Thermage

Thermage is a safe, non-invasive, no downtime, single treatment, cosmetic procedure that is clinically proven to tighten, contour and rejuvenate facial skin to help naturally restore a more youthful appearance. The Thermage procedure is administered in a doctor’s office using the ThermaCool® system, FDA cleared for the non-invasive treatment of wrinkles and rhytids, which utilizes a unique form of monopolar Capacitive Radiofrequency (CRF) technology to tighten existing collagen and stimulate new natural collagen production.  Immediate results may be visible and continue to improve for up to six months.  The Thermage procedure is fast and easy, and requires no downtime from normal activities.  Unlike lasers, the procedure can be performed on patients of all skin color.

Although Thermage is called a “non-surgical face lift,” it is not a substitute for a face lift. It will give a portion of the improvement that a facelift will give in many people. There are, however, some people who will see no improvement following Thermage (especially those who have very loose skin and are really ready for a facelift, or those with very heavy faces). For these people, a second treatment may be performed six months after the first. This second treatment may or may not yield improvement. Thermage seems to work best in people with thin faces who are just on the verge of needing a facelift and want to put it off for a few years. In other words, if you have looses skin, sagging jowls, and a turkey gobbler, you can try Thermage, but you may not see much improvement.

The Benefits
·  Skin laxity, saggy cheeks, scar revision, acne
·  Periorbital region: forehead and area around the eyes
·  Mid/Lower face: includes the cheeks, area around the month, jaw line, jowls, and area under the chin
·  Lower face/submental: includes the area around the month, chin, jaw line, jowls, and area under the chin
·  Full face: includes the periorbital region and mid/lower face areas

 

Best Candidates

Thermage is best suited for those who are starting to see signs of aging: early jowling, loose skin, creases around the nose and mouth, and wrinkles around the nose and mouth. It is not designed a substitute for a face-lift. So, if you are someone who has heavy jowling, a turkey-gobbler neck, and loose lax skin of the face and neck, you are likely to see some improvement after Thermage, but not a dramatic improvement. If, on the other hand, you have medical problems that prevent you from having a face lift (or if you simply do not want to have surgery), then Thermage will at least offer you something – you just need to adjust your expectations.

Thermage will also help people with active acne and acne scars. Just one treatment will give visible improvement in most people.

 

Recovery

Immediately following a Thermage procedure, you will be able to return to your normal activities and can apply cosmetics. There is no recovery with this procedure. Your skin should feel tighter, smoother and more youthful. Over time, you will notice additional tightening. Recently published studios conducted by Thermage show measurable tightening improvements appear gradually over 2 to 6 months after a single treatment session. However many patients have reported seeing an earlier response. Results may last for years depending on your skin condition and aging process.

 

Results

Results are seen at different times for different people. Some start to see improvement as soon as one month after Thermage. Others begin to see improvement after 2-3 months. All continue to improve for a total of six months after the treatment. As noted above, a few people fail to see substantial improvement after the first treatment and are encouraged to have a second treatment six months later.

Thermage has been in existence since 2000. Those who were treated at that time have shown consistent results with no deterioration since then. So, we know that Thermage lasts at least this long. It is projected that the benefits from Thermage may last as long as 5-10 years, but there is no way of knowing this yet. Time will tell.

Risks

As with all medical cosmetic procedures, some side effects may occur but should only last 2-5 days: (Side effects may vary)

Most common side effects:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Increased sensitivity or soreness
- Lumps/Bumps
- Surface irregularities (very rare 1.4 in 1000)

Of 120,000 procedures performed worldwide, only 5 in 1000 have reported side effects from the Thermage procedure.

Patients who are pregnant or have metal implanted in their body (peacemakers, metal plates) are not candidates for this treatment.