I had lower face Ultherapy done yesterday. As everyone says, it really does hurt through part of it, other parts not as much. Given the way people describe the pain even when fully medicated, I don't really think the pain meds do a lot to get rid of the pain. I needed to drive myself so I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen. In some places it REALLY hurt but I was able to make it through without crying.
Even though it doesn't rip up your skin, I think it is a good idea to clear your schedule, schedule it right before a weekend, take a few days off, work from home. There is definitely some stuff that happens under the skin. This is probably a good thing but I would expect to deal with some swelling. My jaw and under my chin are quite swollen today and I look like a chipmunk. I actually look worse in that area in a way, although I am not worried about it, because it definitely just feels like swelling from that area getting pummeled by the intense ultrasound. I feel swollen, but tighter, so I have faith that everything is going to be okay once the swelling goes down.
If you are going to get only part of your face done, make sure that you clearly discuss with the doctor the areas that will be included. I thought the "lower face" would include more of the cheek area than it did. It is my own fault for assuming. I'll ask for a drawing to go along with my quote next consultation I ever do like this.
For me the primary issue with Ultherapy is the cost considering the length of time that it is supposed to last. I know all the doctors are trying to pay off the investment they made in the machines, but a lot of them, including my doctor, are training nurse technicians to do this job. I found the technician who worked on me to be completely skilled and I had no problem with that. But I think the cost of this procedure needs to be adjusted to take these things into consideration. Especially, when you include the pain factor - I want to have more areas done, but I will not be rushing out to do it for these reasons.
I'm hitting the big 50 in another year and I am splurging a little so that I can feel like I'm not falling apart - and will hopefully sail through. It's too early to tell yet, but Ultherapy does feel as though it is working in the treated area, so given this special occasion and the benefit I hope to derive I'm still hopeful it will be worth it. Going back for future treatments will involve a different mindset though, so we'll see how that goes. If the price comes down that will definitely help to get me back again.
I changed my rating from Not Sure to Not Worth It
I had lower face Ultherapy done yesterday. As...
The swelling of my jaw and lower face is pretty...
The swelling of my jaw and lower face is pretty much gone now but not quite. I feel some tightening over the little double chin pad of fat although it still looks a little puffy. It looks like things are moving in the right direction. Will feel more certain about it when I hit the 1 month mark. Will report back then. Face is still a little tender but this is not bothersome.
I do feel that Ultherapy has tightened up my chin...
I do feel that Ultherapy has tightened up my chin area nicely. I do not have before and afters but I remember quite well what it looked like when I dropped my chin (little double chin) and that is gone now. I would happily change my rating from "not sure" to "Yes, it's worth it" if I knew how long this really is going to last. I've noticed that Dr.s have started to say that results last 1 year. If that's the case this is really an expensive treatment. I can't afford to spend $2,000 every year to have my lower face and chin done. When you start adding that up you get to facelift prices pretty quickly. At these prices I need it to last at least 3 years. I splurged around my 50th birthday so that it won't be so painful to hit that milestone, but otherwise I can't really afford this procedure in the long term if the price doesn't come down and/or if it doesn't last very long.
I'm changing my review from "Don't Know" to Not...
I'm changing my review from "Don't Know" to Not Worth It.
After seeing what's happening after a bit, I have come to the conclusion that ALL of these treatments Ultherapy, Fraxel, Exilis etc. create a healing response that builds collagen for a while (6 months to a year) and then you have to do it again or you see things decline. So the question is, how much abuse do you want to put your face through in this process and how much pain would you like with your new collagen?
Ultherapy is really so painful (and I have a VERY high tolerance). Fraxel Repair does make things look better for awhile but it tears up your face to get there. I'm going to try the Exilis route (the tightening only, not the fat reduction). There is little to no pain reported for this treatment and the before and after photos look comparable to Ultherapy. Yes, you have to repeat every six month to a year, but I believe you only need one treatment for maintenance (you have to do at least a series of 4 to start). It's still not completely cheap, but considering that ALL therapies so far require repeating after a fairly short interval, I think Exilis will also come out to be more cost effective.
After seeing what's happening after a bit, I have come to the conclusion that ALL of these treatments Ultherapy, Fraxel, Exilis etc. create a healing response that builds collagen for a while (6 months to a year) and then you have to do it again or you see things decline. So the question is, how much abuse do you want to put your face through in this process and how much pain would you like with your new collagen?
Ultherapy is really so painful (and I have a VERY high tolerance). Fraxel Repair does make things look better for awhile but it tears up your face to get there. I'm going to try the Exilis route (the tightening only, not the fat reduction). There is little to no pain reported for this treatment and the before and after photos look comparable to Ultherapy. Yes, you have to repeat every six month to a year, but I believe you only need one treatment for maintenance (you have to do at least a series of 4 to start). It's still not completely cheap, but considering that ALL therapies so far require repeating after a fairly short interval, I think Exilis will also come out to be more cost effective.
