Peanut-Shaped Face: If You Have Little Facial Fat, Should You Avoid Ulthera? / Gangnam Sinsa Station Dermatology

Hello, this is Lifton Dermatology.

When talking with patients in the consultation room, there is one question they ask most often.

"I don't have much facial fat. Can I still get Ulthera?"

For people who have little facial fat and hollow cheeks, the answer to the question, "Should you absolutely avoid Ulthera?" is no.

People with little facial fat can still receive Ulthera treatment.

In particular, many people believe as if it were established fact that those with hollow outer cheeks (often referred to as a peanut-shaped face) should not undergo HIFU devices such as Ulthera or Shurink.

Peanut-shaped face

Perhaps this idea arose because many people have experienced that, due to the effects of procedures such as Shurink or Ulthera, the outer cheeks are pulled inward toward the face, making the peanut-shaped face more pronounced.

However, even people with a peanut-shaped face can still see the effects of Ulthera without hollowing out the cheeks or other side effects, if the treatment is carefully designed to avoid the sunken areas and targeted at the areas with sagging skin using the appropriate depth and energy.

Peanut-shaped face with sagging in the deep cheek area -----> Ulthera lifting can be effective if performed "well." (Thread lifting is also often effective in this case.)

Peanut-shaped face with little or no sagging in the deep cheek area -------> Consider volume treatments for the outer cheeks (filler, collagen booster) or other lifting procedures rather than Ulthera.

Having little facial fat and sunken outer cheeks does not mean there is no sagging in the face.

Usually, most people with a peanut-shaped face develop facial sagging, which makes the outer cheeks appear even more sunken, and the sagging tissue moves down toward the deep cheek area near the mouth (bulldog cheek), so in many cases Ulthera treatment is performed together.

For those who want to improve the facial contour line non-surgically using lifting devices, HIFU devices are still the best, and among them, I believe Ulthera is the most effective.