ulthera ultrasound system
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

free skin care · Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:39 am

Has anyone heard of ulthera ultrasound system?

http://www.ulthera.com/international/ulthera_system/system_overview.html

watch video here

http://www.sloaneclinic.com/english/pdf/CNA%20PTM-845am-24Aug.wmv

One of the pictures in the blog shows a before and after of the woman's face just after one treatment.

http://drsiew.blogspot.com/2009/08/ulthera-sneak-peek-2.html

I was watching my local news and they were interviewing a guy from ulthera and a local physician. They were praising the effects of ultrasound for face rejuvenation and lifting. They were saying it's better than surgical facelift. Apparently this physician offers the ultrasound using that system and she said results are evident on 1 treatment. I saw the before and after and omg they are amazing. 1 treatment costs 7000 though in my local currency. But anyway I think this system seems superior. Can anyone comment?
I wonder if a homeheld device will produce similiar results in the long run?

Im not sure if they sell this to consumers? But if you're considering the dermawave. This is even better!!!

free skin care · Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:32 pm

Hi faeriedust - Yes I have heard of the Ulthera ultrasound system. There was an article in the April Allure magazine (2006) about it being the
"facelift of the future." The reason I paid so close attention to it is because it was being manufactured in Mesa AZ and I live in the Phx area. Did call the company itself to see if
I could be in the clincal testing of the product. They told me it would be tested by dermatologists and their patients only. SInce I don't have a derm and don't need one at this point in my life, it was a no go. Was very disappointed but am glad it's on the market and being used professionally. Maybe I'll give them a call again - all they can do is give me the same answer. The article does explain how this ultrasound system works. DiPhx

Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:09 am

My best friend in Vancouver has a favourite Botox doctor she trusts with her face. She was told by the clinic that they will be starting Ulthera treatments in May and will only offer it to selected existing patients. Apparently first one in Vancouver. However, she was told it works for most but not everyone. I am considering going to Vancouver from Calgary for this because apparently this clinic is very conservative and reputable. Funny they don't even advertise online. However, I checked them out on Ratemds and the doctor (Dr. Charles Cheng) has good ratings. I prefer to be assessed first to see if they think it will work for my aging skin. There is only so much you can do with Botox and fillers. Will update when I decide to go or get more info. Has anyone else tried it? Please post your comments!!

Tue May 18, 2010 10:17 pm

Apparently my girl friend's sister has already tried it. She heard about it while at the clinic and couldn't wait. According to her, there is no visible differences yet but she could feel her eye brows tighter. She said it made her feel more energetic and her eye lids feels less droopy. This was just a few days after the treatment. She was told the improvement will continue for about 2 to 3 months. I am now just waiting for my friend to try it before jumping in. Ulthera sounds promising. Like what I hear about this doctor and his clinic Skin Matters. Will report back when I get it done.

free skin care · Tue May 18, 2010 11:43 pm

I was just reading about this yesterday. This study provoked my interest, which led to more reading regarding Ulthera:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20115948

Ultrasound tightening of facial and neck skin: a rater-blinded prospective cohort study.

Alam M, White LE, Martin N, Witherspoon J, Yoo S, West DP.

Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. m-alam@northwestern.edu
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nonablative skin tightening technologies offer the prospect of reduction of wrinkles and skin sagging with minimal downtime, discomfort, and risk of adverse events. The excellent safety profile is mitigated by the limited efficacy of such procedures. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the efficacy of ultrasound skin tightening for brow-lift in the context of a procedure treating the full face and neck. METHODS: This was a rater-blinded, prospective cohort study at a dermatology clinic in an urban academic medical center. Subjects were medicated with topical anesthetic and then treated with an investigational focused intense ultrasound tightening device to the forehead, temples, cheeks, submental region, and side of neck using the following probes: 4 MHz, 4.5-mm focal depth; 7 MHz, 4.5-mm focal depth; and 7 MHz, 3.0-mm focal depth. Standardized photographs of front and side views were obtained at 2, 7, 28, 60, and 90 days; rating scales of pain, adverse events, physical findings, and patient satisfaction were also completed. Primary outcome measure was detection of improvement in paired comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment (day 90) photographs by 3 masked expert physician assessors, cosmetic and laser dermatologists, and plastic surgeons who were not authors. Second primary outcome measure was objective brow elevation as quantitated by a standard procedure using fixed landmarks. Secondary outcomes measure was patient satisfaction as measured by a questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 36 subjects (34 female) were enrolled, one subject dropped out, and 35 subjects were evaluated. Median age was 44 years (range 32-62). On the first primary outcome measure, 30 of 35 subjects (86%) were judged by the 3 masked experienced clinician raters to show clinically significant brow-lift 90 days after treatment (P = .00001). On the second primary outcome measure, mean value of average change in eyebrow height as assessed by measurement of photographs at 90 days was 1.7 mm. LIMITATIONS: Limitations of this study include the inability to quantitatively measure lower face tightening because of the lack of fixed anatomic landmarks in this area. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound appears to be a safe and effective modality for facial skin tightening. A single ultrasound treatment of the forehead produced on average brow height elevation of slightly less than 2 mm. Most treated individuals responded, commonly with accompanying transitory mild erythema and edema. Copyright (c) 2009 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Guided ultrasound for noninvasive skin tightening may be wave of future
May 1, 2010
By: Ilya Petrou, M.D.
Cosmetic Surgery Times

Skin-rejuvenation modalities such as lasers and radiofrequency (RF) are commonly used for noninvasive skin tightening. However, significant cosmetic results are still lacking.

Although it’s in its early stages of development, a new technique using “guided” ultrasound shows much promise as a future noninvasive skin-tightening approach.

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Cosmetic+Surgery/Guided-ultrasound-for-noninvasive-skin-tightening-/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/665807?contextCategoryId=40174%20target=

Thu Jun 10, 2010 4:20 pm

I had an ULTHERA treatment yesterday. I want everyone to know that Ulthera is VERY PAINFUL! The Dr. had Ulthera himself and experienced so much pain during the entire procedure, that he refuses to perform Ulthera without a very strong painkiller injection prior to the treatment. I had a Demoral injection, but that was nowhere near enough. I had to have Demoral thru the IV twice, and Versed. The forehead is the most painful area to have Ulthera, but a NERVE BLOCK (which is a sequence of numbing injections along the top of the eyebrows) makes doing the forehead nearly painless.

The ultrasound device enables the Dr. to locate the exact, precise points of where to deliver the concentrated pulses of ultrasound; it is during these rat-a-tat-tat pulses that you feel the pain.

I heard you can have Ulthera on your lunch break and go back to work---my experience is that is a MYTH! My face is swollen, and I have one black eye! My eyelids are very puffy, which partially interferes with my vision in one eye. The skin on my face and neck hurts! I was told I would some immediate improvement. The only change I see so far is my right eyebrow is elevated a bit, but my left one is not. Now I have uneven eyebrows! Peak improvement is supposed to happen 2-3 months after the procedure.

free skin care · Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:07 pm

Rosebud7 wrote:

The ultrasound device enables the Dr. to locate the exact, precise points of where to deliver the concentrated pulses of ultrasound; it is during these rat-a-tat-tat pulses that you feel the pain.

Very interesting. I have a handheld ultrasound device and I don't feel anything from that (and think it is useless to boot!). I wonder what causes the pain from this Ulthera ultrasound? I would think you would not feel anything from ultrasound.

free skin care · Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:23 pm

What's the one you have Riley? (so I don't get tempted Bad Grin

).

I was also quite surprised at that amount of pain from an ultrasound, of course my experience has been just baby check ultrasound. Laughing

free skin care · Thu Jun 10, 2010 7:11 pm

DarkMoon wrote:

What's the one you have Riley? (so I don't get tempted Bad Grin

).

I have a Bellaire 2 MHz handheld that I got while I was on my 302 phase. Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:10 pm

rileygirl wrote:

DarkMoon wrote:

What's the one you have Riley? (so I don't get tempted Bad Grin

).

I have a Bellaire 2 MHz handheld that I got while I was on my 302 phase. Rolling Eyes

LOL Thanks Riley, Sometimes this forum costs me $$$'s but at times it also helps me save! Bad Grin

free skin care · Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:28 am

I have been looking into the ultrasound and galvonic to purchase, but I did not read anything about the pain!

free skin care · Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:27 am

AnnieR wrote:

I have been looking into the ultrasound and galvonic to purchase, but I did not read anything about the pain!

You definitely won't have any pain with a home ultrasound device, AnnieR. It is just soundwaves and doesn't cause any pain.

Sat Jun 12, 2010 2:32 pm

The Dr. said the PAIN is caused by the convergence of the ultrasound waves into just one specific point on your face (of course there are many different points on your face and neck, but each is done separately) causing a lot of heat to be given off. This heat is what causes the pain.

Today is my third day since I received the Ulthera treatment. Most of the swelling has subsided. The doctor's nurse said the black eye was from the nerve block given all along the upper edge of the eyebrow, which blocks the pain when the forehead receives the Ulthera treatment. The black eye looks really gross still.

Still hurts to touch my neck. Touching my face is ok, still a little sensitive though.

Yesterday a friend's reaction to my face was "Wow! You look different already! Your eyes look more opened up, and your neck skin is much tighter!", so that boosted my spirits. My crows' feet at my eyes are much less noticeable.

The Ulthera treatment costs $3600.

The Dr. himself received Ulthera a month ago. I saw him days after his treatment, and nothing had changed. But now one month later, the improvements in his face are stunning! He looked so much younger, with a very refreshed look. He now looks as young as his photo on some of his pamphlets that were taken years ago! Amazing! And he says he will continue to improve for at least another month, maybe two.

The Ulthera stimulates your body to produce COLLAGEN.

free skin care · Sat Jun 12, 2010 4:55 pm

Whereabouts are you, Rosebud? Hard to find docs in the US that do this treatment (from what I can tell).

free skin care · Sun Jun 13, 2010 5:15 pm

I have a dream machine at home ultrasound machine that I really like! I use it once or twice a week. Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:48 pm

lipglossdoll wrote:

I have a dream machine at home ultrasound machine that I really like! I use it once or twice a week. Very Happy

Can you tell us what that does for your skin lipglossdoll to make you love it? Where did you buy yours if you don't mind? Smile

TIA

Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:38 pm

First to answer Hermosa's question about the doctor's location: The Dermatologist who performed my Ulthera treatment name is Dr. Rick Noodleman; his clinic is called "Age Defy" and is located in Campbell, Calif. He is somewhat famous, excellent reputation, and known to be on the cutting edge of the latest technology.

Update: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (chuckle)

The Ugly: It has now been one week since I had ULTHERA. My black eye from the nerve block injection is still very noticeable, and I have to use a lot of concealer to go anywhere. But it is improving.

The Bad: My face and neck is still quite tender to the touch. There is pain when I wash my face, put on moisturizer, etc. Not awful, but enough so that I don't want my face and neck touched. My right eyebrow area is still numb where the nerve block was injected.

THE GOOD: This is the fun part! Two days after having Ultera on my face and neck, a friend looked at me and exclaimed, "You look different already! Wow! Your eyes look very open, and there has been a lift in your eyebrows. And the loose skin on your neck is much tighter!"

Four days later a medical tech commented, "You look great! What did you do??? Did you lose weight? Did you get a new hairstyle? Do you have a new boyfriend? What did you do??? You look so young and happy, you're just radiating!" Aaaaaaah, I love you Ulthera!

It is definitely fun to hear comments like those! Interesting that no one asks "Did you get a facelift?" No one! But people are noticing my new refreshed, younger, more confidant look.

Here are the changes that I notice: A forehead lift (brow lift) has occurred, raising my eyebrows just enough to give a youthful look. My eyelids which before were very droopy and "hooded" with excess skin, look better. The skin is smoother because the skin is a little more taunt, making eyeshadow looks better now. Overall the skin on my face and neck is somewhat tighter. The turkey-gobble thing under my chin is much much less, but still has a way to go. My jawline is more defined now. The jowls that I had are gone.

The best is yet to come as my face and neck continue to make collagen. I'll keep you posted as time goes on. Improvement should continue and peak out at 2-3 months after the Ulthera was done.

free skin care · Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:32 pm

This procedure sound very promising. When you make new collagen. Will the collagen last for a long time?

free skin care · Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:48 pm

Thank you, Rosebud! I am in Palo Alto so Campbell is practically next door. Would be great if this could work for me (what's a little pain?!?)

Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:18 pm

Hi Hermosa, That's great that you live near the Dr. who does the Ulthera! I notice you commmented, "What's a little pain?!" so I wanted to remind you that it is not just a little pain---it is a LOT of pain. The nurse told me that all the women who got the Ulthera before me that day suffered SEVERE pain. They had all received Tramadol tablets for pain, and Valium to relax them. And the nurse said that was not near enough, and so they were going to give me something different. They gave me Ambien to relax me, and a Demoral injection. As I mentioned earlier, the Demoral injection was not managing the pain well enough for me. So the Dr. administered two doses of Demoral thru the IV, and that was good. I was able to tolerate that amount of pain. But YOU NEED TO ASK FOR THIS if you want it. And be sure to bring someone with you who will drive you home. Best of luck! Please let me know about your experience with Ulthera.

Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:27 pm

Hi Sherry, You asked how long the new collagen that the Ulthera stimulates the body to produce lasts. I asked my Dr. this question. The problem is that this procedure is so new, it was just approved by the FDA late last year, that not enough time has gone by yet to be able to answer this question. The doctors can only make educated guesses at this point. My Dr. said it should last minimally one year. But a website I found when Googling for an answer said doctors are hopeful that the positive effects from the Ulthera treatment could last 4-5 years. That's about the same as a facelift. So we'll see. I didn't want to wait that long to find out, so I jumped in and was one of the first to get Ulthera with Dr. Noodleman. And I am so glad I did! Whereas before, every time I looked in the mirror, it seems that I saw more wrinkles and further evidence of ageing. But now after Ulthera, I keep looking better and better every time I look in the mirror! That alone makes it worth it for me!

Mon Jul 26, 2010 1:09 am

The last news I read from you girls were in June. Have you had any further improvements since then?

I am new here on this forum - and am considering Ulthera. Any one had any lasting bad side effects?

Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:08 pm

It has been 6 weeks since my ULTHERA treatment. I am age 62, and presently single. Here is the FUN part: For the first time in my life, men are telling me I am beautiful! Prior to Ulthera, I felt like my face was getting as shriveled as a prune, but now I meet people with a newfound confidence. I know that confidence should come from within no matter what one's face looks like. But having the Ulthera has given me a radiant new feeling that comes from knowing that my face looking better. Guys 10 years younger than me are attracted to me now. Most people guess I am 10 years younger than my age.

People are still noticing I look different, but still can't guess what that difference is. Some comments are: "You have so much energy!" "You've lost so much weight! " "I love your new hair color!" "You're glowing!" "You're so radiant!" All of this makes me chuckle because I'm still the same as before except for the Ulthera treatment, which I mostly don't tell people about. But I smile inside!

My face has continued to improve since I wrote you last: My upper eyelids are much smoother. Before Ulthera, the area between my eyes and brows were very crepey, puffy, a lot of loose skin and deep creases. The crepey look is now mostly gone, replaced by much smoother looking skin in that area. Note that the upper eyelids are NOT treated with the Ulthera. However, the improvement in them is due to the Ulthera having been done on the forehead, causing somewhat of a brow lift, which takes up some of the excess eyelid skin. There is a brow lift, but not as great as would come from browlift surgery. The crow's feet at the outside of my eyes are much smoothed out and much less noticeable. Eyeshadow looks much better on me now. The skin on my cheekbones is much smoothed out, so that I can wear my "glow" blush again, which I love the look of. Before Ulthera, any shiny or glow product emphasized the wrinkled skin on my cheekbones.

The loose skin on my neck, although not completely eliminated, has been drastically reduced by being tightened by the Ulthera. I had not seen my daughter in a year, and when she saw me last week, she commented, "Wow! Your neck looks different! You look great!" I expect even more improvement in my neck over the next 6 weeks, so we'll see what happens. My jowls are gone and I have a much more defined jawline now. tHE "marionette lines" from the corners of my mouth down are less noticeable now.

The soreness in my face and next that I experienced after the Ulthera treatment lasted at least 3 weeks. But all soreness is gone now. To sum up how I look now, I would use the word "REFRESHED". I am happy I had Ulthera.

The big question is: How long will the results last? In answer, the dr. said the Ulthera stimulates collagen production, which will continue for 2-3 months after treatment. Then it will peak out. At that point, the natural aging process again takes over, and will gradually diminish the new collagen. At this point, the procedure is so new that no one yet knows how long that will be. And every person ages differently, at different rates. But the Ulthera can be repeated down the road if necessary. In fact, the dr. said that whereas Ulthera was initially thought to be a one-time procedure, there is now evidence that a second treatment several months after the first treatment can bring even greater results.

Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:33 am

Dear Rosebud, thanks so very much for your update. Pls keep posting on this, since I am rather interested in doing the same thing. I am 61 yrs old and had a conventional face lift around some 5 yrs ago. It was wonderful, but after 5 yrs I see that I would like some minor improvements - not a full surgery again.

So you actually feel it was worth while the pain??!! I am so happy for you.

Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:48 am

Rosebud, BTW what about the marionette lines (by the lip corners to the chin) and the nasial folds (forget the name) - have they improved too????

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.