Even though we are getting older, doesn’t mean that we need to look it. For the last 7 or so years I found that my face, especially my cheeks and jawline have slowly started to sag. With age, my cheeks, under my eyes as well as other parts of my face have started to lose their elasticity and firmness. No matter what creams I try or supplements I take, my face just doesn’t want to go back into place.
A few years back I decided to try Ultherapy to help kick start my body’s repair process and rebuild the lost collagen in my face. This time (my third time in four years), I decided to do my treatment at Halley Medical Aesthetics, and is the only time I have had really amazing, notable results, as such I wanted to share with my readers all the info.
What is Ultherapy?
Before I start telling you about my experience at with Dr. Terrance Tan at Halley Medical Aesthetics, let me explain what Ultherapy is.
Ultherapy, commonly referred to as “Ulthera” is the only non-invasive, no-downtime skin lifting and tightening treatment cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to lift the skin on the neck, under the chin, and on the brow, as well as to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles on the décolleté. No surgical incisions are made, as the treatment only uses micro-focused ultrasound energy to stimulate the growth of fresh, new collagen. The result is a tightening and gradual lifting of the skin back to its youthful position.
With Ultherapy, doctors are now able to direct ultrasound energy with pin-point accuracy at three specific depths (1.5mm, 3.0mm, and 4.5mm), to target both the dermis (upper layer of the skin) and the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS) where skin laxity begins. The SMAS is the deep foundational layer of skin that was previously only accessible with a surgical facelift, which of course involves incisions, pain and downtime. The micro-focused ultrasound energy triggers a new collagen production from within the skin to produce a gradual lifting effect over a period of 90 days. Since no surgical incisions are required, there is no downtime and patients can go back to their daily routine immediately.
Ultherapy is considered a game-changer since doctors are able to target this same SMAS layer without making any surgical cuts.
For more information on Ultherapy, you can check out some of these links:
- www.halley.com.sg/ultherapy/
- www.halley.com.sg/ultherapy-amplify/
- http://blog.halleymedicalaesthetics.com/ultherapy-skin-lifting-treatment/
- www.ultherapysg.com
- https://ultherapy.com/physicians/science-behind-ultrasound-skin-lift/
- www.halley.com.sg/understanding-ultherapy-singapore/
- http://blog.halleymedicalaesthetics.com/ultherapy-concerns/
My Ultherapy Experience at Halley Medical Aesthetics
As you may recall, last year I did CoolSculpting and Rejuran treatments at Halley Medical Aesthetics (click on the article links to read the details). While I was there, I consulted with Dr. Terence Tan about my various beauty concerns, and Dr. Tan informed me that Ultherapy would really help give my face the lift I desired.
I was skeptical about doing Ultherapy for the third time, since I had done it in the past and seen only minimal results. However Dr. Tan explained that my previous experiences might not have showed the results I desired because the amount of lines may not have been enough. Although many other clinics might offer Ultherapy at a lower price, they may not be providing the required amount of lines/shots that are needed.
He explained that in order to ensure optimal results for a patient’s Ultherapy treatment, Halley Medical Aesthetics (Halley) follows the Amplify Protocol recommended by Merz Aesthetics (Merz), the pharmaceutical company behind Ultherapy. This protocol advocates that doctors deliver 800 lines or shots of micro-focused ultrasound energy for an effective, long-lasting full-face and upper neck lift.
In addition to following the protocol, Halley also gives patients doing the full-face and upper neck lift treatment an Ultherapy patient record that details the number of lines delivered to each part of the face. This provides patients with transparency and peace of mind that they are receiving the optimal amount of micro-focused ultrasound energy needed to lift different parts of the face, customized to each patient’s needs.
I still wasn’t convinced at this point that Ultherapy would work for me, but I was willing to give it another try (if only to prove the Doctor wrong) in hope that I would have the lift I desired. If you are wondering – yes it did work this time!!! Keep reading and I will fill you in on the details.
Everything you want to know about Ultherapy!
Now that I have perked your interest in Ultherapy, I am sure you have tons of questions. Based on my own personal experience, here are some answers to everything you want to know.
What happens during the Treatment?
You will need to apply numbing cream prior to treatment. The numbing cream will be cleansed off and then a special ultrasound gel will be applied to your face or other areas to be treated.
The Ultherapy applicator device will be placed on your face and the doctor will use the Ulthera device to adjust the power level of energy delivered depending on your comfort level. Thanks to the device’s real-time visualization screen, the doctor can see precisely what layer of tissue he is treating to ensure a safe and efficacious treatment. He is able to control exactly where energy will be delivered, and to avoid structures such as bone and blood vessels. Ultherapy is able to non-invasively treat at 3 discrete depths – 1.5mm, 3.0mm, and 4.5mm, without disrupting the skin surface or intervening tissue . As the ultrasound energy is delivered, you will feel a heating sensation which indicates that the collagen building process has been stimulated. The sensation only lasts while the applicator is on that location.
The time for the procedure varies based on the area treated. My full face and jaw took approximately 60 mins.
SuperMommy’s Ultherapy Tip: Make sure to plan a minimum of 2+ hours in your schedule to be at the doctor’s office to ensure enough time for the numbing cream and procedure.
Is the treatment painful?
If you take the right amount of pain medication and apply a numbing cream prior to the Ultherapy treatment, then the discomfort is minimal. If you don’t do this, then yes, you will feel pain!
The first time I did Ultherapy, I’m not going to lie, it hurt like hell. I have a very high threshold for pain and even I was grimacing in pain. However since then, Ultherapy has provided comfort management strategies to help doctors reduce patient discomfort during treatment. Doctors can adjust the power level or intensity of each pulse to suit patient’s comfort as it will not affect the result. What’s more, with the Ultherapy Amplify protocol, I am getting a higher number of lines to my face, which means an improved tightening of my face with less discomfort. As such, the second and now the third time, thanks to the new protocol, as well as taking the right amount of pain medication and keeping the numbing cream on for longer, I barely felt a thing.
SuperMommy’s Ultherapy Tip: Go early to the doctor’s office and have them keep the numbing cream on for at least an hour. Also, make sure to take your pain medication at least an hour before the treatment, so that it has time to kick-in.
What is the Recovery Time for Ultherapy?
Once the treatment is completed, you will be able to leave right after and continue on with your daily routine. There is minimal to no downtime and recovery period for each person varies.
After the treatment, I did NOT have any bruising or pain. After the numbing cream wore off, my face did feel slightly sore, but I used ice and that helped. I did experience some swelling in the lower half of my face. The swelling lasted approximately 10 days for me and it looked like I had gained a bit of weight on my face. I also experienced a tingling sensation in my jaw for about a week this time. I remember the tingling feeling was much longer after my first Ultherapy experience (about 2-3 weeks).
SuperMommy’s Ultherapy Tip: Just don’t plan on any big events or taking lots of selfies during that time. If you don’t want to share that you had the Ultherapy treatment with your friends, you can claim you had dental work done – the swelling looks very similar and believable. 😉
How long does it take to see results?
Each person is different. Your body will start responding to Ultherapy right after the treatment, and the skin will become tighter and more lifted over time with results most obvious three months after treatment.
Personally, I started seeing a difference after 2 months or so. The lower half of my face appeared to be lifted. Many of my friends have commented that I look younger and healthier, but none of them were able to pinpoint why.
SuperMommy’s Before & After Pictures
Here are some close-up before and after pictures so you can see the difference. I have labelled the before and after pictures with arrows to help better show the treatment results. These pictures do not show the results as clearly as I see them in the mirror or when I touch my face. My skin is much tighter/firmer, in fact there is nothing extra to push up.
Something that I wasn’t expecting, is the skin tightening effect I got under my eyes. Dr. Tan did a few extra lines under my eyes, which I didn’t think anything of at the time – just told him to make me look amazing and do what he needs to do. But now when I look in my magnifying mirror, I don’t see any wrinkles or sag at all – the skin under my eyes is tight!
How often do you need to do Ultherapy?
Even after the three months, medical evidence shows that the Ultherapy lifting and firming process still continues after that. However since we are constantly ageing, it is recommended to do the Ultherapy treatment once a year to maintain the results by keeping pace with the body’s natural aging process. This however does vary from person to person.
How much does Ultherapy cost?
The treatment cost will vary depending on the area you are planning to treat. Ultherapy can be used to treat the whole face or it can be used to target problematic areas on the face like the brows, undereye, cheeks, jawline, and upper and lower neck.
At Halley Medical Aesthetics, the Ultherapy full-face and upper neck treatment cost is SG$3,900 (800 lines). If you are in Singapore, you can consult with my doctor, Dr. Terence Tan and see if Ultherapy is the right treatment for you. The contact info is as follows: Halley Medical Aesthetics, 277 Orchard Road,#03-15 Orchard Gateway, Singapore, (+65) 6737-8233 / info@halley.com.sg . Here are some quick links for you to check out the details for yourself: Halley Medical Aesthetics Price List | Website | Blog | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Just remember, no matter where you go for the treatment, make sure the doctor is qualified, knows what they are doing and is providing you with the right amount of lines/shots to get the results you desire.
Should you try Ultherapy?
There are many treatments out there to choose from, but if your face needs a lift, Ultherapy might be worth checking out.
Before I tried Ultherapy, for the first time I also considered Thermage, but was advised by more than one doctor, that Ultherapy was better suited for the lifting that I desired. Subsequently, once the thread lift technique became popular in Singapore, I also researched and consulted doctors regarding the thread lift treatment. In the end, I opted against it as I was a bit too chicken to try it, but I might still in the years to come.
If I can be quite honest, the first two times I did Ultherapy I was not impressed. The reason I kept trying it was because I wasn’t sure what else to do. This time, I am truly happy with the results. If you do decide to try Ultherapy, make sure you find out in advance how many lines the doctor plans to do. Some places are much cheaper than others and you need to ask why. My personal patient record is below, in case you want to compare your own treatment chart.
Yes, I do think you should try Ultherapy if you feel like your skin is sagging and don’t know what to do. And yes, I do plan to do Ultherapy again!
Feel free to ask me any questions in the comment box below – glad to help!
-xoxo-
SuperMommy
can i check if you’ve done that 800 shots for full face and neck ? or was it more? Thank you !
Hi! Yes, I did more than 800 shots on my face and jaw (I didn’t do my neck). My chart with the actual number of shots is attached! Just fyi, I went back again in November 2020 and did another 800+ shots. Hope that helps! 🙂
Just added it all up! It was 808 shots total.
Hello did you experience any additional skin laxity after you stopped?
It depends on how fast your skin ages. The treatment doesn’t wear off like fillers or have a specific time frame, it just depends on each individual. I get an Ultherapy treatment every year, along with Rejuran every 6 months. I am trying to fight genetics – I can see on my mom and aunties how their faces sags and I don’t want that to happen to me…