may use topical anesthesia, and others may use oral medications.  Some combination of these may also be used.  I have found using topical anesthesia with oral medications of valium, motrin and hydrocodone works well.  One other reason that local anesthesia may not be recommended for Ultherapy is that the injection of the fluid can alter the thickness of the tissue and this could affect the depth of penetration of the ultrasound.  If the ultrasound does not reach the correct depth, it is possible it would be less effective.  

Hi,You are right that Ultherapy can be a bit uncomfortable for some patients.  We tailor the pre Ultherapy treatment to individually minimize any pain.  Often, we will use small amounts of dilute anesthetic over the most tender areas so that patients are comfortable and happy.Warmly,Dr. Liu

While everybody has different pain tolerance, you are correct- Ultherapy may be quite uncomfortable, depending on the treatment area and the energy settings. While it is not possible to fully anesthetize the treatment area with local anesthetic injection since it will interfere with the treatment, regional blocks are quite efficient in reducing pain and making the procedure more comfortable. In my practice, I have started doing regional nerve blocks for Ultherapy a long time ago and I have noticed significantly improved patient comfort and tolerance.  I have had several patients who had Ultherapy done first without any anesthetic (just oral Ibuprofen) and with regional blocks later, and they report much less discomfort with the blocks. In addition, topical anesthetic may be effective in reducing pain in the treatment areas where a superficial (1.5mm) transducer is used.

Topical anesthetic tends not to help with Ultherapy pain control due to Ultherapy's depth of treatment. We usually offer oral pain medication (or intramuscular Toradol) and an oral relaxing medication. Additionally, we use Zimmer cool air and/or cold packs. Talk to your Ultherapist regarding a pain control plan prior to treatment. It is well tolerated when pain control measures are used.