Seriously, Let's Not Do Ulthera Like This.. (Dot-Ulthera??)

#Ulthera #DotUlthera #ActWithIntegrity #CheongdamAnzDermatology

Not long ago, I attended a conference where many aesthetic doctors gathered.

There, I met doctors who practice near Gangnam Station, and they shared some truly shocking news.

The area around Gangnam Station is commonly referred to as "dumping,"

since Ulthera is offered at ultra-low prices, so there isn't much profit margin left.

Also, since many of the patients are new foreign clients who only come once,

rather than putting care and effort into each patient's results,

they take on a large number of patients

and use a strategy (a high-volume, low-margin model) to get them out of the clinic as quickly as possible.

The method behind this is shortening treatment time.

The technique used for this is what's known as "Dot-Ulthera" (a.k.a. 점쎄라).

When I first heard the term Dot-Ulthera, I thought it was a new copycat Ulthera device.

Actually, it's not that. It's slang that has become popular among doctors at those clinics for shrinking the area Ulthera covers (from a line to a dot)

so that each shot finishes quickly.

To help you understand, I'll show you some pictures.

This is the Ulthera monitor screen. If you look at the far right,

you can see "Length 25mm," and 25 is the default value.

The distance between the two gray vertical lines is 25mm, and Ulthera energy is delivered linearly across that length.

That Length can be adjusted manually.

As you can see, 5mm is the minimum value.

At 5mm, it's literally just a dot.

This creates thermal coagulation points that are only one-fifth the size of the ones produced at the default 25mm,

In simple terms, five shots of Dot-Ulthera equal one shot of regular Ulthera.

Does it cost differently? No. They charge the same per-shot price.

Instead, the treatment time is cut to one-fifth, so the procedure can be finished quickly.

(If 400 shots of Ulthera take 20 minutes, 400 shots of Dot-Ulthera take 4 minutes.)

The effect is likely close to nonexistent.

I am definitely NOT saying that every doctor near Gangnam Station does this.

But because there are clearly doctors doing this, it has become a topic of discussion,

and looking at the revenue model and how these clinics operate, I can see how the temptation might arise.

In a high-volume, low-margin model, turnover is what matters most.

And Dot-Ulthera is the method used to boost that turnover.

This is clearly a moral hazard among some doctors.

I want to ask the doctors who perform Dot-Ulthera..

Do you really want to do this to younger patients who can't afford full-price treatment

and have no choice but to look for cheap options..?

You benefit from the K-beauty market our seniors built up,

yet do you want to sell your conscience and profit this way from the foreign patients who come to us..?

If word gets around that "I got Ulthera in Korea and it didn't work,"

other clinics that put their heart into every treatment will suffer too..

Please, don't tarnish the reputation of the K-beauty market

that everyone has worked so hard to build. I'm asking you sincerely.

How to check whether you received Dot-Ulthera or a proper treatment. I'm sharing this publicly.

Ulthera devices keep a log file stored on the machine itself.

When you open the log file,

you can see the treatment start time, end time, energy used, and even the Length setting.

If Length is set to 25.0mm, you received a proper treatment,

but if it's set to 5, you received Dot-Ulthera.

It's a good idea to request the log file in advance.

Some clinics actually reset the records,

and if a rental device was used due to equipment failure, the log file may not exist at all.

I've been incredibly busy and couldn't write for a long time,

but I was so angry that I finally sat down to write this, because I felt this had to be made known.

Please forgive me if my language was a bit harsh..T_T

If you have any additional questions

or inquiries, please leave a comment or contact us below,

and I will answer them sincerely.

I'll be back with a more fun post next time!

#BestUlthera #CheongdamDermatology #CheongdamUlthera

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dot-Ulthera?

Dot-Ulthera is slang used among some doctors to describe reducing Ulthera's Length setting to as low as 5mm so that each shot is delivered as a short dot, finishing quickly. The post explains that it refers to a treatment method, not a new device.

Does getting Dot-Ulthera change the treatment cost?

No. The post explains that Dot-Ulthera is charged at the same per-shot price as regular Ulthera. Instead, treatment time drops to one-fifth. For example, if 400 shots of Ulthera take 20 minutes, 400 shots of Dot-Ulthera take 4 minutes.

How can I tell if I received Dot-Ulthera?

Check the Length value in the log file stored on the Ulthera device. If Length reads 25.0mm, you received a proper treatment; if it reads 5, you received Dot-Ulthera, according to the post.

When is the best time to request the log file?

The post recommends requesting the log file in advance, since records are sometimes reset, and if a rental device was used due to a malfunction, no log file may remain.

What problems does this post point out with Dot-Ulthera?

The post points to Dot-Ulthera as a moral hazard among some doctors, adding that this does not mean all doctors do it. The author also states the view that Dot-Ulthera treatments are likely to have close to no effect.