How I Was Able To Achieve A Slimmer Face

I’ll admit, I’ve never been the type to go to beauty centers religiously. I always felt like I have something more important to do than just lie down and prettify. Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against people who like to go to beauty centers, I see its importance. Trust me. And it’s not as if the people who do these treatments have nothing better to do. I’m sure they’re busy bees as well. It’s more of my own mindset–my own incapability of just sitting still and doing nothing.

I knew I needed to change this mindset for my wedding. I wanted to be proactive when it came to my beauty prep. After all, I’m only getting married once! (Well, ideally. Just kidding hubba.) I wanted to look good on the day I say I do to my better half. I wanted to be able to look back 30, 40, 60 years from now and think, “damn, I was glowing. I looked my best on the best day of my life.” I didn’t want any regrets.

So here came Belo to the rescue, the Philippines’ No. 1 medical aesthetic center for over 29 years. I knew I was in trusted hands, especially with Dra. Vicky Belo herself recommending treatments for me. On my first meeting with her, she asked me what my concerns were. I told her one of the things I really wanted to address was my face shape. I wanted a more contoured and smaller face, but without the surgery because I’m still too scared to do anything invasive. She recommended Ultherapy for me, a non-invasive treatment known to give the ultimate lift.

Actually, Ulthera wasn’t new to my ears. It’s been such a buzzword in the beauty community. I’ve been hearing so many good things about it, I just wasn’t sure if I could handle it because I heard it can be quite painful. In the end though, vanity won and I decided to take the plunge. It’s a one time big time treatment anyway (once a year). What’s an hour of pain for a year of beauty, right? LOL.

Whew, so here goes. I scheduled my treatment a little less than a month away from my wedding.

The photos above are my before-procedure photos. And the photos below were taken a month after my procedure, during my honeymoon in Lisbon.

Can you see the difference?? I was told major improvements come out 3 months after the procedure, with the best results on the 6th month. Imagine. This was just 1 month after my Ultherapy! Actually, even when I was just fresh out of the procedure, my doctor and everyone else I was with during my Ultherapy already saw a huge difference! My husband, Joni, picked me up after my procedure and he also noticed how much more defined my jaw was and that my chubby cheeks were no longer round and flat. I responded so well to Ultherapy, I was blown away. If you watched my Cokoro house vlog here, you can actually see how much more contoured my face was in the end of the video compared to the beginning since I shot the beginning of the video pre-Ultherapy and ended the video a month after Ultherapy.

So what exactly is Ultherapy? Ultherapy uses MFU-V (Micro Focus Ultrasound with Visualization) technology to awaken the lethargic collagen in your skin and trigger a high-speed aging rewind. You see, as we age, collagen and elastin production slows down, resulting in less defined jawlines, drooping eyelids, sagging cheeks, and fine lines and wrinkles. Ultherapy goes deep into the skin, contracting different layers for a more targeted treatment. (Think of it as “shrink-wrapping” your face from the inside to tighten sagging skin.) The procedure causes micro-wounding, which startles collagen and elastin into reproducing, all without cutting or causing disruptions to the skin. It’s perfect for addressing any loss of firmness or elasticity on the cheeks, the jawline, the neck, and even the brow area. After an Ulthera session, hollowed-out edges soften, the curves of the cheeks are reset, droopy lids are lifted, and double chins and sagging jowls disappear. Ulthera also addresses wrinkling and sagging in the neck and décolletage.

How does the procedure feel? What happens during the procedure? Is it painful? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel anything. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought. (Maybe it’s because I did my research and I was expecting the worst kind of pain. LOL.) But this is basically what happens: At Belo, they apply EMLA or a topical anaesthesia on your face. (Some patients take a pain reliever as well before the procedure.) Once it has taken effect, a Belo doctor (in my case, it was my go-to Dra. Joey from the Greenbelt branch) starts the Ultherapy procedure. It’s important to take note that not all Ulthera are created equal. There are a lot of dupes so make sure you go to a certified clinic! Doctors play a huge role as well because they control the intensity and decide which parts to focus on more to address your concerns. For example, in my case, the right side of my face is bigger than my left side. Dra. Joey noticed this right away so she focused more on the right. Remember, you get the best results with the best doctor!

It’s hard to describe the sensation or type of discomfort Ultherapy brings but I’ll try. It feels like little currents on your face, like you’re getting electrocuted on the surface but not really. Some people describe it like a levelled up version of tiny pins and needles (waaaaaaay levelled up version). I personally think the pain is 100% bearable. I was even on high intensity which I totally didn’t expect because I couldn’t handle thermage when I tried it once before. (I was on the lowest level for thermage because it uses heat and I don’t do well with heat.)

After Ultherapy, some people experience a bit of swelling on the cheeks for a few days to a week. (I didn’t get any.) It can also bring about soreness to the face, like you were punched or something. In my case, I only felt a teeny weeny bit of soreness for a few days, so teeny weeny I didn’t even realize it until I was reminded I should feel some soreness. But then again, to each his own. Everyone responds differently. And I might be more of the exception than the rule.

Was Ultherapy worth it? A BIG FAT YES. I now understand why everyone I know who did it can’t stop raving about it! I’m honestly so happy with the results. I can’t wait to see what my face will look like 3-6 months after! Noe on my 2nd month, my face is already noticeably more contoured, lifted and just overall, blooming. I wish I did it earlier!

If you’re interested and want to know more about Ultherapy, contact a Belo branch near you. You’ll love it. I promise.