Beauty Boss: Latest non-surgical therapy gives your face and mood a lift

When LA’s hottest A-listers attended the Oscars, there wasn’t a hair out of place – but achieving the perfect look takes more than just a trip to the hairdresser or make-up artist.

Here, Clare Johnston puts the latest non-surgical facelift to the test to discover how the likes of Jennifer Aniston use Ultherapy to look red-carpet ready.

What is Ultherapy?

Ultherapy is a relatively new cosmetic intervention which uses ultrasound technology to send pulses of energy beneath the skin to lift and tighten with the aim of giving you a mini facelift without surgery.

Is it painful?

To rejuvenate the skin, ultrasound energy is delivered into its deeper layers, stimulating the production of new collagen to help turn back the years.

But in targeting the deeper layers, Ultherapy is not entirely pain-free, and I was advised to take a couple of ibuprofen tablets before my appointment.

What happens in the doctor’s chair?

Dr Victoria Dobbie, clinical director at the Face And Body Clinic, first marked out the areas on my skin for treatment.

At 46, there has been an overall loss of plumpness in my skin, with signs of sagging setting in around my mouth and jawline. After applying ultrasound gel, she placed a flat handset on my face which was attached to a PC-sized screen showing the layers of my skin.

I could feel a current tingling beneath the skin which, as she moved towards my jawline and beneath my chin, could feel quite uncomfortable at times.

But the discomfort was short-lived and there were large parts of my face where I felt very little.

The appointment lasted around an hour.

Did it work?

As soon as I got into the car and looked into the mirror I noticed a tightening around my jawline. There were no obvious areas of redness, though some redness immediately after treatment is not uncommon.

Dr Dobbie explained the full effects would develop over three to six months.

Would you get it again?

Overall, Ultherapy felt a safe and very convenient alternative to surgery but with more subtle results. To be able to walk away from a treatment with a visible result but with virtually no recovery time was a revelation!