Why do so many doctors recommend Ultherapy with such poor reviews? (Photos)

I have been using Ultherapy for over 5 years now, and it can be a great non-surgical skin tightening option when used appropriately. The problem is that many physicians oversell the treatment and what it can do, leaving patient's with unrealistic expectations of the results. Too many people are being treated that are not suitable candidates and for this reason you are seeing all the negative reviews. The truth is that Ultherapy works best as a prevention and maintenance tool for those individuals with mild skin laxity, typically in their late 20's to early 40's. It almost always needs to be used in combination with other treatments for optimal results. The reason you did not see any improvement after CoolMini is probably because your issue is mostly a loose skin one and not because of excess submental fat. To see a benefit from Ultherapy you would likely need at least 2 treatments spread 3-6 months apart. This would not be my first choice for you. I think you would be better off with a treatment like ThermiTight which is far more effective for those with moderate skin laxity. I don't think PDO threads will give you a very dramatic improvement. Make sure you see an experienced provider for an in-person consultation and evaluation. Choose someone who has multiple treatment options available and not just a one-trick pony. Hope this helps answer your question. Best wishes.

In our state of the art practice we have a thriving Ulthera patient base, who see great results. Most of the reviews are old. The new protocols and customize-able treatment plans are giving patients results. I would consult with a certified center and have an experienced technician perform the treatment. We love Ulthera and so do our patients!Best of luck!

No, if used appropriately, ultherapy should not cause problems. Keep in mind, a combination approach would give the most improvement. I recommend Ultherapy with RF treatments, lasers, microneedling/PRP or sculptra to get increased collagen, tightening and improve skin tone.  I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Hello!
First I would like to say we have CoolSculpting and Ultherapy at our office. If you only had your CoolSculpting 2 weeks ago- I would suggest waiting about 2 months before really determining if it worked. You can start to see results in 1 month, but I bring people in at 2 as majority of your result should be visible. CoolSculpting will only remove FAT where as the Ultherapy does only SKIN tightening. Often it is needed for both to first reduce the volume, and then tighten the skin. I believe Ultherapy results can vary depending on the technician doing it. As long as the patient is a candidate, and the technician is well trained you should have a great result. Our Master Esthetician has been doing our Ultherapy treatments for 3 years now and has had some great results.

Hope that helps!

Ulthera is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound under direct Visualization (HIFU-V).  Like many Ultrasound devices, it is highly operator dependent.  
I believe that many of the poor reviews associated with this excellent treatment modality are associated with poor training of the physician extenders often administering the treatment.  That is not to fault the physician extenders, but rather the amount of training required to correctly interpret the Ultrasound visualization of tissues and judgement required to administer the appropriate treatment has been underestimated.
In our practice, over 90% of patients express satisfaction with Ulthera treatments.  This is the result of proper identification of suitable candidates followed by carefully supervised treatment.  If you are considering Ulthera, I would recommend that either the physician or an experienced provider be present.
I hope this answer helps.

We have been using Ultherapy device for more than 5 years now.  Results do vary on patient to patient basis.  We have not encountered any significant side effects including disfigurement, volume loss, or scar formation.  Ultherapy in fact is generally considered the safest of 10+ lasers devices we use in our office.  Results, however, can be underwhelming in some patients.  We have been combining other collagen stimulating therapies in conjunction with Ultherapy with enhanced results. I do think that careful patient selection does make difference.  

Ultherapy has a proven track record for many years.  It is a great non-surgical and non-invasive alternative to surgery for lifting/tightening of the skin.  Optimal results occur when the high intensity ultrasound energy is delivered beneath the skin layer called SMAS - superficial muscular aponeurotic system.  Variability of results likely occur because of the variability of the providers and their level of training.  Treatment should be customized to the individual patient as there is variability in the location of SMAS.  Be sure to consult with a board-certified and experienced cosmetic physician. 

Hello and thank you for posting.
Ultherapy has been available in the United States for many years now and has a proven track record of safety and effectiveness. However, the results of the treatment are often modest, and it is an expensive treatment modality. I think that is probably the reason for the relatively low scores on real self. There have been rare cases of individuals who feel that Ultherapy produced a major loss of facial fat. In our practice, and in conversations with my colleagues, we have not seen this complication at all. I’m not saying that it’s not a possibility, but in real-world practice setting, treating hundreds of patients, we have not seen it.

That said, I do think there are newer treatments that have more potential benefit at a lower price point. One example includes suspensory PDO threads with the aim of therapy to lift and elevate the lower face. We have found that suspensory PDO threads produce an immediate, often dramatic, and persistent facial lifting effect. This has led us to recommend PDO threads instead of Ultherapy for many of our patients.

Another neglected treatment modality is the use of deep structural filler. The Y LIFT, developed by Dr. Jan Trokel from New York City is a great example of the facial transformations that can be achieved with deep structural filler. This is one of the liquid facelift techniques that are being used by many advanced facial injectors.

I hope that this information helps and best of luck to you! 

I've been doing Skin tightening for over 12 years using different treatments (Thermage, ablative resurfacing, SkinTyte) but for the last for years and have had great results. The initial patient assessment is the most important factor in determining if you are a good candidate for treatment. If the area of concern is not caused by skin laxity, then no amount of skin tightening will improve it. I do a full facial assessment with each client, explain treatment options (as well as surgical evaluation), and explain what each treatment will achieve. It is almost always a combination approach. First, restoring our foundation(bone) because the bone actually changes shape as we age. Then restoring any volume loss in the fat pads, and then looking at skin texture, tone, and laxity. A combination approach results in a very natural look as this is what changes over time. With only ultherapy (in the right patient) I have seen lifting. I tell my clients that it's not a facelift and show them realistic pre and post pictures so that they know what to expect. Some patients say that another skin tightening treatments they had didn't work. It probably did, however, what really needed was volume restoration due to loss of volume over time, and not necessarily skin tightening. 
I also use, PDO Threads, Fillers and other treatments modalities(laser) to improve the over all look of the patient keeping their goals in mind. I always ask myself, "What is causing the skin/wrinkle/etc. to do that?" Treating the cause of the problem will give you a natural result versus just filling in lines or adding volume.