This will be a long review, but I wanted to provide as much info as possible for anyone who might…read morebe thinking about coming to this clinic for aesthetic work.
I had Ultherapy done by Dr. Victoria here several months ago. The results, though only 3 months out, have been very good so far and my experience with the clinic has overall been very professional and good. The clinic is quite posh and plush. Prices are dear, but you are being taken care of by a real doctor and not someone who took a 3 hour course on how to give Botox in a nail salon. You will indeed get what you pay for here.
Consult: The clinic is busy, so plan accordingly. Dr. Victoria saw me herself and after I asked her a few questions about the procedure (I had been doing research for months) answered them well. She would be doing the Ultherapy herself, rather than a nurse practitioner.
I went in for Ultherapy on my lower face, jawline and under the chin. Although I'm in my late 30's and overall have very little wrinkling and good skin (thank you sunscreen!), I was starting to get jowly over the last 3-4 years and noticed I looked angry and like I was scowling or frowning, not to mention that my jawline had lost most of its definition.
There are no creams that will give that lift but I also didn't want a drastic, invasive procedure. I liked that Ultherapy was gradual (results develop over 3-6 or more months) and it really is a lunchtime procedure, as there is very little risk of bruising or redness.
There was one slight problem, which Dr. Victoria was well aware of and addressed quickly: most of what I had read described Ultherapy as extremely painful and I have a pretty low pain threshold. She offered a test zap on my jaw, at the same frequency that would be used on my face if I chose to go ahead, and it wasn't painful. There was a quick, hot zing, but it was more than bearable.
She told me that due to the laxity in my jawline I would be a good candidate. Of course, the cynical part of me expects an aesthetic doctor to say that, but I come from a family of doctors and knew she was right. She wasn't trying to push other procedures such as Botox on me, although she suggested *maybe* after seeing the results develop if I wanted a chin filler since I have a weak, receding chin.
After my last follow-up Dr. Victoria said my results were coming along so well that she didn't feel the filler was necessary anymore, only if I wanted it (I'll pass for now).
So let's move on to the Ultherapy itself: I took half a tablet of pain medication just in case. During the consult you can ask Dr. Victoria about pain management options but for most people it should be bearable, though perhaps uncomfortable at times.
The Ultherapy machine works on ultrasound waves and self-regulates based on sensors that scan the thickness of the skin and its laxity. There were dozens of zaps along my lower face and under my chin. No nose or upper lip. Out of those dozens of zaps maybe 4 or 5 were painful, mostly right under my chin and on each side of my nose along the cheekbone.
From start to finish it was all done in less than an hour.
Over the next few days I had no redness, pain or bruising. There was mild soreness in my face, comparable to when you've had an intense workout and your muscles are a bit achy. That lasted a few days but wasn't an issue. I was still able to chew and speak normally and I slept through the night fine.
I noticed a lift in my jawline over the next few weeks. Very gradual, subtle but definitely there. When I came back a few days ago for my three month follow up both Dr. Victoria and her nurse were surprised at how well and quickly my results had developed so far. I saw the photos side by side and was very pleasantly surprised too.
This procedure is ideal if you have mild to moderate sagging. If you are much older and the sagging is severe, it may not do much for you and you will likely need a thread lift or a face lift. It is also apparently good for the neck, as a gentle eye or brow lift and for the chest area, but I wasn't in need of that.
But so far I got the results I was looking for so I feel it was well worth it. I don't look like I'm frowning or scowling as much and my jawline has definition again. We'll see what kind of touch up I need 3-5 years from now.