Ultherapy lifts and tightens by heating the layers below the skin with focused ultrasound while the surface is left untouched. A hand-held transducer sends ultrasound to a precise depth, 1.5, 3.0 or 4.5 mm, where it makes a row of tiny points of heat, each smaller than a cubic millimetre, along a line up to 25 mm long. The heat sets off the body's healing response, which builds new collagen over three to six months, which is the lift. Made by Merz, it is FDA-cleared in the US to lift the brow (2009), to lift lax tissue under the chin and on the neck (2012) and to improve the lines and wrinkles of the chest (2014), with later clearances for the abdomen, the arms and the knees. One session, no needle, no cut.
The three depths
- 4.5 mm: the deepest layer, which Merz describes as the same tissue planes a surgeon treats in a face lift.
- 3.0 mm: the deep skin.
- 1.5 mm: the upper skin.
The clinician chooses the depth for each zone, and in our practice most areas are treated at two depths in the same session.
Seeing before treating
Merz describes the live image as what sets Ultherapy apart. The console shows the layers of tissue to 8 mm below the surface, called DeepSEE, so the clinician sees the skin, the fat and the muscle lining before each line and places the energy in the layer that responds, away from bone, nerves and anything that should not be heated. Merz describes Ultherapy PRIME as the only skin-lifting device that lets the practitioner assess the skin before treatment.
A session, step by step
- Consultation. The clinician looks at your face at rest and moving, checks your history and your body mass index, agrees the areas, and quotes in writing.
- Mapping. The treatment areas are marked on the skin and a gel is applied.
- The treatment. The transducer is placed, the clinician checks the image, and a line is delivered: a brief deep heat and a deep ache, strongest over bone. The face and neck take 60 to 90 minutes, the brow or the chest alone about 30. The comfort plan is agreed with you beforehand; the does it hurt page describes it.
- After. A little redness for a few hours, swelling for a day or three, tenderness for up to two weeks, and most people are back at work the same day, in our experience.
Why one session
The whole area is treated in one visit and the collagen builds for three to six months afterwards, so one session is the manufacturer's protocol and ours. The result holds for around a year in our experience, with a repeat considered after 12 to 18 months. The how long it lasts page sets out the timeline.
Who it is for
In our experience the best candidates have skin from the late thirties to the sixties with mild to moderate laxity (loose skin), a body mass index of 30 or under, any skin type: a brow that has dropped, a softening jawline and a soft neck, lines on the chest, loose skin on the abdomen, the arms, the knees or another body area. It is not surgery and does not lift heavy, hanging skin; it does not remove fat, so a full double chin needs a different plan first. Open wounds, cystic acne and active or metallic implants in the area rule it out; the label does not recommend treating directly over filler or a keloid, several conditions need the clinician's judgment, and in pregnancy and breastfeeding we do not treat; the energy is never placed over the eyes. The full Ultherapy guide carries the complete list and the comparison with the alternatives.
See it for yourself
Book a free consultation at Ultherapy London on 0207 043 8109 or through the form below. The clinician shows you the console and the image, explains what one session will do for your face, and gives you the price per area in writing.
