FAST FACTS
The service: Ultherapy
What it is: Micro-focused ultrasound treatment that generates a thermal effect to stimulate collagen and lift skin on the face and neck, around the eyes and under the chin, as well as smooth skin on the upper chest.
Treatment duration: About two hours. Requires the use of numbing cream and antiviral medication if you’re prone to cold sores. You can also request mild sedation to make the procedure more comfortable.
Who it’s for: People with loose skin in the midface, under the jawline, brow line, neck and chest who want a firmer, tighter look without surgery. Suitable for all skin types and tones.
Pain: Mildly uncomfortable during the procedure. Skin is slightly tender, may have minor swelling along the jawline and under the chin immediately afterword and for the next day.
Downtime: None. Your skin may be slightly flushed and tender immediately after treatment but you can easily carry on with normal activities and wear makeup if desired that same day.
My rating: Five stars
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Ultrasound. It’s the high-frequency sound wave machine my doc used to show us images of our baby’s heartbeat during pregnancy. They used ultrasound when I thought I had a uterine fibroid (it was a huge gallstone), and to check my shoulder when I thought I had a torn rotator cuff (I did.) It turns out there are many more uses for this amazing technology — including stimulating collagen production in the skin.
Ultherapy is the only Health Canada-approved ultrasound treatment to improve collagen and tighten and lift skin. It has been described by beauty bloggers as a non-surgical facelift. The medical pros who deliver the service are more circumspect, saying it can’t exactly replicate the results because no skin is removed. Nevertheless, a non-surgical (almost) facelift with no downtime? That ultra-sounds like a good idea to me. (I know. GROAN.)
For this procedure, I volunteered to be the model for a highly-skilled trainer to demonstrate advanced-level Ultherapy techniques with the Bella Sante staff. I arrived about an hour before the treatment was scheduled to apply numbing cream, take an anti-inflammatory pain medication and a Benadryl and get settled in. I used the time to check out before and after photos of women who have had Ultherapy treatments. The results were nothing short of impressive so I couldn’t wait to see how it all works.
Ultherapy requires some prep work beyond numbing cream, including careful mapping of my face, neck and chest with a surgical pencil and flexible ruler to define the treatment areas, and then use a computer interface that sets out the frequency depths and number of pulses in each of the grid areas. Lisa, the trainer, applied ultrasound gel and then started to glide the applicator across each section, pausing at carefully measured increments to deliver bursts of energy that felt a little like momentary snaps of electricity. I could definitely feel the bursts, but it wasn’t painful in most areas and only mildly uncomfortable once she moved to areas that required deeper penetration, like along my jawline and under my chin.
This is an incredibly precise treatment that requires visualization on screen as we go, so it took about 90 minutes to cover all the zones. The ultrasound screen shows areas where I had lost collagen (along my lips, in my upper face and temples) and where I still had really good collagen levels (by my jaw hinge, you would think I’d have worn that out long ago with all the talking I do!) This technology stimulates collagen production over a period of three to six months, so I should start to see some real results in a few months, but my skin tightened almost immediately and I could see an improvement in my jawline sharpness the same day.
AT HOME TIP: There is scientific evidence to show that you can boost collagen levels in your skin with supplements. Be aware that not all collagen supplements are the same — you’ll need to get hydrolyzed collagen from marine sources if you want it to be metabolized and stored in your skin. Other non-hydrolyzed or bovine sources benefit your bone and joint health but don’t improve skin collagen levels. I’ve been adding hydrolyzed collagen to my morning coffee for a few years now.
Also, be mindful of three things that can damage collagen in your skin: Smoking, exposure to ultraviolet light and eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates. (Another reason to wear sunscreen!)
Aftercare for Ultherapy is really easy: Keep your skin clean and moisturized, and skip active ingredients such as retinols and vitamin C for 4-5 days. WEAR SUNSCREEN, because as with most of these services, you’ll be extra sun-sensitive and you don’t want to burn and damage your skin. Apart from that, you’re free to go on with your day, there’s no social downtime here (in fact I attended a networking event just a few hours later.)
After my Ultherapy treatment, my skin felt … slightly bruised, though there was no actual discolouration. It was slightly tender along my jawline and under my chin, where the ultrasound waves were strongest. The next morning, I noticed a bit of swelling under my cheekbones and along my jawline, but it was so slight that even my husband didn’t notice. What I did notice, though, is that the fine lines around my eyes and smile were practically invisible and overall my skin looked tighter.
The verdict: It will take a few months for the full results to show up, but I see better definition in my jawline and my skin already feels firmer. I had Ultherapy a week after a Morpheus8 microneedling/radio frequency treatment — combining these two treatments can pack an incredible boost to your collagen production that can last more than a year. With jawline sculpting, skin firming and double chin erasing powers, I can understand why women describe this as a non-surgical facelift.
See you all soon,
~Michelle
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