A cheek that has slackened over the cheekbone, with the fold from the nose to the mouth deepening below it, was treated in two published studies. The 2010 study of 35 people treated the whole face and neck, and the 2014 study of 93 the cheeks, the jawline and under the chin; no clearance names the cheeks on their own, and we say so. The clinician runs lines of focused ultrasound under the cheek at the depths chosen from the image, 1.5, 3.0 or 4.5 mm, reaching the deeper layer Merz describes as the tissue plane of a face lift. The heat builds new collagen over three to six months so the mid-face lifts. One session, with the price in writing at a free consultation at Ultherapy London, 130 Harley Street.
What it does on the cheeks
The cheek sits a little higher and, in our experience, the fold below softens, for a measured, natural change; a cheek that has lost real volume is a filler question. Loss of fat or volume has been reported rarely in the published studies, so a slim face is treated with care and the depth chosen per zone with the image. The can it go wrong page sets the risks out plainly.
What the studies measured
In the 2014 study of 93 patients treated on the cheeks, the jawline and under the chin, blinded reviewers saw improvement in 58% and patients themselves in 66%. Among patients with a body mass index above 30, more than half showed no change, against 12% of those at 30 or under. The full-face page sets out the 2010 study beside it.
The session and the result
About 30 minutes for both cheeks, or 60 to 90 with the face and neck, with a comfort plan agreed beforehand. Redness for a few hours, swelling for a day or three, tenderness for up to two weeks, a passing tingling along a nerve in some people. The lift builds over three to six months, when we photograph it, and holds for around a year in our experience, with a repeat considered after 12 to 18 months.
Price and booking
The cheeks are priced per area, in writing at your free consultation, with a price match on any comparable written quote and interest-free finance through Humm, subject to status. Call Ultherapy London on 0207 043 8109 or use the form below; the full Ultherapy guide covers the rest.
