Ulthera - Are Welts a Normal Side Effect?

Although "welts" can occur after Ultherapy, they generally resolve within several days.  More commonly, patients have described a tenderness and a feeling of relative swelling along the jawline and neck which can last for up to a week after treatment.  The more aggressive the treatment, the more likely this sensation is afterward.

Hi MD, thanks for inquiring about side effects of Ultherapy. It is possible for welts to occur after an Ultherapy treatment, however on the face and neck they typically don't last more than 24 hours. This may vary from patient to patient. When doing an Ultherapy treatment on the deccolletage (chest area) any welting is more likely to last up to 3 weeks. Keep in mind it is very important to choose an experienced and certified Ultherapy provider. 

Welts can happen, especially with the more superficial treatments (1.5 mm and 3.0 mm).  They are temporary, usually lasting < 1-2 days, but can take even several weeks to go away.  

Hello,

Thank you for your question. In our experience the welts are most commonly seen when you are treated with the most superficial hand piece. However, welts are not the norm, it usually means there isn't proper contact. That can be caused by holding the hand piece incorrectly or by the patient moving during the treatment. That being said, if you do experience welting, they usually subside within a day or two. Good luck!

Hi and thanks for your question.  I rarely see welts after Ultherapy.  If they do appear, I give the patient an ice pack to place over the welt and it resolves quickly without any longterm issue. 

The occurrence of welts following Ultherapy is heat related but very uncommon. However, even if they do appear they generally resolve within a short period of time. This can be as little as a few hours to several days.

Yes, welts may occur. This is not necessarily a technical error and they do resolve. They occur immediately after treatment and I have seen this around the eye. I would not recommend anti-inflammatories or ice because that may hurt the inflammatory process Ulthera stimulates and is important for outcomes.

Welts after ultherapy are not commonly  seen but can occur and should be gone within hours to a few days. Localized deeper swelling can settle for several days, very rarely, but this is different than welts.

 In occasional spots, if there is not enough contact with the transducer, or if the ultrasound gel does not provide the right seal for the transducer against the skin, it may deliver more ultrasound energy to the superficial dermis and swelling in the form of a welt might be seen. If this happens, one would expect an isolated couple, not a myriad of them. Ensure that you are not developing fluid filled blisters and do not pop them if you do, and see your doctor immediately should that occur. I would suggest seeing your doctor to ensure that you're doing well and that the situation will resolve by itself.

In the treatment of over 100 patients I have seen welts on the skin only twice.  These occur from the ultrasound energy pulse being delivered too close to the surface of the skin.  On the rare occasions I have seen this problem, they resolved easily over a couple of days with cool compresses.

Hi MD,

Ultherapy by Ulthera is not a laser treatment, but rather uses ultrasound energy to create it's lifting and tightening effect on the skin and muscle of the neck, face, and eye brows.  The welts that you have heard about may occur from improper contact of the transducer with the skin.  Fortunately, with cool compresses these welts usually disappear within an hour or two.  Good luck and be well.

Dr. P