Does it Make a Big Difference Who Performs Ulthera on You?

I have had Ultherapy in my practice since 2011, and I have found that my own results have improved with time as I have learned to customize and taylor my protocols to each patient.  I do have aestheticians that provide Ulthera but I also do a fair number of patients myself.  I have found that very soon after I received the device, I started increasing the amount of energy used to where I was using twice the recommended protocol.  This made a big difference in outcomes.  Ulthera then changed their protocol to increase the overall amount of energy towards the end of 2012.  Since then, I have further increased the amount of energy we deliver to patients.  I work very closely with my aestheticians and often develop the treatment plan together, even if they perform the procedure.  This way, I get to help customize the plan for the individual patient.

One thing to bear in mind, when you go to a core board certified aesthetic provider (e.g. Plastic Surgeon, Dermatologist), they are usually the ones leading advancing the use of these technologies.  The technology companies, however, need to grow so they quickly start selling to a lot of non-core customers.  So I would say it does matter what type of practice you go to, and how involved the the doctor is with your consultation and treatment plan.

The non invasive tightening and lifting of facial features with Ultherapy ultrasound treatment has evolved over the last several years. Newer transducers allow different levels of the dermis to be treated giving, potentially, a better result. To say that a doctor does a better treatment than a nurse would not be valid if that doctor isn't using the newest technologies available. There are developments also in the technique that the provider may or may not have been practicing.

Physicians are able to modify the treatment customized to the individual patient's concerns. Some people are asymmetric and the treatment can purposely be delivered with greater lines of Ultherapy in the areas that deserve more attention.

Experience is important. Knowledge of anatomy is important and communication with the patient. If a nurse is doing the procedure in a doctor's office, then the doctor(s) are usually supervising the treatment in the sense of ensuring that the nurse is trained adequately. Requirments allowing or not allowing nurses to provide such treatment is regulated by each state differently.

Ulthera, which uses micro-focused ultrasound for noninvasive skin lifting, works by precise placement of thermal stimulation under the skin. The body responds to this by remodeling the collagen layer, so because it is ultimately the body's response that determines the result there is some inherent variability. Age, thicklness of the skin, and other factors are probably more important than who does the procedure provided that they are well-trained. However, Ultherapy must be done under the supervision of a physician if the doctor does not do it.