Have you ever looked at the mirror and wanted to pull a little on your face in order to smooth some lines which start to appear? Some women claim they do not mind the lines which start to appear on their face. I do not agree. Modern day life, the fast pace, the stress, the sun all combine to add years to our faces.

While I am not one to deny the inevita­ble aging process I would like to slow it down as much as possible. I am not one to consid­er a facelift. The expense is prohibitive to most and most women I know, myself included, and most cannot take the time away from our fam­ily and work. The recovery time can be long and the results somewhat unpredictable. At times the difference between “before” and “af­ter” is so significant that some feel self-con­scious. There is another solution which gives gradual results and literally takes 10 years off your face over a 90-day period. The results are gradual. Most women start getting com­plements such as “you look rested,” “you look good, did you do something new to your hair?” These comments are much better than “Did you have a facelift?” or “Did you have surgery?” We need to also consider the effects of surgical procedures. While I know I do not possess the face of a supermodel, I do like the way I look. I’m used to it and would not like someone very different looking back at me in the mirror but I wouldn’t mind seeing the “me” of ten years ago looking back.

I never thought that was possible until I found out about Ulthera. This therapy is a form of ultrasound therapy. These sound waves irri­tate the deep tissues and cause the formation of collagen which is found in the deep tissues of our face. During the three month period fol­lowing this therapy, collagen is deposited and the face starts to look younger. There is no sur­gery, no anesthesia, no “wiring” under the skin. The results last at least one year. Most wom­en like it so much that they repeat it after one or two years. The only down side is that it is somewhat painful. Most women take some­thing for pain prior to the procedure which lasts about two hours. An electrode is passed over the face and with a jelly-like material. As the electrode comes into contact with the skin an ultrasound wave is released. This is how the deposition of collagen is achieved.

The face is broken down into three sec­tions, upper, middle and neck. If wrinkles are present only in the upper half of the face, espe­cially around the eyes and the neck and perio­ral area are still fine then only one area needs to be treated. Women who have smoked in the past seem to have more wrinkles of their neck. People may opt to treat only the neck, or just the upper face. The results are gradu­al and visible over a 90-day period. Follow up pictures show the amazing results which may not be so obvious when you look in the mir­ror daily.

The only contraindications are possible bleeding problems because the procedure may cause some bruising. The pain is man­aged with Motrin and lasts only during the procedure. For the most part people do not complain of pain after the treatment. We all want to look good and take pride in keeping ourselves vibrant and healthy. People say the “new fifties” are like yesterday’s forties. There is some truth to that. People are living long­er. Ultimately it is not the number of years that count but how we live them. We want to feel good and also look good. I feel proud when I tell people I am 57 and they seem surprised. This is something I recommend for both men and women. While we are living longer lets also look younger! Looking in the mirror can be a pleasant experience without having to compromise those expressions that make us uniquely who we are.

So ladies and gentlemen, if you look at yourself and find yourself pulling on your face and wanting to pull it back a little, just a little to give it a little more fullness or plumpness and are not ready or willing to do a surgical proce­dure then Ultherapy is for you! If you have any questions please address them to Dr. Giusep­pina Benincasa-Feingold at askthedoctor@ jewishlinkbc.com.

By Dr. Giuseppina Benincasa-Feingold