UltraShape Power: What You Need to Know
Pros & cons
How much it costs
What to expect
How soon you see results
Risks to consider
Fast facts
UltraShape Power is a noninvasive body contouring treatment. The device was cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016 for fat reduction in the abdomen, hips, and thighs. It uses focused ultrasound energy as a form of ultrasonic cavitation to break up and destroy fat cells, without causing damage to the surrounding tissue.Â
“The ultrasound energy vibrates or shakes the fat cells until they fall apart and are liquefied, thereby selectively destroying them,” explains NYC dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross in a RealSelf Q&A. The destroyed fat cells are then naturally eliminated from the body.Â
UltraShape Power is an updated, 20% more powerful form of the original UltraShape body shaping treatment. “The upgraded device, other than being a smaller version of the original, allows for faster, more efficient treatments,” explains Dr. Dima Ali, a physician in Reston, Virginia.
UltraShape Power works best if you have a good “handful” of stubborn fat in the treatment area, says San Diego dermatologist Dr. Kimberly Butterwick.Â
For optimal results, patients typically need three treatments, spaced two weeks apart. According to its manufacturer, a clinical study on UltraShape Power found a 32% reduction in thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer in the abdominal area after a series of three treatments.
Pros
- Results are considered permanent. The fat cells that are killed are gone for good, but if you gain weight, the remaining fat cells will expand.
- Treatments are painless, with no injury to the skin or surrounding tissue.Â
- There’s no downtime after an UltraShape Power treatment. You’ll be able to resume your regular activities, including exercise, the day after treatment.
Cons
- While some patients do start seeing results within two weeks of their first treatment, most need to have a series of three treatments and wait up to four months for optimal results—delayed gratification, compared to a more invasive procedure like liposuction.
- The best candidates are in good physical shape, with a healthy lifestyle and a body mass index (BMI) under 29. This isn't a weight loss procedure.Â
- UltraShape Power costs more, on average, than other nonsurgical body contouring and fat-reduction procedures, like CoolSculpting and SculpSure.
- The treatment doesn’t tighten lax skin, and patients without good skin elasticity may need skin tightening after the fat is removed, to prevent sagging.Â
- To maintain your results, you’ll need to stay at a stable weight.
- Average Cost:
- $3,075
Your cost will depend on the experience level of your provider, their practice location, and the number of treatments you need to see your desired results.
The procedure takes about 30 minutes per area. As the session begins, the provider creates a 3-D digital “map” of the area being treated. Then they glide the handheld UltraShape Power device over the area, delivering pulses of focused ultrasound energy that break down and rupture the fat cell membranes. The pulses are virtually painless, and most people say that the procedure is even comfortable.Â
Because UltraShape Power doesn’t disrupt the surrounding tissue and blood vessels, there’s no bruising, swelling, or soreness afterward.
Dr. Ali says that his patients typically see results within two weeks of their third treatment, and he underscores that it takes up to four months to see your final results. “I’ve had patients lose anywhere from one to five inches, with three treatments,” he says.Â
Results from UltraShape Power treatments are the most dramatic when patients are in good physical shape, with specific areas of stubborn fat they want to reduce. Some RealSelf members who rated UltraShape Power “Worth It” say they saw “incredible” results, in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Others who rated it “Not Worth It” say they saw “zero results” and that it was “a waste of money.”
An UltraShape Power procedure is considered very safe when it’s performed by an experienced provider.
Some patients report mild discomfort or even bruising, but this is rare, especially when you're being treated by a board-certified doctor.
CoolSculpting, another nonsurgical body sculpting treatment, uses cryolipolysis to freeze and kill the fat cells, while UltraShape Power uses ultrasound technology.
Recovery times are similar, but CoolSculpting comes with more side effects (including swelling, bruising, and even nerve pain) and potential complications like paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, a rare increase in fatty tissue at the treatment site.Â
“Both CoolSculpting and UltraShape can work well to reduce abdominal fat in the right candidate,” says Dr. Butterwick. “Ultimately, the device used doesn’t matter as much as the skill of the doctor performing the treatment, though CoolSculpting is more efficient in terms of time, as one treatment reduces the area by 25–30% if combined with massage. UltraShape usually requires two to three treatments for the same percent[age of] fat loss.”
Updated June 13, 2023