Esthetics Aesthetics Ultherapy | Dr. Anderson Natural Medicine
Aging skin is also typically sagging and wrinkling skin. These changes in texture and contour often show up first in the areas that are most visible: the face, neck, and upper chest. Using Ultherapy, Bothell’s Dr. Nicole Anderson can smooth and lift this skin to give it a more youthful look and feel again—with no toxins, injections, or incisions required.
Ultherapy uses the power of sound to achieve noticeable results. The procedure is entirely nonsurgical, and no foreign substances are introduced into the body. As numerous scientific studies have shown, they simply aren’t needed in order to achieve beautiful results.
Collagen is a hard-working protein that keeps skin firm, supple, and in position throughout a person’s youth. As a person ages, however, the processes that maintain collagen levels in the skin begin to slow. Over time, collagen production can no longer keep pace with collagen destruction. The result is less collagen, which means less structural support and a loss of strength and elasticity in the skin.
The problem is made worse by environmental damage, and especially exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which breaks down collagen molecules in the skin and hastens sagging and the development of wrinkles.
The solution is to bring collagen levels back up in key areas. Ultherapy accomplishes this by stimulating the growth of new collagen molecules. It also encourages elastin production, making more of the molecules that give skin its resilience and flexibility.
How does ultherapy works ?The FDA has cleared Ultherapy specifically to address sagging skin on the brow, chin, and neck, including what is known as a “turkey neck,” as well as to smooth wrinkles and lines on the décolletage—the technical term for a woman’s upper chest.
Ultherapy can also be used for custom treatments, including abdominal skin tightening, as well as tightening and smoothing skin under the upper arm and on the knees where sagging and wrinkling is common.
The Ultherapy device makes use of what is known as “microfocused ultrasound,” sending sound waves to target specific areas in need of treatment. The sound energy travels to a specific depth below the surface, where it converts to heat. The thermal effect generated by an Ultherapy session prompts a healing response that includes collagen creation.
As collagen levels rise, the skin regains its smoother texture and tone, and sagging skin lifts back into a more youthful position. The process is entirely natural, and the results are long lasting.
While laser devices can also prompt a collagen-building response in the skin, Ultherapy has some particular advantages: First, it is appropriate for all skin types and colors. Since skin pigment absorbs more of the light energy from lasers, the resulting heat causes skin damage, making it inappropriate for those with darker skin tones. For this reason, lasers typically work best only on lighter-pigmented skin. Second, Ultherapy reaches the deepest connective tissue below the skin— known as the SMAS layer—which lasers can’t reach. In fact, only a surgeon’s scalpel can achieve the same tightening effect as Ultherapy on the deepest structures.
As the first naturopathic doctor to offer Ultherapy in the Seattle area—and all of Washington—Dr. Anderson has performed hundreds of treatments. Her goal is to help her patients achieve optimum health, and skin quality is a part of that. Before deciding on any course of action—including aesthetic treatments—she leads a thorough consultation so she can understand your unique goals and learn more about your body in order to provide the best support possible. This meeting is the time to discuss various details about Ultherapy: cost, results, potential side effects, and more.
On the day of treatment, Dr. Anderson will review your nutritional status so that she can ensure you have all of the nutrients available to support optimal collagen production. In many medical offices, treatments are carried out by a technician, aesthetician, or nurse. Since physicians are specially trained in ultrasound diagnostics, it’s safer to have the procedure done by a physician. Dr. Anderson personally performs every Ultherapy treatment at Anderson Natural Medicine.
The Ultherapy session itself involves cleansing the skin, followed by the application of a gel to help the applicator glide smoothly across the surface. The applicator emits sound waves, with patients saying they feel the energy as heat or a tingling sensation.
The Ultherapy device employs traditional ultrasound imaging so Dr. Anderson can see the layers below the surface and ensure the energy is being delivered to where it is most needed for achieving the desired lifting and smoothing effects.
A single session is typically all it takes to kickstart noticeable results. Décolletage-smoothing treatments last about half an hour, while a full face and neck session—focusing on the brow and chin—can last an hour and a half to two hours.
There are no special care instructions for post-Ultherapy skin care—beyond routine sunscreen application to protect the skin against further collagen depletion and other damage from UV rays. Patients are free to get back to their typically scheduled activities as desired.
Expect some redness in the treatment area for several minutes to a few hours. The coloration might also be accompanied by mild tenderness, swelling, a tingling sensation, or numbness. All of the effects are temporary and a sign that the skin is beginning its natural, collagen-building, healing processes. Dr. Anderson can discuss less common side effects at your consultation.
The firmer, smoother results will become increasingly apparent over the following two or three months after an Ultherapy session. Lifted contours and improved tone can last up to a year and a half or longer. Dr. Anderson’s patients typically get longer-lasting results than most, because her work with patients’ nutrition and overall health further improves their outcomes.