Radiofrequency treatments are among some of the most popular non-invasive face ‘lifting’ tweakments, and best known for their firming powers. Experts love them as an alternative to the scalpel. “Radiofrequency treatments can tighten the tissues just underneath the skin surface and contour the face, creating firm, toned, youthful-looking skin,” says facial plastic surgeon Dr Maryam Zamani. But apart from sculpting sagging facial contours, they can also even out skin your tone, plump out wrinkles, smooth cellulite, and have a side hustle in body contouring to help you lose the odd inch.
In this guide, we review the aspects of:
- Does radio frequency work to tighten skin?
- Does ultrasound therapy work for skin tightening?
- How long does ultrasound skin tightening last?
- What frequency is ultrasound for skin tightening?
If you’re wondering how one treatment can call do all this, it’s because there are different radiofrequency machines and technologies depending on the result you are after. Like ultrasound and laser treatments, radiofrequency is not ‘a machine’ but a type of energy that generates heat. It’s used, primarily, to ‘injure’ skin in a controlled way and set off fresh collagen and elastin production, resulting in greater firmness.
Different treatments will use different degrees of heat, with varying discomfort and downtime. That’s why we’re here to unpick the differences between radiofrequency devices with the help of the country’s foremost non-surgical treatment experts.
If you’re looking to tighten skin and plump out wrinkles, you want to consider bipolar/multipolar radiofrequency devices such as Venus Freeze and Endymed Tighten, or monopolar/unipolar machines such as Thermage and Pellevé (don’t worry, the ‘polar’ thing be explained below). These devices ‘bulk-heat’ the tissues just below the surface of the skin but are non-ablative, which means they don’t remove layer of skin or damage the surface in any way. Instead, they cause a level of injury in the deeper skin layers, resulting, over time, in a wound-healing and subsequent firming, smoothing response.
Radiofrequency microneedling, made famous by machines such as the Morpheus 8 and Focus Dual, is the ‘turbo-charged’ tightening option – we’ll go into this a bit later in this article.
Full-face ‘polar’ RF treatments take about 45 minutes with usually no downtime apart from slight reddening of the skin. That’s when they’re done by a skilled practitioner. There are no restrictions on who can perform these treatments though. A machine that can heat skin significantly and even melt fat (more about that later) in the hands of a cosmetic cowboy can cause burns, blisters and unwanted fat loss – all have been reported. So always choose a reputable clinic!
For slow and steady tightening and fine line reduction
Bipolar (or multipolar) radiofrequency – machines include Venus Freeze, Endymed Tighten and NuEra Tight
Best for: Those in their 30s and 40s who have fine lines and the first signs of loss of tone around the cheeks and eyes
How often? Six to 12 treatments, about two weeks apart
Downtime? None. No numbing cream is needed.
Expect to pay: Roughly £200 per treatment
In a bipolar RF facial, radiofrequency energy is conducted in and back out of the skin between two or more electrodes in the same handset, like a sort of ‘loop’ or ‘stitch’ of light.
You have a gel applied to your skin and a headpiece is slid back and forth along your face and neck, which allows your therapist to control the heating of the skin: it should be brought to and kept between 40 and 43 degrees C but no higher, says aesthetic practitioner and clinical director of Essex’s Facial Aesthetics Clinic Julie Scott. If not, the heat will become unbearable and side effects such as burns and unwanted fat loss might ensue (more about that later).
The heat only goes as deep as 2mm max, which affects the collagen-generating epidermis and superficial dermis to a point where the production of these plumping, firming cells is revved up. Dr Sophie Shotter tells us that “the partial collagen injury achieved in this way is quite minor,” which is why it’s the type of treatment you need to have a series of, with regular top-ups every few months, to see and maintain the subtle tightening effect.
Scott says it’s definitely effective, just in a more ‘slowly and surely’ sort of way. She likes it especially for “those in their 30s and ‘40s who have fine lines and are maybe just beginning to lose some firmness”.
You initially need six to 12 treatments spaced about two weeks apart, with the improved collagen and elastin production delivering a ‘plumped from the inside’ softening of lines and wrinkles, glowier skin and subtly firmer, denser skin contours. When executed right, we can report the procedure is painless – even quite nice and soothing.
For deeper skin tightening
Monopolar (or unipolar) radiofrequency – machines include Thermage, Pellevé and Exilis Elite
Best for: those 45 and over, with more advanced sagging and deeper wrinkles in the cheeks, jowls, forehead and neck. Can also treat saggy and crepey eye skin.
How often? One to six treatments, depending on the machine.
Downtime? Usually none. Depending on the machine, the treatment can be pleasantly warm (Pellevé) or deliver uncomfortable jolts of heat (Thermage). A numbing cream may be used.
Expect to pay: about £250 per treatment for Pellevé, £2000 for Thermage.
Monopolar (sometimes called unipolar) radiofrequency forces focused heat (as opposed to more diffused heat in the case of bipolar rf) through the three main skin layers: the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous (fatty) layer, aesthetic physician Dr Galyna Selezneva tells us.
The energy is conducted towards a stick-on ‘conductivity patch’ placed your body. So it goes straight down, as opposed being conducted sideways in a loop through the superficial skin layers, as is the case with bipolar RF.
The heat is either applied with a handpiece that’s moved over your skin after a layer of gel is applied (this happens with Pellevé), or delivered as deep ‘pulses’ all over the treatment area, using a grid pattern (Thermage). Because monopolar RF delivers more intense and sustained tightening, it’s sometimes described as ‘shrink-wrapping’ the face (something of an overstatement). But it does indeed affect the collagen-generating dermal layer more than bipolar RF.
Selezneva uses the Thermage FLX RF device and says 45 degrees C is “the exact temperature required to change the structures within the skin tissue and trigger collagen production, without causing unnecessary trauma.”
Monopolar RF can be more painful than bipolar RF, because it goes deeper and is more focused and therefore more intense. Your doctor might suggest a numbing cream.
Results, which take three to six months (the time it takes to generate new collagen) to become fully apparent, can be achieved in six (in the case of Pellevé) or just one (with Thermage FLX) sessions.
It’s the better ‘bulk-heating’ option if you have more advanced skin slackening, deeper wrinkles, or no time for long series of treatments
Radiofrequency treatments to resurface skin
To treat pigmentation, sun damage, scars, pores and wrinkles , you can resurface skin with RF. Look for ‘fractional RF resurfacing’ devices (or device modes) such as Endymed FSR, Venus Viva and InMode Fractora.
Best for: fading brown spots, smoothing scars and minimising crepiness, wrinkles, pores and uneven skin texture from your 20’s onwards
How often? Three treatments, one month apart
Downtime? Expect dark patches and peeling for a few days. Your therapist will use a numbing cream before the treatment to make it bearable
Expect to pay: £400 per treatment

Image: AesthetiCare
Fractional RF uses a handpiece with tiny pins that are pressed into the skin surface (the epidermis), where they deliver pin-points of intense radiofrequency. It’s called ‘fractional’ because only a fraction, rather than the entire surface of the skin, is treated (or ‘ablated’, meaning it is removed) via tiny dots. These ‘thermally injure’ (i.e. burn), minuscule channels in the top skin layer, triggering a wound-healing response and a shedding of the damaged tissue.
Fresh cells replace discoloured and old epidermal skin cells, resulting in more even-toned, even-textured skin. “It’s great for treating sun damage, dullness and crepey skin: it delivers a luminous complexion,” says Julie Scott. “But because it works very much on the skin surface, the process it sets in motion is very visible. So there’s a downtime after each treatment, involving temporarily darkened patches and peeling for a few days.”
Scott recommends a course of three, spaced a month apart, for best results, with top-ups every 12 months; even if you’re religious about applying daily SPF50 (which you MUST when you have these treatments, or your pigmentation will get worse than ever), there is always old sun damage underneath the skin surface, preparing to rise to the top.
There is another type of fractional RF, however. Radiofrequency microneedling, which combines resurfacing with skin tightening benefits, has made a lot of waves recently and may be the reason you’ve heard of radiofrequency in the first place. The lowdown is below.
Turbo-charged RF to resurface and tighten skin: radiofrequency microneedling
The Morpheus 8 is the best-known example of devices that combine RF energy and microneedling to deliver more even-toned as well as less saggy skin, with Intracel and Focus Dual just two examples of machines that do the same.
Best for: deeper wrinkles, pigmentation, textures issues including scars and pores, and moderately advanced facial sagging (including around the eyes) in your 40’s and upwards
How often: One to six initial treatments (a month apart), depending on the machine. Results last 18-24 months.
Downtime: 2-7 days of redness, peeling, temporary discolouration, and sometimes prolonged bruising and swelling
Expect to pay: A single treatment for the face can cost anywhere from £600 to £3000, depending on the machine, therapist, and your location.

Image: Dr David Jack Clinic
In some ways similar to regular fractional RF resurfacing, radiofrequency microneedling uses tiny needles to deliver pinpoint RF energy to the skin.
The Morpheus 8 device, thanks to a very effective pr campaign featuring Judy Murray (her results weren’t just thanks to Morpheus 8, by the way), has become a byword for radiofrequency skin tightening. But the technology has been around for many years. Intracel, Endymed Intensif, Potenza, Secret RF and Profound are just some names of alternative RF microneedling devices, while Focus Dual is an example of a machine that can combine the technology with ultrasound, another energy-based collagen-booster.
With RF microneedling, the needles are pressed into the skin at pre-set depths to reach the collagen-generating dermis (which sits roughly 2mm under the facial skin), and deliver the radiofrequency heat there. Exactly how deep the needles go depends on the machine, the setting chosen by your doctor, and the thickness of the skin. The jowl area, for example, will require deeper needle penetration than the forehead and the area around the eyes, while body skin (more about that later), is thicker yet.
Unlike with fractional skin resurfacing, the skin surface doesn’t get burned or damaged bar the little ‘entry’ pin pricks. This is because the needles are insulated apart from at their very tip, so the intense heat is primarily shot deep into the dermis to tighten collagen structures and trigger the production of more the stuff and its fellow skin-support protein elastin.
The small (‘fractional’) injuries from the needles themselves set off an additional wound-healing response in the dermis, but also in the epidermis for a skin-resurfacing effect.
So what are the visible results? Radiofrequency microneedling will firm up, tauten and thicken visibly slackened skin all over the face over time – it can even slightly lift hooded eyelids (it is not for very loose skin, though. Listen to your doctor when they advise a face lift instead). But it will also soften pigmentation, crepiness and rough texture. “How dramatically depends on the format and length of the needles of the device used, and the amount of time or pulses it’s held on the skin for,” says Jack.
While the surface of the skin doesn’t get directly burned, “the nearer to the skin surface the heat is injected (with the Morpheus 8, there is an option to inject just 0.5mm deep), the more ‘epidermal ablation’ [resurfacing] there is,” says Dr David Jack, who also notes that this ablation happens on a deeper level than is the case with no-needle fractional resurfacing, meaning the smoothing, skin-evening results last longer.
The skin-tightening effect will take three to six months to show (the smoothing, evening effects should become apparent in 4-6 weeks), with overall results lasting 18-24 months.
Which radiofrequency microneedling treatment is best?
Which machine is ‘best’ is very much a matter of opinion, but the more treatments are advised (some require six initial sessions, others just the one), the less ‘strong’ (and, arguably, traumatic) the treatment is.
The best results are dependent on the skill and experience of your practitioner and on what your skin requires and is able to tolerate. The ‘most powerful’ doesn’t equate to the ‘best’ for everyone.
What is important is precision-delivery of the energy, which RF microneedling is much better at than bipolar or monopolar RF. Precision is important because you don’t want to accidentally heat the skin surface too much and cause burns or excessive downtime. At the same time, you don’t unwittingly want to go too deep either and end up with facial fat cells being destroyed, which could make you look gaunt. Unless of course fat melting, such as under the chin, is what you have booked in for (more of which coming up…)
As said, there are many good machines that can deliver this treatment – and they will all roughly get you the same results. Without going into too much detail, here are a few facts about the three latest, most written-about, and arguably most advanced devices.
Morpheus 8: the versatile one
A favourite of Dr Jack’s, he likes the machine’s versatility and precise settings in terms of needle depth and energy delivery, allowing the practitioner to determine exactly how much tightening, resurfacing and even fat ‘melting’ can be achieved. “Its fine-tuning minimises the risk of accidentally heating of the deeper subcutaneous (fat) layer, but the Morpheus 8 is also the only machine that can be deliberately set to a ‘fat loss’ mode for the face,” says Jack (other machines can do this more or less accidentally – see below). Treatments cost from £600 upwards for the full face and a minimum of three initial ones are needed, with top-ups roughly every 18 months.
Profound: the most powerful one
Dr Shotter rates the Profound because it is unique in being able to monitor and control the temperatures reached deep inside the skin: “We get it to 67 degrees C [significantly higher than other machines, which stay below 45 degrees C for collagen remodelling], which is where collagen is properly denatured [damaged] but not destroyed, allowing for the most effective healing response and the most dramatic results.” It means only one treatment, which will last you 12-18 months, is needed. It comes at a price: roughly £3000 per face session, and some serious pre-treatment numbing cream action to dampen the ‘discomfort’ (read: pain!).
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Image: Dr Sophie Shotter
Focus Dual: the less painful one
You can either opt for tightening ultrasound or resurfacing-and-tightening microneedling RF with this brand-new machine (you can also have them one after the other). The difference here, says advanced skin therapist Debbie Thomas, is that “the microneedles are much finer than average, minimising pinpoint bleeding and bruising while still effectively improving skin texture.” Thomas also rates the device for improving acne: “the radiofrequency heat kills bacteria,” she says. You need 3-6 initial treatments at roughly £600 per session, and yearly top-ups.
What downtime can I expect from a radiofrequency microneedling treatment?
As for downtime, expect intense temporary redness and pinprick bleeding (not a good look on public transport), plus some peeling and sometimes prolonged bruising and swelling. It can last from a few days to a good week. Skin will also feel dry and rough for a few days as the old cells start flaking off.
The more ablation (removing of parts of the top skin layer), the more downtime in the form of peeling and temporary dark patches you’ll have to contend with.
The treatment is not pleasant so is performed after applying an anaesthetic cream, which makes the feeling of needles being stamped into your face to shoot hot heat under the skin tolerable. Three to four treatments are often required (spaced three to eight weeks apart), although the Profound prides itself on requiring just two sessions over six months.
Radiofrequency for facial fat melting
With radiofrequency treatments of every type, there is a possibility of fat loss. When enough intense RF energy reaches the subcutaneous (fatty) layer, fat cells can get destroyed. While in some cases (see below), this is exactly what a patient might be after, it can also be a real issue: if you have a relatively narrow or gaunt face, fat loss can make you look more tired and aggravate slackening skin.
Many brands and therapists are at pains to explain that fat loss only happens when a device isn’t used properly, or when it’s set to ‘fat loss’ mode. But when a machine doesn’t allow for very precise control of just where the energy travels, the therapist isn’t always the issue.
RF microneedling devices allow for more control than ‘bulk-heating’ monopolar and bipolar RF machines. However, plastic surgeon Dr Angela Kavouni says that with a next-generation device such as the Thermage FLX (used on the face and body for tightening skin), which distributes its energy in a controlled and uniform way, this simply can’t happen. “When used properly by a certified doctor, Thermage FLX should not melt away fat,” she says. Other mono and bipolar devices have their own technologies to control the energy as much as possible, but this is never 100% fool-proof. The risk of unwanted fat loss is small, but it does happen.
The risk is also present with RF microneedling devices, although the chances here are even smaller. As always, make sure you select an experienced therapist who can explain the risks and knows exactly how to get the right results out of her or his machines.
As we’ve seen, the Morpheus 8 is the one RF microneedling machine can be set to a ‘fat loss’ mode for the face on purpose. This causes visible contraction and adds another level of skin ‘remodelling’, improving things like jowls and double chins in fuller faces.

Does ultrasound therapy work for skin tightening?
If you’ve been struggling with wrinkles and are looking for a safe and non-surgical method for achieving tighter skin on your face, neck, and chest, Ultherapy could be the perfect solution.
What Is Ultherapy?
Ultherapy is an innovative, non-invasive, skin-lifting treatment utilizing ultrasound to treat sagging skin. It enables doctors to view beneath skin tissue, to more precisely target specific areas.
Ultherapy is the only FDA-approved therapy of its kind, and can treat tissue at the same depth as a surgical facelift.
How Does It Work?
Ultherapy uses microfocused ultrasound to generate heat at the treatment site, which activates the skin’s natural healing response to produce collagen. The collagen results in a gradual firming and tightening of the skin.
The technology also utilizes visualization, enabling doctors to monitor the patient’s dermal and subdermal tissues throughout every stage of the procedure. This helps them see what areas require treatment and pinpoint them with highly targeted bursts of ultrasound waves, treating the deeper layers of the epidermis and lifting the skin without breaking its surface.
The method is extremely effective, reaching deeper into skin tissue than both laser and radiofrequency (RF) therapies. It increases collagen production at the optimal depth by 42 percent helping skin look younger, and brighter, for longer.
Who’s an Ideal Candidate for Ultherapy
Ultherapy is a great alternative for people hesitant to get a facelift or undergo a more invasive surgical procedure for skin tightening.
Ultherapy also has the best results on those in their 30s or older who notice sagging skin— particularly on their eyelids, brows, neck, and chin—yet still exhibit a moderate amount of elasticity.
Ultherapy is the only FDA-approved therapy of its kind, and can treat tissue at the same depth as a surgical facelift.
What to Expect From the Procedure
Ultherapy requires very little preparation beforehand. Prior to your appointment, you’ll be asked to remove any makeup products. Your doctor will begin by cleaning the target areas and applying an ultrasound gel. A topical pain medication may also be administered to reduce any discomfort during the process.
The doctor uses a handheld device, which can be customized based on a patient’s specific needs. After visualizing the tissue in the targeted area, the device projects ultrasound waves into your skin. The heat from the device causes inflammation at the treatment area, which stimulates collagen production and lifts tissue.
Patients may notice redness or tenderness at the affected area, which usually subsides within an hour. The entire procedure should last between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the area treated.
Results & Next Steps
There’s no downtime required, and after the session, patients can resume usual, daily activities. A visible difference should be apparent almost immediately, with full results typically appearing throughout three to six months.
Results can last up to a year or more, and regular sessions may be recommended every few years for continuous, lasting results.

How long does ultrasound skin tightening last?
Do you have loose skin? Do you wish you could tighten it without committing to an invasive procedure? At Rejuvalase Medical Spa in Santa Barbara, CA, Dr. Gregory Keller offers Ultherapy, a non-invasive skin tightening solution. Today, we’re answering some of the most frequently asked questions about this treatment, including how durable the results are.
How Long Will Results Last After Ultherapy?
Immediate and Durable Results
Ultherapy uses the revolutionary, FDA-approved Ulthera system to tighten loose skin non-invasively. Its non-invasive, efficacious nature makes it very popular among busy people who don’t have time for downtime following an invasive skin tightening procedure. As soon as your convenient, pain-free session is over, you may notice that the treated area is tighter. That said, it can take a few days to start seeing the results of your treatment in the mirror.
However, this treatment continues to tighten the treatment area for roughly four to six months. Once your final results become apparent, you can expect your ideal results to remain for approximately five years.
How Many Sessions Are Required To Achieve Ideal Results?
Although the results of this treatment continue to improve over the course of four to six months, you may want to come in three or four weeks after your first session for an evaluation. We can assess your progress and advise you on whether you may benefit from a follow-up session. The Ulthera system provides consistently great results, so you can rest assured your results will become even better if you receive an extra session.
After a single session, your coworkers will be asking you what you did to improve your skin tone and what the secret to your skincare routine is. Most people only need one session to achieve their desired results. That said, two sessions are required to achieve ideal results in the case of extreme skin laxity. You may need two treatment sessions to get the tight, smooth skin you desire if your skin is sagging due to aging and weight loss.
What Factors Affect the Longevity of the Results?
The natural aging process is the most significant factor affecting skin laxity. As you age, your skin breaks down hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin faster than it can replenish the essential polysaccharides, fibrous proteins, and fibers. Therefore, if you receive this treatment when you’re in your 60s, your results may only last a couple of years. Additionally, the area receiving the treatment affects how long the results will last.
While some people can expect their ideal results to last for five years, your results may start to fade after four years if you are targeting sagging neck and jawline skin. Additionally, your skin health plays a very significant role in determining how long the final results of your treatment will last.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
Most adults who are concerned about the appearance of sagging skin are considered good candidates for this treatment. Since it’s non-invasive, there aren’t strict health requirements like there are for invasive skin tightening procedures. We will discuss your goals during your initial consultation to ensure this treatment can correct your cosmetic concerns. We will also review your medical history, current health, and current medications and supplements.
Furthermore, we will discuss what you can expect before, during, and after your treatment to help you determine whether this treatment will be a good fit for you. If we determine you are healthy enough for this treatment and it will be beneficial for you, we are more than happy to answer all of your questions so you can determine whether this treatment is a good fit. Here are some of the benefits of treatment for younger and older clients:
Benefits for Younger Clients
As noted above, a natural side effect of the aging process is a reduction in collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid production. This decrease in production rate starts at approximately 25 years old, but the effects of this production slowdown don’t usually become apparent until you are approximately 30 years old. Around this time, you may notice the extremely thin skin around your eyelids starts to sag. You may also notice the lowering of your brow line at this time.
If you start receiving Ultherapy sessions when you are in your early 30s, you will age gracefully with ease. By starting this collagen-inducing treatment as soon as you notice the first signs of aging, you will erase the visible effects of the aging process and delay its progression significantly. Younger clients with hyperpigmentation and other skin tone issues may benefit significantly from coming in annually for a short touch-up.
Benefits for Older Clients
Ultherapy Santa Barbara is a great option for older clients because the results are dramatic and the treatment is non-invasive. Although this treatment provides results that usually last five years, and invasive procedures provide results that last five to 15 years, not everyone is healthy enough to qualify for a skin tightening procedure.
A single treatment session will shave years from your face, smoothing and lifting lax, wrinkled skin. Additionally, elevated collagen production will slow the effects of the aging process. That said, you should keep in mind you may need two sessions if you’re in your 50s or 60s and have sagging skin due to aging and rapid weight loss. Regardless, this treatment will improve the elasticity, tone, and texture of your skin.
How Does This Treatment Compare to Alternatives?
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy, just like ultrasound therapy, induces collagen production to reverse the signs of aging. The laser energy emits heat that stimulates collagen production in your dermis. Two of the most important chemical compounds in your skin are collagen and elastin. They support the structure of your skin, keeping it tight and smooth.
That said, laser therapy is not as effective as ultrasound therapy for providing the same effects of a facelift, brow lift, or neck lift. The results of laser therapy are more superficial and don’t last as long. On the other hand, the results of ultrasound therapy are incredibly durable and much more dramatic, encouraging collagen production in the foundational layers of the skin. Furthermore, laser therapy can only address mild-to-moderate skin tone concerns.
Injectables
Injectable dermal fillers are commonly used to correct lines and wrinkles caused by volume loss. Hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers can, like laser therapy, address mild-to-moderate skin concerns. That said, these injectables can’t lift severely sagging skin. Additionally, the results of dermal fillers don’t last nearly as long. Specifically, hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers can correct mild-to-moderate skin concerns for six to 24 months. The location of the injections and the severity of the concerns affect the longevity of the results.
However, you should note injectable muscle relaxants are often performed in conjunction with ultrasound therapy. While ultrasound therapy is very effective for the correction of lax skin and pigmentation issues, only injectable muscle relaxants can smooth away dynamic wrinkles. The results of injectable muscle relaxants typically last between four and six months. Nevertheless, if you stick to a regular treatment schedule, the dynamic wrinkle-relaxing results will last longer.
A Non-Invasive Facelift
During an invasive facelift, the sagging facial skin is lifted physically, and sutures tighten the underlying tissue. There are no denying facelifts provide dramatic anti-aging results. That said, not everyone qualifies for a facelift. Additionally, not everyone has the time, money, or support to commit to a facelift. During the first 24 hours post-op, it is crucial to have a strong support system to assist with your recovery.
Ultrasound therapy targets the same deep tissues targeted by a facelift. It is rare for a non-invasive anti-aging treatment to accomplish this. Since ultrasound therapy stimulates collagen and elastin production in the foundational layers of the skin, the before-and-after results are just as dramatic as the results of a facelift without the downtime and severe restrictions.
What To Expect During Your Treatment Session
The first step in the ultrasound therapy process is cleansing the skin targeted for treatment. Then, an ultrasound gel will be applied to the treatment area. Once the ultrasound gel is applied, the Ulthera device will start to warm your skin gently. This warm sensation indicates the device is delivering ultrasound energy to the deepest layers of your skin, warming them. Many of our clients remark this treatment feels like a hot stone massage.
Your ultrasound therapy will be relaxing and enjoyable. Furthermore, there’s a good chance you’ll feel refreshed once it’s over. The average session takes between 30 and 90 minutes to complete depending on the scope of the treatment. For instance, your session may take 30 minutes if you are only treating your chest. If you are treating your chest, neck, and lower face, your session will take closer to 90 minutes to complete. Once your session is over, you are free to return to work. There is no recovery period required.
Other FAQs Answered
Is This Treatment Safe?
Yes, this FDA-approved treatment is completely safe for people who qualify. Several independent clinical trials have proven its safety definitively. In fact, this treatment is so safe it is one of the most commonly performed anti-aging treatments around the world. One of the reasons this treatment is so safe is the use of ultrasound technology to encourage your skin to produce extra collagen.
There are no incisions required. Synthetic chemicals aren’t being injected into your skin. Simply, ultrasound technology that has been used in the medical field for over five decades is used to deliver heat to the foundational layer of your skin. Since ultrasound energy is safe enough for pregnant women, you can feel confident this treatment will be safe for you if you qualify.
What Can I Expect During the Recovery Process?
Remember, there is no recovery time required following this treatment. You can return to your day as soon as your session is over. One of the most significant advantages associated with this treatment is there is minimal planning required. You don’t have to worry about redness or other side effects affecting your ability to return to work with confidence.
What Areas Can I Target?
Ultrasound therapy is most commonly used to reverse loose skin affecting the lower face. That said, it can be used virtually anywhere, including:
- Thighs
- Upper face
- Midface
- Arms
- Legs
- Buttocks
- Abdomen
What frequency is ultrasound for skin tightening?
When we reach a certain age, it might feel like everything sags. Our jawline softens and jowls sag from the sides of the face. The cheeks flatten and sag. The eyebrows descend downward to the upper eyelids, making the eyes look tired, sad, or angry. Sagging is a very real and very frustrating problem. If you don’t want to undergo invasive plastic surgery, you may feel a bit lost as you try to navigate these changes to your facial structure. Here at Bucay Center for Dermatology and Aesthetics, we have some impressive nonsurgical skin-tightening options, including Ultherapy and RF microneedling. In this post, we will discuss the question of which is best.
Is “Best” Really the Right Measurement?
Google is inundated with “best” type questions every day. When discussing the value of Ultherapy vs. RF microneedling, this may not be the way to go about it. Something that every person seeking skin-tightening should know is that both ultrasound and radiofrequency stimulate collagen production. It is the prolonged production of collagen that remodels the skin so it becomes firmer and tighter. That said, there are unique benefits to each modality that may make it “best” for a given situation.
About Ultherapy
- Affects the SMAS layer of tissue with ultrasound energy. The SMAS is the plane in which plastic surgeons work during a facelift.
- Ultrasound therapy has been proven safe through many years of clinical use as a form of imaging.
- Ultrasound energy passes through the skin and lands in deeper layers of tissue, which results in zero trauma to the epidermis.
- Ultrasound guidance is essential to the success of Ultherapy treatment, as it determines the precise depth of tissue into which ultrasound energy should be deposited.
- This technology is designed to achieve profound results in one treatment. In clinical trials, most people noticed significant improvement after one session. Some people may gain the most from two sessions.
- Downtime is minimal. Swelling, bruising, flushing, and tenderness may fade gradually over a few weeks.
- Results build over a few months and can last up to two years.
About RF Microneedling
- RF microneedling is a powerful combination of two modalities used in tandem. Microneedling the uppermost layers of the skin provokes collagen proliferation. The delivery of radiofrequency energy through tiny needles enhances the collagen-remodeling effects.
- Treatment can be enhanced via the addition of special serums that aid in tissue repair.
- Generally, RF microneedling is considered more comfortable than Ultherapy. That said, an experienced provider has ways to mitigate the inherent discomfort of either treatment.
- RF microneedling downtime is minimal. Side effects like redness and tenderness may resolve in about a week.
- While some degree of benefit is gained after one treatment, it usually takes a series of two to three sessions to achieve optimal skin-tightening effects.
- RF microneedling may need to be performed more often as a touch-up treatment than Ultherapy.
- The cost of RF microneedling may be less per session, but may be more overall depending on the number of sessions needed to correct tissue laxity.