How Long Does It Take to See Ulthera Results?

Ultherapy uses ultrasound technology to deliver low levels of focused heat to the tissues immediately underneath the skin. Your body responds to this thermal energy by stimulating the growth of new collagen.  Some patients report seeing an immediate result, but that is a combination of the body’s response to the heat energy, as well as some associated mild swelling. The regenerative process is initiated immediately, but the full effects of the treatment gradually occur over the next 2-3 months, with the ultimate results taking shape around 3-6 months. Good luck to you! Hope this helps.

Dr. Sunder
 

Because Ulthera works by stimulating the body’s healing and restorative properties, it is true that the final result is usually seen after 3 months. This is the amount of time that the new collagen growth occurs after the procedure. Our patients do report early changes ranging from actual brow elevation, mid face fullness, or simply a firmer feel to the skin.

 We are receiving very good satisfaction for Ulthera in our office. Ulthera is a good choice for patients who are looking for a treatment that involves no down time, no incisions, and only mild sedation. It offers a more lifted, tighter, and firmer skin texture and appearance. The resulting changes are very natural looking. While one can expect about a 20% improvement for sagging and loose skin with Ulthera, it is not a replacement for facelift which offers about 80% improvement. Optimal results and satisfaction are directly related to proper patient selection and proper expectations.

Results may be dependant upon the way the procedure was performed. The best results will be obtained when a dual planed approach is used A dual planed treatment means that your skin was treated at two different depths, the sub dermal and deeper SMAS layer. This means that tiny thermal injuries are being laid down in two layers, causing a healing and repair response, which results in additional collagen growth over the 3-4 months after the treatment. Ulthera is unique in that each pulse is delivered only after imaging reveals good skin conductivity with the ultrasound transducer with precise and focused delivery of the treatment energy. Again, these thermal injury points cause your body to begin a healing and restorative process that builds additional collagen, therefore tightening and firming the skin.

Hopefully, you were a good candidate for the procedure and your doctor discussed your own personal expectations with you prior to the procedure. In that case you will more than likely be pleased. Best wishes!

The most important thing to remember with Ultherapy treatment is that the results are not immediate.  It can take 3-6 months to get a beneficial improvement.  For those patients seeking an immediate, dramatic change Ultherapy will disappoint them.  It is best for patients that do not want an invasive procedure with the incumbent downtime.

It is also important to remember that not all patients will achieve the desired effect after one treatment.  The clinical trials showed around 85% of patients achieved a good result after one treatment.  While this is far better than other non-invasive options such as Thermage, it still means that you have a 3 in 20 chance of being disappointed.  What is good about Ultherapy and ultimately the reason why we elected to add it to our practice is that the patients that did not achieve the desired results in the study were retreated and all of them were successful. 

Ultherapy results are typically seen over 3-6 months following treatment.  It is common to see some early changes in the first several weeks due to the thermal effect of the treatment.  Early treatment recommendations with Ultherapy did not include a second treatment.  However, ongoing studies with Ultherapy have shown dramatic changes can occur with a second treatment six months after the initial session.  The reason the results are improved, is that the new collagen formed from the initial treatment is very responsive to the ultrasound stimulation and may provide a better result.  

I would not be discouraged at three months or even six months, as the results do improve with time. I agree that looking at your pre-treatment photos is very helpful as some results are subtle, but still very worthwhile.  I have treated over 40 patients with Ultherapy since February of 2010, and with proper patient selection and education, my patients have been pleased with their results.  Ultherapy is not the same as a facelift,  but for many patients it is an excellent option for skin lifting and tightening and requires no downtime.  In the future, I expect more patients will be interested in additional treatments with Ultherapy since the results can offer further improvement than with a single treatment alone.   

After Ultherapy it can take 3-6 months to see the maximal result.  Most people see some result immediately, but it is subtle in comparison to the final result.  How the treatment was performed and how many lines of therapy were delivered will have an effect on the ultimate outcome.

Not to worry.  Some patients (but not all) see some modest immediate results, but the real results evolve and improve over 3-6 months.

Ulthera often (but not always) results in a modest degree of immediate lift.  This immediate lift, which can often be seen at the "half-time" after the first side of the face has been treated, is caused by a combination of collagen shrinkage and minor swelling.

As the rows of tiny thermal heating points result in your body producing additional collegan over the next 3-6 months, the real lifting result will emerge. 

It's very important to carefully select patients for Ulthera.  The best patients have mild to moderate sagging of the facial tissues and do not wish to undergo surgery.  These patients will often be highly satisfied with the results.  If patients have a good deal of sagging facial tissue, Ulthera results will frequently not improve the face enough to satisfy the patient.  Good communication between the patient and physician before deciding to proceed is critical.

Bottom line, you are very early to make a judgement about how well Ulthera works.  Wait 6 months, review some high-quality before and after pictures and make your decision then.

Hope that info helps,

Paul Leong

Pittsburgh Facial Plastic Surgeon

Although some patients notice an immediate improvement right after the procedure, it often takes several months (even up to 6+ months) to see the final results. The immediate lift is due to the shrinking effect of the collagen (and the deeper muscle layer) due to the heating effect that the ultrasound delivers. More importantly, this energy from the treatment stimulates your skin to grow new collagen over the subsequent months. This leads to a gradual tightening and improved skin over the months following the treatment. Its hard to notice this change when you are looking for it everyday, but when all is said and done, most people are able to notice some nice changes from their pre-procedure photos. It is important to remember, however, that this treatment does not replace surgery--but it does offer the opportunity to get meaningful results without the downtime (or cost) of traditional surgical options.

Hope this helps!

Dr. Y