What is the Difference Between Ultherapy and Thermage?

Both devices can cause collagen formation in the dermis to help tighten the facial features. Thermage has applicators that are very small for use on eyelid skin and large ones for body sites such as arms, legs and abdomens. Its medium applicator is used for the face.  Ultherapy has smaller and medium applicators but off facial sites are off-label and studies are ongoing.  Thermage uses radiofrequency energy and Ultherapy uses focused deep ultrasound energy. Both hurt but the discomfort is over when the energy is stopped from being delivered.  These non-invasive techniques can help rejuvenate the skin tone but are not expected to give the same result as a facelift.  They also do not improve the skin surface so don't expect wrinkles to be better. Overall, we have had higher patient satisfaction with improvement in facial jowl lifting, cheek lifting, forehead lifting and neck lifting with Ultherapy than Thermage. I still find Thermage very useful on the loose skin of abdomens and the loose skin of thighs.

Thermage and Ultherapy both use energy to restore collagen production in the dermal layer of the skin. But the type of energy each treatment uses is different. Ultherapy uses ultrasound energy while Thermage uses radiofrequency energy.Ultrasound energy usually reach deeper into the dermal layer, even down to the fat and SMAS layer, to provide more dramatic and noticeable skin tightening and lifting.