Choosing Between Botox® and Ultherapy® for Skin Tightening

Here are a few things to consider when choosing between Ultherapy and Botox for skin tightening.

What Is Ultherapy?

Ultherapy is a noninvasive cosmetic treatment that effectively tightens and lifts your skin. Doctors use an electrical device to deliver ultrasound energy deep into the dermis and epidermis. Doing this lifts your skin naturally by activating the creation of collagen.

Ultherapy Treatment

The procedure uses the Ulthera system to penetrate your skin’s surface. While undergoing the treatment, you may experience various sensations as they deploy the energy. To reduce discomfort, your caregiver may use numbing cream or prescribe painkillers.

What Is Botox?

Botox is a safe botulinum neurotoxin derivative ideal for cosmetic facial procedures. Professionals inject the solution under the skin around your forehead or brow. It helps deal with frown lines, forehead wrinkles, and crow’s feet around your eyes.

Botox Procedure

Botox involves injections using tiny needles. Your doctor will numb the focus area with an anesthetic cream to ensure you are comfortable. The botulinum toxin injectable temporarily blocks signals from the nerves to your facial muscles. It relaxes and softens wrinkles, reducing the fine lines on your face. The whole procedure takes approximately 15 minutes and requires minimal or no downtime.

Results from the treatment are evident between three to seven days after the procedure. Depending on the individual, these effects can last for three months or more. If you need them to last longer, schedule periodic follow-up treatments according to your doctor.

Botox rarely has side effects, though you may experience slight swelling or bruising. These do not last long, and you can cover them with makeup if they make you self-conscious. In rare cases, Botox may result in drooping eyelids. To avoid this scenario, always consult a professional with enough experience in the field.

Which Procedure Is Better?

There are many factors to consider when it comes to these procedures. However, remember that they deal with different parts of the face. Some may opt for Ultherapy to lift the skin covering the lower area of the face. They may couple this with Botox injections to deal with forehead wrinkles or crow’s feet around the eyes—effectively combining both procedures for a better response. They will give you a smooth, youthful look. They will also shed more years off your appearance.

If you want to get only one procedure for one reason or another, you can consider the following factors.

• Mode of treatment: While Ultherapy uses noninvasive laser beams, Botox requires slightly invasive tiny needles. If one procedure seems scary, choose the other treatment.

• The length of effects: The benefits of Ultherapy can last up to two years on average. After undergoing Botox, the changes may only remain constant for about six months.

• The severity of aging: Botox effects are evident almost immediately, while it may take several weeks with Ultherapy. The results of each treatment will also depend on the aging issue you want to correct.
  
  
  

Although Ultherapy can lift sagging skin, it does not replace volume lost due to aging. To do this, you can incorporate fat grafting. It will restore volume and improve the texture of your skin.

For more information on Botox and Ultherapy for skin tightening, contact Aesthetic Surgical Associates at our office in Metairie, Louisiana. Call 504-226-8200 to book an appointment today.