This is one of the most common questions we get asked by our clients during their initial consultation for an Ultherapy skin tightening procedure. After all, if you google Ultherapy you will undoubtedly come across many reviews of patients saying how painful the procedure was for them. At the same time, you will also find people who describe the procedure as having minimal discomfort. So, which should you believe, is Ultherapy painful or not?
The truth is that the perception of pain and discomfort is totally relative and varies from one person to the next. What may be painful for you may not be for someone else, and vice versa. As with all heat based energy treatments there will be some discomfort with an Ultherapy treatment. However, experienced Ultherapy doctors will take appropriate measures to minimize the level of discomfort as much as possible.
There are many ways to increase your comfort level during your Ultherapy treatment. Some work and some don’t. All of them have their own risks and benefits. Here are some methods Ultherapy doctors have used to maximize comfort during the Ultherapy procedure:
- Pain medication. Oral and Intramuscular pain medications are used to help decrease any discomfort associated with Ultherapy. These medications are often narcotics (vicodin, percocet, demerol, etc.), benzodiazapines (xanax, valium, etc.) or anti-inflammatories (motrin, advil, etc.). The downside of giving intramuscular injections is that there is pain associated with the needle sticks. It may also result in bruising and/or bleeding at the injection site.
- Nerve blocks. Some Ultherapy physicians perform nerve blocks with numbing medication before starting your Ultherapy treatment. These can often be effective, but they involve needle injections and the risks associated with them. If not done properly, the nerve blocks may not work at all.
- Distraction techniques. Using vibration devices, cooling fans, stress balls, etc. can help distract you from the heat energy being delivered by the Ultherapy device. Although it doesn’t directly treat any pain you might experience, it may help you take your mind off of it.
Choosing an experienced Ultherapy provider is a crucial part of making the experience less painful for you. We have the latest release of the Ultherapy machine with the most recent Amplify software update. The newest Ultherapy devices are specifically designed with settings that improve the comfort of the procedure when compared to the older machines. I have also personally designed our own special pre-treatment protocol which has helped maximize the comfort of the procedure for our guests. In the hundreds of treatments we have done to date we have never had to terminate the procedure early because of pain!
We’d love to hear your experiences with the Ultherapy treatment, and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about this exciting skin tightening procedure. Feel free to contact us at (818) 789-5500 or via email info@zcosmetichealth.com