Aesthetic dermatology · London
Ultherapy facial HIFU, visualised, at three depths.
The only micro-focused ultrasound platform that lets the operator see the tissue as it is treated. A single session at a genuine Ultherapy Prime clinic, for subtle non-surgical lift of the brow, jawline, neck and décolletage over 3 to 6 months.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A named Ultherapy-trained practitioner
Not a rotating aesthetic nurse on a laser day. A doctor or advanced practitioner with genuine Ultherapy volume, using the newer Prime platform where available.
- 02
The right device for the laxity
Ultherapy is not always the answer. For very mild laxity Sofwave is gentler; for skin quality Morpheus8; for volume loss a filler or thread lift. We say so up front.
- 03
Independent, and free
We take no fee from the clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What private Ultherapy costs in London.
Indicative ranges across our vetted London providers. Send a photo and a goal, and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
A single Ultherapy Prime session in our network: £850–£3,800, home the same hour.
| Treatment area | Indicative range | Typical duration | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy consultation and skin assessment | £150–£250 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Ultherapy brow lift (upper face only) | £850–£1,400 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Ultherapy décolletage (chest) | £550–£950 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Ultherapy submental and jawline (lower face) | £1,400–£2,200 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| Ultherapy full face (brow, cheeks, jawline) | £1,800–£2,800 | 60–75 min | Same visit |
| Ultherapy full face and neck (Prime platform where available) | £2,400–£3,800 | 75–90 min | Same visit |
Prices vary by clinic, by whether the Prime platform is used, by how many transducer lines are placed, and by which practitioner does the treatment. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
The right device, the right depth, the right practitioner.
Ultherapy on the wrong candidate wastes money and confidence. Ultherapy on the right candidate, delivered by an experienced practitioner on the Prime platform, gives a genuinely visible result.
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Is Ultherapy even the right device?
For very mild laxity Sofwave is gentler; for skin quality Morpheus8; for significant laxity a surgical opinion. We say so up front.
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Worried about the pain?
A serious comfort plan (numbing, oral analgesia, dental blocks, occasionally light sedation) and the newer Prime platform change the experience.
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Want a subtle, believable result?
A named practitioner with real Ultherapy volume, standardised before-and-after photos at 90 and 180 days, and no over-promising.
The journey
From first photo to 180-day review, what happens, in order.
One concierge from first message to your 180-day review, including honest before-and-after photos and any complementary treatment plan.
- 01
Before
You send us a photo and a goal
A short confidential form. Front and side photos, your age, what you would like lifted or tightened, and any previous tweakments including fillers or threads.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether Ultherapy fits, or whether Sofwave, Thermage FLX, Morpheus8 or a surgical opinion is the better call. Indicative price either way.
- 03
Before
We arrange the consultation
Usually within one to two weeks. Skin type, medical history, implants and any recent filler are reviewed. Photos taken for a proper before-and-after record.
- 04
On the day
Arrival and comfort plan
Numbing cream, oral analgesia (paracetamol and ibuprofen) and sometimes a mild sedative. Local anaesthetic dental blocks for the jawline where needed.
- 05
On the day
The Ultherapy treatment itself
60 to 90 minutes. The transducer maps the tissue in real time, then delivers focused ultrasound at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm depths across brow, cheeks, jawline, submental area, neck and décolletage.
- 06
On the day
Home the same hour
Mild redness and tenderness for 24 to 48 hours, occasional pinpoint swelling or a bruise. You can drive, work and wear make-up the same day.
- 07
After
Collagen remodels over 3 to 6 months
Subtle lift and tightening builds gradually. Review photos at 90 and 180 days. A single treatment is standard; a top-up every 12 to 18 months maintains the result.
Typical end-to-end: 1–2 weeks to treatment. Result builds: 3–6 months. Top-up: 12–18 months.
When it helps
When Ultherapy is the right step, and when it is not.
The concerns Ultherapy addresses well, plus the situations where a different device or a surgical opinion serves you better.
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Early jawline softening and jowl
A blurred jawline in your 40s or early 50s, before a surgical lift is proportionate. Ultherapy tightens the SMAS layer subtly.
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Submental laxity (under the chin)
A soft submental area with modest laxity rather than a heavy fat pad. Often paired with a small volume of Kybella or a chin filler for the fat pad.
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Brow heaviness and hooding
A tired-looking brow that sits low over the lid. A focused brow treatment gives a couple of millimetres of lift without touching botulinum toxin.
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Neck bands and crêping
Vertical platysmal bands and fine crêping across the neck. Ultherapy Prime treats the neck to 3.0 mm with better tolerability than the original device.
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Décolletage sun damage and lines
Vertical chest lines that appear on the side you sleep on. Improves skin quality and tightens gently across the upper chest.
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Maintenance after a facelift or thread
Twelve to 24 months after a deep-plane facelift, mid-face lift or PDO threads to prolong the collagen response. Not a replacement for surgery.
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Best age range: 40 to 60
Ultherapy suits early to moderate laxity in this window. Younger patients rarely need it; heavier laxity is better served by surgery.
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When it is not the answer
Significant jowl and neck laxity, heavy submental fat, facial implants, recent filler within the treatment field, pregnancy or active skin infection.
Device options
Ultherapy sits in a family of tightening devices.
What each device on the table actually does, and where it fits. For significant laxity, we refer to a facial plastic surgeon rather than promising a non-surgical result.
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Ultherapy (Ulthera by Merz, MFU-V)
The original micro-focused ultrasound platform with real-time visualisation. Transducers at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm bypass the skin surface to deliver thermal coagulation points to the SMAS.
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Ultherapy Prime (2024 upgrade)
Faster treatment, updated transducers and improved tolerability. Better neck and décolletage protocols. Now standard at higher-end London providers.
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Sofwave
A different ultrasound technology (SUPERB) that treats at a single mid-dermal depth. Generally better tolerated than Ultherapy but does not reach the SMAS layer.
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Thermage FLX
Monopolar radiofrequency delivered across the whole face in a single pass. Good for skin tightening and contour but a different mechanism from focused ultrasound.
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Morpheus8 fractional RF microneedling
Combines microneedling with bipolar radiofrequency for skin quality, texture and mild tightening. Usually a course of three, with several days of downtime each.
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PDO thread lift
Absorbable polydioxanone threads placed to reposition tissue. Immediate mechanical lift; results last 9 to 18 months. Often combined with Ultherapy rather than replaced by it.
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Deep-plane or mid-face lift
Surgical options for significant laxity where no energy device can deliver a proportionate result. We refer to a facial plastic surgeon when appropriate.
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A second opinion
A frank review of previous consultations, photos and quotes. Sometimes the answer is to do less, or to choose surgery, not to book another device.
Our vetted London network
A small panel of Ultherapy practitioners, we picked them.
Established London providers include PHI Clinic on Harley Street (where Dr Tapan Patel is a UK Ultherapy trainer for Merz), Cadogan Clinic, EF MEDISPA, Skinesis Medical and Waterhouse Young. Introductions are made privately once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every practitioner in our network.
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Doctors and advanced aesthetic practitioners with genuine Ultherapy case volume
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GMC-registered or NMC-registered, working in CQC-regulated clinics
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Access to the newer Ultherapy Prime platform, not only the original device
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A clear pathway to surgery, threads or complementary treatments where Ultherapy is not the right call
Safety and expectations
What to expect, honestly.
Ultherapy is a well-established non-surgical treatment. The things worth planning are your comfort during the session, the realistic result, and the contraindications that rule it out.
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Discomfort during the treatment
Genuinely uncomfortable, particularly along the jawline and brow bone. Better tolerated with numbing cream, oral analgesia and a dental block. Prime is more comfortable than the original device.
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Redness and tenderness for 24 to 48 hours
Mild flushing, warmth and tenderness settle within two days. Occasional pinpoint swelling or small bruise, particularly on the neck.
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Realistic result: subtle lift, not surgery
A visible tightening and modest lift of a few millimetres, building over 3 to 6 months as collagen remodels. Not a replacement for a surgical facelift for significant laxity.
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Rare nerve involvement
Transient numbness or asymmetry in the lower face has been reported in a very small number of cases and typically resolves. An experienced practitioner treating the correct depth minimises the risk.
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Not for facial implants or recent filler
Cheek or chin implants, and dermal filler placed within the treatment field in the previous few weeks, are contraindications. We check every product and date before booking.
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Not in pregnancy or active infection
Avoided in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and over active herpes, acne, eczema or wound in the treatment field. Deferred until the skin has fully healed.
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Combining with fillers and toxins
Botulinum toxin and filler are typically done two to four weeks after Ultherapy, not on the same day, to keep the assessment and the result clean.
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One treatment, top-up at 12 to 18 months
A single treatment is standard, with a top-up every 12 to 18 months to maintain the collagen response. Repeated treatments in quick succession do not improve outcome.
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When to call us
Persistent numbness, an area of asymmetry, or a burn or blister in the treatment field should be reported the same day so the treating clinic can review you promptly.
Reading your treatment note
Your Ultherapy note in four parts. Read the last one first.
A good Ultherapy record makes the next visit and any top-up comparable, not guesswork.
A quiet reminder
Aesthetic language can promise more than it should - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk through the plan and the photographs before your review, just ask.
- 01 Baseline
Photos, laxity grade and skin quality
Standardised front and three-quarter photos in even light, a Fitzpatrick skin type, and a note of laxity across brow, mid-face, jawline, submental area and neck.
- 02 Plan
Lines placed at each depth
The number of MFU-V lines placed at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm, by anatomical zone. This is what makes an Ultherapy note comparable between clinics.
- 03 Comfort
Anaesthesia and tolerability
Numbing cream, oral analgesia, dental blocks and any sedation given. A note of how you tolerated each zone, so the next visit can be adjusted.
- 04 Follow-up
Review at 90 and 180 days
Read this first: when to book photo reviews, when a top-up would be considered, and which complementary treatments (filler, toxin, threads) are planned and when.
Recognised by major UK insurers for medically indicated care
Ultherapy is an aesthetic treatment and is not usually funded by UK health insurance. Pricing is self-pay.
Match with a London Ultherapy practitioner
Send a photo. We come back within a working day, with an honest recommendation.
If Ultherapy is right, we match you to a named practitioner on the Prime platform. If Sofwave, Thermage FLX, Morpheus8, threads or a surgical opinion suits you better, we say so.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about Ultherapy.
Quick answers on how it works, the pain, the cost, and how it compares to Sofwave, Thermage and Morpheus8.
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What is Ultherapy and how does it work?
Ultherapy is a non-surgical lift and tightening treatment that uses micro-focused ultrasound with visualisation (MFU-V). The device shows the operator the tissue in real time, then delivers ultrasound energy at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm below the skin. This creates tiny thermal coagulation points in the SMAS layer, the same layer a surgical facelift addresses, which triggers new collagen over 3 to 6 months.
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Does Ultherapy hurt?
Discomfort during treatment is real and ranges from mild in the cheeks and décolletage to sharp along the jawline and brow bone. It is much better tolerated with numbing cream, oral paracetamol and ibuprofen, dental blocks for the jaw, and occasionally a mild oral sedative. The newer Ultherapy Prime platform is noticeably more comfortable than the original device.
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How much does Ultherapy cost in London?
Roughly £850 to £1,400 for a brow lift, £550 to £950 for the décolletage, £1,800 to £2,800 for the full face, and £2,400 to £3,800 for full face and neck combined. A consultation is £150 to £250 and often redeemable against treatment. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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How is Ultherapy different from Sofwave, Thermage and Morpheus8?
Sofwave uses a different ultrasound technology at a single mid-dermal depth, is gentler and does not reach the SMAS. Thermage FLX uses monopolar radiofrequency for whole-face tightening. Morpheus8 combines microneedling with bipolar radiofrequency and mostly improves skin quality. Ultherapy is the only device that visualises the tissue and treats the SMAS layer non-surgically.
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Who is Ultherapy actually for?
It suits people aged roughly 40 to 60 with early to moderate laxity of the brow, jawline, submental area, neck or décolletage. It is not a facelift replacement for significant laxity, and it will not correct volume loss, deep folds, heavy jowl or a heavy submental fat pad on its own.
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Which London clinics offer Ultherapy?
Established London providers include PHI Clinic on Harley Street (where Dr Tapan Patel is a UK Ultherapy trainer for Merz), Cadogan Clinic in Chelsea, EF MEDISPA, Skinesis Medical, and Waterhouse Young. We introduce you privately once we understand your goal, your budget and whether Ultherapy is genuinely the right device for you.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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Sofwave skin tightening
Ultrasound tightening at a single mid-dermal depth, gentler than Ultherapy.
Learn more -
Thermage FLX
Monopolar radiofrequency for whole-face tightening in one session.
Learn more -
Morpheus8 RF microneedling
Fractional RF with microneedling for skin quality and mild tightening.
Learn more -
Deep-plane facelift
Surgical option for significant laxity when no device suffices.
Learn more -
Mid-face lift
Targeted surgical lift of the cheek and mid-face.
Learn more -
PDO thread lift
Absorbable threads for immediate mechanical lift, often paired with Ultherapy.
Learn more