If your jawline looks a little less defined than before, or if your overall facial contour seems less firm, it is natural to start looking into lifting treatments.

 

Among them, Ultherapy is a device that has been well known for quite some time, so many people have probably heard of it at least once.

 

But when you actually search for information, most of what you find tends to be promotional, with vague phrases like
“it lifts” or “it improves firmness”

without giving a more concrete explanation of what kind of visible changes can actually be expected.

 

So today, based on the contents of a published paper, I would like to explain Ultherapy results in a way that is a little easier to understand.

 

How does Ultherapy work?

Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound (HIFU, a method that delivers ultrasound energy to a precise point).

 

One of its key features is that it can deliver energy to relatively deep layers and target the SMAS layer, which is the supportive structural layer beneath the skin.

 

In simple terms, rather than just lightly smoothing the skin surface, it is closer to lifting deeper structures and reorganizing tissues that have lost firmness.

 

That is why it is often used as a lifting device in cases where the lower face appears generally heavier or sagged downward, and where the jawline looks more spread out or blurred.

 

What kind of changes were seen in the actual paper?

 

The paper referenced here is a case report by Bellote and Miot, published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology in 2021.

This paper followed four female patients for up to 180 days after Ultherapy (MFU-V) treatment.

According to the GAIS (Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale), three patients were rated as very improved, and one patient was rated as improved.

The paper also summarizes that, after 180 days, the face appeared slimmer, skin laxity improved, and the jawline contour became better defined.

So rather than simply ending with “there was an effect,” this is a clinical paper that shows, in a relatively direct way, how the facial contour changed through the image captions as well.

Figure 3 mentions “slimming of the middle third of the face” and “jawline improvement,”

 

Figure 4 describes “marked improvement of jawline.”

 

And Figure 6 also refers to “skin laxity improvement,” suggesting that Ultherapy may work not just by changing one specific area, but by refining the overall impression of the lower face.

 

So how should we understand Ultherapy results?

 

Looking at this paper alone, it is more natural to understand Ultherapy results not as something that suddenly makes the face look smaller, but as a gradual change in which the jawline becomes more refined and the facial contour looks clearer over time.

 

In other words, the lower cheek area may appear less heavy, the jawline may start to look slightly more defined, and the overall impression may become lighter as mild skin looseness improves.

 

In fact, the paper reported that all participants felt that facial slimming, skin laxity, and contour improvement had occurred by 180 days, and both the practitioners and the patients showed high satisfaction with the results.

 

Pain was described as mild to moderate, and no adverse events were reported.

 

Who might be a better candidate for this?

 

Based on this kind of data, Ultherapy may be better suited not for cases where there is simply more facial fat, but rather for people whose jawline has become generally blurred and whose lower face appears to have descended.

 

On the other hand, if the main issue is under-chin fat or a thicker double chin, a different approach may need to be considered first.
(such as ONDA lifting)

 

In the end, even if two people seem to have the same jawline concern, one person may need lifting first, while another may need fat reduction or contouring first.

 

That is why, in order to properly assess whether Ultherapy is the right choice, it is important to first determine exactly why your facial contour looks less defined.

To sum it up, Ultherapy is a device that uses focused ultrasound to act on relatively deep layers and may help improve a sagging jawline and blurred facial contour.

 

As shown in the Bellote & Miot, 2021 paper, which included actual before-and-after photographs, changes such as improvement in the jawline, improvement in skin laxity, and a slimmer appearance in the midface and lower face were observed after 180 days.

 

However, since not every face improves in the same way, it is important to determine through consultation whether what you truly need is an Ultherapy-type lifting treatment, or whether another cause should be addressed first.

 

This was Dr. Won Dae-han, Medical Director.

 

Thank you for reading.

 

Source:
Bellote TPC, Miot HA. Microfocused Ultrasound with Visualization for Face Slimming: Preliminary Results in Four Women. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2021;14:1613-1619.

 

※ This article is intended for general medical information only. The suitability and method of treatment may vary depending on each individual’s skin condition and facial structure. Accurate diagnosis and treatment planning should always be determined through consultation.