Ultherapy: Keeping a Stiff Upper Lip

OY!!!

I no longer subscribe to magazines.  Much of my eyeball time is now devoted to reading them online, devouring other blogs and  new book downloads on my Kindle.  Of course there are times when nothing less then a good glossy will do...like any salon visit.  I immediately jump to the table of contents to peruse the beauty articles.

Sometime last month, I was reading an article on the latest "cutting edge" anti-aging treatments.  Famed N.Y. Dermatologist Pat Wexler,  (who was featured on a recent cameo on The Real Housewives of N.Y.  wielding a syringe instead of scalpel  performing  a "liquid facelift" on Jill Zarin), has also embraced using Ultherapy. Ultherapy is the FDA approved non-surgical, no down time procedure that lifts and tightens without cutting. I blogged about my own treatment in November and included my interview with Dr. Andrew Salzberg and Courtney Dunavant to explain this non-cutting cutting age procedure in "Are You Heading South"?

Sooooo, why did I speed dial Courtney???  I had just read that Dr. Wexler has been using Ultherapy on the upper lip, successfully banishing  those pesky, hard to treat lip lines.  In fact, she believes it is the single most effective treatment available.  While lip injections are sometimes used for the same purpose, it not done expertly, can result in dreaded "trout pout", so women often won't risk it....moi included.  Botox can be effective, but because our mouths are in near constant motion, the results can be short lived.

Did the N.Y. Group for Plastic Surgery have the new smaller "transducer" to perform treatment on the upper lip yet???  "Yes".  Can I come now??? Courtney laughed and we scheduled my appointment for the following Thursday.

Pre-Ultherapy upper lip treatment

Courtney showed me the new transducer that was introduced to treat smaller areas like the upper lip and under the eye.  The larger one, on the left, is used to treat the neck, cheeks and forehead, (which is used to lift the eye area).

Here's what she explained to me.  As we age, our upper lip loses volume and sinks. In addition to natural aging, too much long term sun exposure, genetics and smoking are also culprits behind dreaded vertical lip lines. 

Ultherapy, which uses targeted Ultrasound waves,  lifts and tightens the vermilion border of the lip line.  The result is a bit more top lip showing and raised corners of the mouth. The ultrasound, is applied in "10 passes on each side in a cross hatch pattern" that supports the lifted effect.  One of the nice results of lifted corners is a pleasant expression, even when you are in repose.

Me being me, I was terrified of ending up looking like The Joker, but Courtney knows exactly what she is doing (and unlike other "tighteners" Ultherapy allows practitioners to see exactly how deep to go on the ultrasound monitor).

"Are you ready"???,  she asked brightly.
 "O.K. Let her rip"...

I can honestly say, I have had bikini waxes that hurt more. Maybe twice, I said, "that was a little ouchy".  100% tolerable and over in less than 10 minutes.  As was my experience before, because there is the teeniest bit of swelling, I immediately saw an improvement.  There was no redness and I was immediately "good to go".

Here is how my upper lip looks 9 days post treatment:

I distinctly see a smoother, plumper "vermilion border", don't you??? I am delighted!!!  As an added bonus, with Ultherapy, I can look forward to improvements in the months to come, as the stimulated collagen deep below the skin's surface rebuilds.  Results can last anywhere from 18 months to two years.  The cost of the treatment is $475, making it more cost effective than Restalyne.

DivaDebbi readers in the tri-state area can easily access The N.Y. Group for Plastic Surgery in Tarrytown, N.Y. If  you mention DivaDebbi when you call to make your appointment with Courtney Dunavant, you will receive a 10% discount on your procedure (914-366-6139).

What do you have to lose???  Nothing but those pesky lines.

xox,
DD