Who can perform Ultherapy?

Results from Ultherapy, an ultrasound device to tighten and lift the skin, Are VERY dependent on who the operator is. Ultherapy is is not a laser, so there are fewer restrictions on who can deliver the treatment. There re are some devices that are easy to use - as long as the settings are right for the treatment. However, Ultherapy is very dependant on how much experience the operator has and also whether they "care" about the outcome. 

In the state of California by law only registered nurses can perform laser hair removal. There is, however, no such law for Ultherapy treatments. The company sells the device to anyone with a medical license. The physicians can then delegate who does the treatment. This is where we run into the problem of inexperienced physicians having inexperienced estheticians or technicians doing the treatments. I have seen many patients who come to me after having Ultherapy done by an inadequately trained provider at a "med spa" where the physician was not even on-site. The most you can do at this point is report the incident to the medical board of california. 

While each state has its own regulations, Ultherapy is a medical procedure so all states require that it be performed under the supervision of a physician. The differences are in who the doctor can delegate to and how the supervision is done. It is possible that you had some other type of ultrasound treatment that was pitched as being the same as Ultherapy although there are no equivalent devices that could be used without physician supervision. It is also possible that you had it done at a facility where the doctor is not on site. In that case an evaluation by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant would likely be required. In any case it should be easy to find out who the supervising physician (medical director) is.