Even the tiniest changes can dramatically affect your beauty and skincare routine.
Medically reviewed by David Nazarian, MD — Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Director of PRP Treatment Beverly Hills.
PRP and Ultherapy are different aesthetic approaches. Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound energy for specific FDA-cleared cosmetic indications, while PRP is an autologous blood-derived treatment used or studied for selected skin and other indications.
Ultherapy is non-invasive, while PRP involves blood collection and injections or microneedling. They are not interchangeable treatments and neither should be described as erasing wrinkles or producing permanent results.
The two procedures also have different benefits and drawbacks, affecting your treatment choice if you’re considering both. Let’s take a closer look at how each one works, their differences, and who should decide which based on specific concerns about aging skin or hair loss!
Differences Between Ultherapy vs PRP
This chart will help you learn more about the differences in procedure, skin concerns, costs, and benefits to make the best decision.
| ULTHERAPY | PRP | |
| Procedure | Non-invasive- intense ultrasound wave | Mildly invasive- injections |
| Concerns treated | Sagging, wrinkles, skin laxity on the face, neck, décolleté, and underarms. | Wrinkles, scars, sun damage on the skin. It also treats hair loss and ortho and dental issues. |
| Side effects | Pain or swelling at the treated site, redness, bruising, or mild to moderate headaches. | Infection, itching, redness, or rashes on the injected site. In worst cases, blood clotting may appear. |
| Required session | Usually one session, but aged patients may require more sessions | 2-3 sessions |
| Longevity | 1-5 years | 6 months- 1-year |
Ultherapy vs PRP- Difference & Similarities
Ultherapy and PRP can help achieve facial rejuvenation. Still, there are some critical differences between the two methods that you should know about before committing to one or the other.
Read on to learn how these treatments compare to make the right choice for your skin and beauty.
- PRP from $800 per session
- PRF from $1,100 per session
- Discounted 3-session packages on every treatment
- See the full PRP and PRF price list
- 4 tubes of blood drawn per session, more than many clinics use; 10 to 15 cc of PRP obtained
- 4-ingredient numbing cream
- 6-needle injector used for hair treatments
- Providing PRP therapy since 2008
Procedure
The Ulthera System is FDA-cleared for several aesthetic indications, including lifting the eyebrow, lifting lax tissue under the chin and on the neck, improving lines and wrinkles of the décolleté, and improving the appearance of skin laxity in certain other body areas. It uses focused ultrasound energy rather than injections.
The outcome is expected to last up to two years or longer when combined with other treatments like lasers or injectables. It is a non-invasive treatment that uses intense ultrasound waves to lift and tighten skin on the face and neck by stimulating collagen production.
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma and is a medical treatment that involves taking a small amount of your blood and spinning it in a machine to separate the platelets, which are rich in growth factors. Those platelets are injected into the skin to promote healing and new cell production.
Cost
PRP is an injectable treatment that contains your blood, plasma, and platelets. They are harvested from your body with a small needle and injected into the skin to rejuvenate it.
The procedure takes approximately 45 minutes and will cost $400-$1000 per session, depending on the clinic and the number of areas you want to treat.
Ultherapy, on the other hand, It’s typically done in fifteen-minute sessions. There are no incisions or downtime with Ultherapy, so you can resume your daily activities immediately.
The procedure takes approximately 15-90 minutes, depending on how many areas you want the procedure on, and costs $1,000-$3,000 per session.
Concerns Treated
As a cosmetic procedure, Ultherapy can help improve the appearance of sagging skin in the face and neck (known as the turkey neck), as well as sagging jawline and cheeks. It also helps reduce wrinkles by delivering a controlled amount of energy to tighten loose skin, making it appear firmer and more youthful.
PRP has been used or studied across several fields, including hair loss, some musculoskeletal conditions, and selected aesthetic uses. The quality of evidence varies by indication, so it should not be described as a universal regenerative treatment.
Longevity
Duration varies for both treatments and depends on the indication, device or preparation, treatment protocol, anatomy, and individual response. There is no universal evidence-based duration that applies to every Ultherapy or PRP treatment.
How both treatments can be repeated as many times as needed. With this being said, it is recommended that you follow up with your physician for an evaluation post-procedure.
Side-effects
There are few side effects to Ultherapy, but patients have reported discomfort in their neck and face during the treatment and a feeling of heaviness in the area that was treated.
Ultherapy does not require injections, but treatment should remain within the device’s cleared indications and appropriate patient selection. Reported side effects can include redness, swelling, pain, bruising, and transient nerve-related effects.
Because PRP is prepared from the patient’s own blood, allergic reactions to the platelet product itself are uncommon. Injection-related risks can include bruising, bleeding, infection, pain, nerve or vascular injury, and reactions to anesthetics or antiseptics used during the procedure.
Other common side effects include rashes, redness, and itching in the injected place for a few days following the treatment sessions.
Who Should Avoid
Both procedures have established safety considerations and should be performed in appropriately selected patients by qualified clinicians. Risks differ because the technologies and treatment areas are different.
However, suppose you are pregnant, a breastfeeding mom, having any intensive physical treatments like chemotherapy, or are on blood thinners such as Warfarin. In that case, none of the procedures may be your best option.
However, conclusive evidence is needed that one procedure will yield better results. It’s always better to speak with a professional. Call us to help you choose one!
FAQ
How is the procedure of PRP different from ultherapy?
PRP draws blood from the patient’s arm and then spins it in a centrifuge to isolate the platelets and plasma components. The cells are then injected into the desired area for treatment. Whereas ultherapy is done with intense, high-focused ultrasound energy on the affected area.
Is there anything better than ultherapy?
There is no single treatment that is universally “better” than Ultherapy. Alternatives may include RF microneedling, laser or other energy-based treatments, injectables, skincare, or surgery depending on whether the primary concern is laxity, texture, wrinkles, pigmentation, volume loss, or another issue. RF microneedling and lasers address different tissue depths and concerns than focused ultrasound, so treatment selection should follow an in-person evaluation rather than a simple one-to-one comparison.
Final Thought
Here’s what you need to know about Ultherapy vs PRP to help you decide. There are many things to consider when choosing between Ultherapy and PRP treatment options, and there’s no one right answer.
The best option will be to visit my chamber to get more detailed insights about the best option for you. I will analyze your condition and suggest proper planning.
For treatment-specific information on PRP-based facial rejuvenation, visit our PRP Facial with Microneedling service page.
