At Makati Medical Center’s Skin and Laser Hub, dermatologists say aesthetic treatments should be about enhancing-not changing-a person’s natural appearance
The conversation around aesthetic medicine is changing.
For many patients, the goal is no longer necessarily to look younger at all costs. Increasingly, it is about looking refreshed, addressing early signs of aging and maintaining a natural appearance without dramatically changing the way they look.
That philosophy is at the heart of Makati Medical Center’s Skin and Laser Hub, which recently introduced Ultherapy Prime, a non-invasive ultrasound-based treatment designed for lifting and tightening.
But for the dermatologists behind the new service, the technology is only part of the story.
The more important conversation, they say, is about choosing the right treatment for the right patient-and knowing when a treatment may not be appropriate.
‘We augment, we highlight, but we definitely would not want the patient to look different,’ said Dr. Malou de Veyra, head of the Skin and Laser Hub.
Not every patient needs the same treatment
ULTHERAPY Prime is one of several options available to patients seeking a more lifted or rejuvenated appearance without surgery.
Dr. Jose Giovanni Dimayuga, assistant head of the Skin and Laser Hub, explained that patients have different choices, ranging from minimally invasive procedures such as neuromodulators and fillers to non-invasive technologies such as radiofrequency and ultrasound.
Ultherapy uses high-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU, to deliver energy to targeted layers of tissue. The Prime system, according to the doctors, allows them to visualize the treatment area and personalize the depth and placement of the energy based on the patient’s anatomy.
That personalization is important because there is no single treatment setting that works for everyone.
Dr. Donna Sarossa, chair of the Department of Dermatology, said a younger patient, for example, may have thicker skin and require a different approach from someone with more pronounced signs of aging.
The objective, she said, is not simply to follow a preset machine parameter but to understand the patient’s anatomy and determine what is appropriate.
For Dr. Dimayuga, this also means being honest about what a non-invasive procedure can and cannot achieve.
He pointed out that a patient with significant facial sagging may not be the ideal candidate for Ultherapy. In some cases, a facelift may provide a better result, provided the patient is medically suitable and willing to undergo surgery.
‘If the sagging is too much, I don’t want to promise,’ he said.
That may be one of the more important messages for patients navigating an increasingly crowded aesthetic market: the most popular treatment is not necessarily the most appropriate one.
The technology is only as good as its user
THE doctors also emphasize that the equipment does not replace clinical judgment.
Dr. De Veyra described the appeal of Ultherapy Prime as its precision and ability to visualize the treatment area. The device targets the superficial musculo-aponeurotic system, or SMAS, a layer of tissue also involved in surgical facelift procedures.
The treatment creates microscopic areas of thermal injury, which trigger the body’s healing response and stimulate collagen production, according to Dr. De Veyra.
Because the process is gradual, patients should not expect an instant transformation.
Changes may begin to become noticeable after several weeks and develop over the succeeding months. Dimayuga said patients generally should not rush into another treatment simply because they do not see immediate results.
‘Management of expectations, realistic expectations,’ he said, is one of the most important things patients should understand before undergoing the procedure.
For some patients, treatment may be performed about once a year, although the appropriate interval depends on the individual.
Subtlety is part of the goal
PERHAPS the biggest difference between the doctors’ approach and the image often associated with aesthetic medicine is the emphasis on subtlety.
Dr. Sarossa said patients can leave after the procedure without obvious signs that they have undergone treatment, while changes appear gradually.
Dr. Dimayuga said some of his patients initially do not notice a difference themselves. Months later, however, someone who has not seen them for a while may comment that their face looks more defined, particularly around the jawline.
That subtle progression is precisely what the doctors want.
‘When you see your face every day, you don’t notice,’ Dr. Dimayuga said, describing how patients may only recognize the change when they compare themselves with older photographs or receive comments from friends.
For Dr. De Veyra, however, the goal goes beyond the technology.
Patients should first accept their own individuality, she said, rather than come into a consultation wanting to resemble a celebrity or follow a particular beauty trend.
‘We are not here to make another person look like Kim Kardashian,’ she said.
Instead, she said, dermatologists should help patients enhance their existing features while preserving their identity.
Knowing when to say no
THAT philosophy also means that doctors sometimes have to tell patients no.
Dr. De Veyra said responsible aesthetic practice requires doctors to recognize when a procedure will not suit a patient or when the patient’s expectations are unrealistic.
Dr. Sarossa similarly stressed that Ultherapy is not appropriate for everyone. The Skin and Laser Hub has other technologies precisely because different skin concerns require different approaches.
This broader perspective is also how the doctors envision the role of the Skin and Laser Hub-not simply as a place where patients can undergo a particular aesthetic procedure, but as a setting where different concerns can be assessed and addressed according to individual needs.
For patients considering non-invasive lifting, Dr. Dimayuga’s advice is straightforward: start with a consultation, understand what the treatment can realistically deliver, and have the procedure performed by a trained physician in an accredited setting.
Makati Medical Center formally launched Ultherapy Prime at the Skin and Laser Hub on September 10, 2026. The launch program introduced the technology as the latest addition to the center’s range of aesthetic services.