05/01/2026
If you’ve considered a surgical facelift, but aren’t ready for the downtime, risk, or cost, this is a non-invasive option that targets the same deeper structural layer (SMAS). **It will NOT give you the results of surgery...
BUT it is our most effective non-invasive, minimal-downtime option for improving early crepey skin and mild to moderate sagging by strengthening support at depth.
Most non-surgical treatments work in the upper layers of the skin by adding volume, smoothing lines, or creating superficial tightening. These approaches can improve appearance, but they don’t directly influence the deeper structural support where laxity begins.
The SMAS layer is the foundational support system of the face. It’s the same layer surgeons adjust in a facelift. When this layer weakens over time, tissue begins to descend, creating jowls, jawline softening, and neck laxity.
Ultherapy is designed to deliver focused ultrasound energy at precise depths, including the SMAS. This creates controlled thermal stimulation, triggering collagen contraction and long-term remodeling within that structural plane. The result is not immediate or dramatic change, but gradual improvement in tissue support and firmness over time.
This is why patient selection matters.
Best outcomes are seen in early to moderate laxity, where there is still enough structural integrity to respond to collagen stimulation. It is not a substitute for surgery in advanced cases, and it is not a volumizing treatment.
Typical considerations:
Results develop over 3–6 months
Maintenance is usually annual
Minimal downtime, with possible short-term redness or tenderness
If the goal is structural support rather than added volume, this becomes a different treatment conversation.
