Q: Why did my doctor not use numbing cream prior to doing Ultherapy on me? Wouldn't this cream have helped me have less pain?

A: Numbing cream helps minimize surface pain, but there is no surface pain related to Ultherapy. Ulthera penetrates deeply and the use of numbing cream would not help lessen this pain. Patients are finding the treatment tolerable with the combination of pain killers, anxiety reduction medication and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent we give, all by mouth, prior to the treatment.

Q: If I have a very fat neck but don't want a neck lift, could I have Ultherapy?

A: Neck liposuction is the treatment of choice for a fat neck rather than a neck lift, although a neck lift is often indicated for loose muscle bands in conjunction with reducing fat volume with liposuction. Ultherapy does not currently have FDA indications for fat reduction and I have not witnessed Ultherapy in my NYC practice to induce fat reduction.

Q: How often can I repeat Ultherapy?

A: Treatment by Ultherapy can provide new collagen for up to six months afterwards, or longer. Repeating the treatment at six to twelve months may help improve the result, or in someone with poor elasticity who is aging in the face quickly, the repeat treatment can be considered maintenance.

Q: Is six or twelve months better to repeat Ultherapy?

A: There is no scientific study done that shows which is better. As it is a costly procedure, I would prefer my patients to obtain the maximal effect from one procedure before repeating it. There may be a small improvement still in the seventh to 12th month after Ulthera so I would suggest waiting one year before under going Ultherapy again.

Q: Can I have Ultherapy a year after I had Accutane?

A: Yes. There may be no problem with scarring and Accutane but we don't want to take the chance with laser resurfacing as the epithelial tissue around the oil glands , which serves to help re-heal the surface, is affected by the lack of oil glands after Accutane. This may not be important with the Utlherapy's effect of deep collagen, but we play it safe and wait six months after Accutane if possible before Ulthera.

Q: Should I have Ultherapy or Fraxel to lift my jowls?

A: If you are referring to the Fraxel Repair, ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser, the most aggressive of the fractional lasers, the collagen production and tightening caused by this laser is not expected to match the amount of that from the Ultherapy.