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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.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

Indicative pricing

What private Ultherapy costs in London.

Indicative ranges across London providers.

In short

£850–£3,800, home the same hour.

Treatment area Indicative range
Ultherapy consultation and skin assessment £150–£250
Ultherapy brow lift (upper face only) £850–£1,400
Ultherapy décolletage (chest) £550–£950
Ultherapy submental and jawline (lower face) £1,400–£2,200
Ultherapy full face (brow, cheeks, jawline) £1,800–£2,800
Ultherapy full face and neck (Prime platform where available) £2,400–£3,800

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.

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.

  • Is Ultherapy even the right device?

    For very mild laxity Sofwave is gentler; for skin quality Morpheus8; for significant laxity a surgical opinion. A good practitioner will say so up front.

  • Worried about the pain?

    A serious comfort plan (numbing, oral analgesia, dental blocks, occasionally light sedation) and the newer Prime platform change the experience.

  • 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.

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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, a facial plastic surgeon is the right referral rather than a promised non-surgical result.

  • 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.

  • Ultherapy Prime (2024 upgrade)

    Faster treatment, updated transducers and improved tolerability. Better neck and décolletage protocols. Now standard at higher-end London providers.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Deep-plane or mid-face lift

    Surgical options for significant laxity where no energy device can deliver a proportionate result. Referral to a facial plastic surgeon is appropriate in those cases.

  • 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.

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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 - ask your clinician to explain anything that is unclear.

If anything about the plan and the photographs is unclear, ask your clinician to talk you through it before your review.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Ultherapy is an aesthetic treatment and is not usually funded by UK health insurance. Pricing is self-pay.

Frequently asked

Common questions about Ultherapy.

Quick answers on how it works, the pain, the cost, and how it compares to Sofwave, Thermage and Morpheus8.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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