Question: I am a 56-year-old executive in an advertising company. I have been interested in getting my face refreshed with a skin resurfacing treatment to look younger but I cannot take any time off to heal. I have heard about this new Ultherapy treatment, and it sounds like a great fit for me. Since the treatment damages the skin under the surface though, will my face look bruised after the treatment?
Answer: More than likely, you would be a good candidate for the Ultherapy treatment, and you are correct that the Ultherapy device targets the tissue deep to the skin, and this is where the heat is created that then causes new collagen deposition, tightening, and lifting up the facial features. Because we are targeting the deeper tissue, there is a small risk of bruising but I would estimate that only about 5% to 10% of our patients will have any bruising from the Ultherapy treatment and, therefore, the far majority of patients do not have any outward signs that any treatment has occurred, and they therefore can resume normal activities immediately after undergoing the Ultherapy treatment.
I do discuss with my patients the fact that the Ultherapy treatment is not going to be a substitute for a surgical procedure but is really for the patient who either cannot undergo a surgical procedure or for the patient who has rather early signs of aging and does not feel that they are ready for a surgical procedure. We also discuss what we call collagen banking with patients, which is the fact that the Ultherapy treatment will create more collagen in their tissue than they had prior to the treatment and therefore, over time, they should have a slower progression of their aging features due to this increased collagen. Ultimately, I recommend you schedule a consultation at the Quintessa Medical Spa so that we can discuss Ultherapy in great detail with you prior to scheduling your treatment.