This is the time of year dermatologists are flooded with patients looking for a low-risk, quick fix to their problem areas.
“That includes the knees, the elbows, what we call the thigh gap or the jelly roll sort of in between the buttocks and the upper thigh,” says plastic surgeon Sejal Shah.
These might be areas you never thought could even be treated, but Dr. Shah says non-surgical body contouring has come a long way over the last few years.
“Traditionally we have used surgery in the past, but the problem with surgery is it tends to leave unsightly scars and it’s not always super effective,” says Dr. Shah. “So we have newer tightening treatments like Ultherapy, which is great for these areas where you can treat the wrinkles around the knees and the elbows and it really tightens and tones that area,” she adds.
Ultherapy is the new “next” thing. It’s an ultrasound-based treatment.
“Basically what’s happening is the treatment delivers high intensity ultrasound into the lower levels of the skin causing collagen synthesis and collagen contraction and remodeling, so overall you get a tightened appearance,” explains Dr. Shah.
There can be some discomfort during the procedure and a little redness or bruising after. However, there is no downtime; you can leave the office and go right back to work.
“You have to be a little careful around the bone so you don’t hit the bone. The nice thing with the Ultherapy treatment is that it allows us to visualize the area. There is an ultrasound attached to it. So similar to when you go have an ultrasound done to any other part of your body, you will be able to see the skin structures before you treat, so we can place the hand piece in areas where we’re not going to hit the bone,” says Dr. Shah.
She says being that it is bathing suit time, she has a lot of patients who want to firm up their legs and arm.
“Prices typically start in the $2,000 range. Ultimately, it depends on the area we’re treating,” says Shah.
She says you can get any of these treatments done in about an hour or so.