From Our Studio
James Hooper on Ultrasonic Cavitation
This transcript is from an earlier recording and may describe a previous protocol. Current package details are shown above.
Read video transcript
Hi, I'm James Hooper, creator of the Butterfly Facelift. Let me show you the science behind Ultrasonic Cavitation, one of the technologies in the Butterfly Facelift®. It starts with low-frequency ultrasound — mechanical sound waves, far below what you can hear — delivered gently through the skin surface. As those waves travel into the tissue, they create rapid cycles of high and low pressure in the fluid around the fat layer. During each low-pressure phase, microscopic vapor bubbles form, and then gently collapse. That's cavitation, and the energy it releases is focused right at the membranes of stubborn fat cells, while the surrounding skin, nerves, and vessels are left undisturbed. As those membranes give way, the cells release their contents — triglycerides — into the space between the cells. From there, your body takes over. The lymphatic system carries them away to be processed naturally, the same way it handles fat from food, gradually, over the days that follow. Through all of it, there's no surgery and no cosmetic injections. Just a warm handpiece and a faint buzzing sound. No anesthesia, and minimal downtime for many appropriate clients. Session by session, along the chin and lower face, the goal is a smoother, more defined-looking jawline. And because it's one of the technologies we layer together in the Butterfly Facelift®, each step supports the next, for a more complete, non-surgical result.
In this clip, James Hooper — founder and sole creator of the Butterfly Facelift® — explains Ultrasonic Cavitation, one of the six clinically studied technologies combined in the Butterfly Facelift®.
Ultrasonic Cavitation uses low-frequency sound waves to target stubborn areas and help contour and refine the treated area, with no surgery or cosmetic injections and minimal downtime for many clients.
It is performed alongside Apollo TriPollar RF, Ultherapy, Microneedling, and Red Light and Near-Infrared Therapy (the Signature Butterfly Facelift® adds AQ Human Fibroblast Growth-Factor Skin Solution) at Newport Beach Skin Tightening, serving Orange County from our Newport Beach and Costa Mesa locations.
Is Ultrasonic Cavitation Right for You?
Ultrasonic cavitation may be appropriate for adults seeking non-surgical contouring of small, localized areas, such as fullness beneath the chin or along the lower face. It is not intended as a weight-loss treatment.
Treatment may not be appropriate over open wounds, active infections, compromised skin, certain metal implants, or active electronic implants such as pacemakers or implanted defibrillators.
Your health history, medications, treatment area, implants, pregnancy status, and previous procedures must be reviewed before treatment. Results vary, and not every type of facial fullness can be treated safely or effectively with cavitation.
Treatment suitability is determined during your consultation. Medical clearance may be required, and treatment may be adjusted, postponed, or declined for safety reasons.
By appointment, 7 days a weekMon–Sun 9am–9pm · By appointment only
What Is Ultrasonic Cavitation?
Ultrasonic Cavitation is a non-surgical technology that uses low-frequency sound waves applied to the surface of the skin. It is designed to support localized contouring and refinement of the treated area — with no incisions, no anesthesia, and no cosmetic injections.
It is not a weight-loss treatment and it does not promise permanent fat removal. Its role in our studio is refinement: helping soften stubborn fullness and supporting a smoother-looking contour as part of a customized plan. Individual responses vary.
How It Is Used in the Butterfly Facelift®
Ultrasonic Cavitation is one of the six technologies in the Butterfly Facelift® ($2,500–$3,000, face and neck, approximately 1.5 hours), one of the seven in the Signature Butterfly Facelift® ($4,500–$7,500, face, neck and décolletage, approximately 2.5 hours), and one of the four in the entry-level Mini Butterfly Facelift® ($400–$900, face and neck, approximately one hour).
Within each package, cavitation is sequenced with the other technologies — it contributes contour refinement while the radiofrequency, ultrasound, light and other modalities address firmness, lift and skin quality. Which technologies are used, and at what settings, varies according to your facial structure, skin, concerns, goals and suitability.
Butterfly Facelift® →Signature Butterfly Facelift® →Mini Butterfly Facelift® →
Treatment Areas
In our facial protocols, cavitation is most often used along the lower face, jawline, under-chin and neck — areas where localized fullness can soften definition. The exact areas treated are confirmed at your consultation based on your anatomy and goals.
Who May Be an Appropriate Candidate?
Adults with localized areas of stubborn fullness — for example along the jawline or under the chin — who want non-surgical refinement with minimal downtime for many appropriate clients are often good candidates. A complimentary consultation confirms whether cavitation, on its own or within a Butterfly Facelift® package, suits your goals.
Who May Not Be an Appropriate Candidate?
Cavitation is not intended for significant weight reduction, and it may not be appropriate for clients who are pregnant or nursing, or who have certain medical conditions or implanted devices. Your consultation includes a suitability review, and we will tell you honestly if a different approach — or no treatment — is the better choice.
What to Expect
During treatment, the applicator is moved over the skin and most clients describe the sensation as gentle warmth or mild vibration. There are no incisions and no cosmetic injections, and there is minimal downtime for many appropriate clients — temporary redness or warmth can occur. Individual experiences vary.
Results and Limitations
Cavitation supports gradual contour refinement rather than dramatic change, and results develop over a series of sessions or as part of a combined protocol. It does not promise permanent fat removal or major weight loss, and it is not a substitute for surgery in cases of significant laxity or fullness. Individual results vary.
Relevant Client Result
You can review real, unretouched client outcomes from our combined protocols — including sessions that used Ultrasonic Cavitation — in our before-and-after gallery. Every case notes what was treated and the time between photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ultrasonic Cavitation surgery or liposuction?
+
No. It is a non-surgical technology applied to the surface of the skin — no incisions, no anesthesia, and no cosmetic injections. It is designed to support contour refinement, not to replicate the results of liposuction.
Does cavitation permanently remove fat?
+
We do not promise permanent fat removal or major weight loss. Cavitation is used to support localized contouring and refinement, and maintaining results depends on your body, lifestyle and treatment plan. Individual results vary.
Is there downtime?
+
There is minimal downtime for many appropriate clients — temporary redness or warmth can occur, and most clients return to normal activities the same day. Individual recovery experiences vary.
How do I know if cavitation is right for me?
+
Book a free 30-minute consultation. James Hooper evaluates your skin and goals, explains which technologies are appropriate, and recommends whether standalone treatment or a Butterfly Facelift® package is the better fit.
Book a Free Consultation
Meet with James Hooper for a complimentary 30-minute consultation to find out whether this technology — on its own or within a Butterfly Facelift® package — is right for your goals. See pricing, browse before & after results, or watch video testimonials.
Book a Free Consultation