Are these common Ulthera side effects?

Most commonly, patients experience mild redness and mild soreness in the areas treated after Ultherapy.  Uncommonly, patients can experience swelling and bruising but this is a small percentage of patients.  Patients who have skin sensitivies or think they have sensitive skin can develp welting / hives after treatment but resolves in 1-2 weeks with conservative over the counter remedies.  

The most common side effects are swelling, bruising, tingling, numbness and tenderness in the treatment area. The swelling commonly peaks at around day three and if bruising develops its usually on the upper jawline but can present anywhere. Welts can occur using the 1.5 depth transducer and usually resolve anywhere from 20 minutes to two days. 

We see welts in 30-40% of our patients after Ulthera, especially under the chin. This is related to higher energies and # of lines we use, as well as patient skin factors. It is not a complication.These last 5 -7 days and usually are not too noticeable. The occurrence of droopy mouth and droopy smile occurs in ~ 1 % of our patients and will clear in 4-5 weeks. This occurs because of muscular swelling as well as nerve inflammation (neuropraxia) of the marginal mandibular nerve (located along jawline). Although troubling, this condition always improves, but not always in 1 -2 weeks as others may report.

Welts can be a rare occurrence post Ulthera treatment, but if it
does happen, it usually last a few hours to a couple of days. There is no way
of knowing whether or not you are specifically at risk for having welts occur,
but it is a risk. If you ever have any post treatment concerns about any
treatment, it is important that you contact your physician immediately.

Hi Mrs. Kitty,

How is Chester and Mr. Dillion (Gunsmoke reference)? 

It is not common to have welts with lines after Ulthera treatment.  This occaisionally may occur.  It results poor or improper contact of the transducer with the skin, or from repeated energy placed in the same spot.  Fortunately the welts respond very well to ice, and usually disappear within 10 to 20 minutes.  The longest that I have heard welts lasting is about 1-2 days.  The lines are the "lines" from the individual Ulthera pulses.  The skin may be red for an hour or two after treatment, but we have not seen any rashes in our practice. 

The only other side effects of Ulthera that I am aware of are temporary muscle weakness around the mouth, the longest that I have heard it lasting was about 3 weeks, and I have seen one burn in a patient treated elsewhere.  The burn was a line on the cheek that eventually healed without a significant scar.  As with all aesthetic treatments, be sure to choose your treating physician most carefully.  See video reference below!

Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

I have done 85 or so Ulthera cases so far and I have not seen any side effects other then very temporary redness (lasts about 1 hour) and rare, mild black and blue and temporary numbness in some areas treated.  I have not seen any long term complications.  The vast majority of patients have been happy with the treatment.  

Pressure can induce welts in some people and the ultrasound energy might induce heat near the surface of the skin if the contact gel is not fitting correctly for that one line that is being delivered. The localized swelling should dissipate within hours to a few days. Blisters should not occur. Contact your doctor for evaulation if they are present for a couple of days after the Ultherapy or if there is any blister formation.

After your Ultherapy procedure you may experience minor skin redness, which will subside with a couple of hours. Some patients notice they feel slight tingling and swelling, but this too is only temporary. For best results it is important to contact a board certified dermatologist. Thank you for your question and best of luck!

The skin might appear flushed at first, but the redness should disappear within a few hours. Some patients experience light swelling, tingling or tenderness to the touch, but these are temporary in nature. Other, less common post procedural effects may include temporary bruising or numbness on small areas of the skin.

It is not uncommon to experience swelling for a few days to weeks following the procedure. Tingling, soreness and tenderness to touch for a few days or weeks following the procedure are not uncommon and a normal part of the healing process. You can return to normal activity directly after the procedure. Small areas of bruising, welts or numbness are also a normal side effect of this procedure and will resolve in a matter of days to weeks.