Ultherapy vs ThermiSF; which procedure will give the BEST result for skin tightening for jowls & top of the neck?

Question

I am 64 and I have jowls and would like my jawline to look tighter,as well as,the top of my neck. I realize that Ultheraphy & Thermi are both procedures that could help me but I have heard that Thermi is less painful and the results are better than Ultheraphy for tightening. Is that true about ThermiSF? I heard when the doctor uses ThermiSF on the jowl are that he is also treating the entire "lower" face. Will my smile lines and wrinkles on the sides of my chin get tighter also with Thermi?

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Wendy. From our experience there is no better non-surgical treatment to lift, tone, and tighten the loose skin of the face and neck than Ultherapy. In fact, Ultherapy is the only treatment that has been FDA approved to do this and no other non-surgical treatment can go as deep as Ultherapy can (4.5mm below the skin). At 64 years of age you need to be realistic about what these treatments can accomplish for you, and you would likely need multiple treatments of any one that you choose. The best thing to do is to schedule an in-person consultation where you can have a full evaluation to determine which treatment would be best for you. Of course, none of these procedures will provide the results that a surgical facelift will. But, they are associated with less risk and less cost. Hope this helps!

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

One Ultherapy may be equivalent or better than a series of non-invasive ThermiSmooth treatments for facial tightening and lifting. In my NYC practice I have seen better results with ThermiTight than ThermiSmooth and Ultherapy but ThermiTight is minimally invasive, and Ultherapy and ThermiSmooth are not.  Both are treatments from the same company, ThermiRF, but the equipment used is different.ThermiSmooth is non invasive with no down time and does not hurt. Ultherapy hurts and similar to ThermiSmooth, is non invasive and usually has no down time, although rarely, there is bruising after Ultherapy. ThermiTight is done after the doctor injects local anesthetic, and a thermal probe is used underneath the dermis of the skin, to create heat exactly where we want to deliver it.  There is swelling usually for at least a week, or more, but some patients have minimal swelling.  So it depends on exactly what treatment you will have to determine the post operative period and effectiveness.

Richard Baxter, MD · Answer

ThermiRF uses radiofrequency, similar to Thermage and several other devices. Ulthera uses focused ultrasound and is the only device FDA-approved for nonsurgical facial skin lifting. With new technology and techniques it is not very painful. To give a complete answer to a question like yours there would need to be a prospective clinical trial comparing each technology head-to-head; this has not been done so there is no basis to claim that one is "better." For the jowls, Ulthera is done over the entire lower face.At 64 it is also likely that a facelift will give far better results than any nonsurgical treatment.

Hratch Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

I recommend Ultherapy as well. The technology is great, far ahead of the competitors and the effect is gradual yet significant with maximal tightening seen between 6-9 months. Read the Ultherapy book written by Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon on the link below. Dr Raffy at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica.

Ultherapy vs ThermiSF; which procedure will give the BEST result for skin tightening for jowls & top of the neck?

Answers (4)

Answer: Recommend Ultherapy - Los Angeles, CA

Answer: Recommend Ultherapy - Los Angeles, CA

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Everything you need to know about Ultherapy

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Ultherapy vs ThermiSF; which procedure will give the BEST result for skin tightening for jowls & top of the neck?

Answers (4)

Answer: Recommend Ultherapy - Los Angeles, CA

Answer: Recommend Ultherapy - Los Angeles, CA

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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.