Thermage

Thermage is a non surgical method to tighten your skin.

Almost all non-surgical methods of skin tightening – lasers such as fraxel, pixel, CO2, titan, etc. and portrait plasma – rely on heat. By heating the skin, to just the right temperature, the treatment initially causes the collagen to contract; later the collagen remodels. Over the following six months this remodeling results in a smoother more youthful appearance to the skin as the “newly remodeled” collagen is tighter and firmer. The new dermis has a new and improved blood supply.

Thermage differs from other non-surgical procedures in that is there is NO surface damage to the skin. Lasers and chemical peels work from the top down. This causes redness as well as peeling. Your skin can actually peel off. The recovery from lasers and peels can take days to weeks. Thermage, by contrast, works from the inside out. There is almost no damage to the outer layers of skin, so there is no down time.

The Thermage treatment is done in one or two hours in the office. It uses a small probe about the size of a cigar butt that is pressed down over the skin. The machine fires a pulse of radio frequency energy that takes about a second. The surface of your skin is instantaneously cooled with a patented thermoelectric coupling device. Voila. The tissue below is heated but the skin on top is undamaged. You should see some slight immediate effects, but the final results can take up to six months to gel.

The procedure is done at our office by Catherine, Sylvia, and Kinsey, our experienced physician assistants and nurse. They all have had extensive advanced training in the procedure, and are Thermage instructors themselves. They are among the most experienced (and gentlest) in the Rocky Mountain Region. Since the treatment takes a couple of hours, we usually recommend some oral sedation, as it can be uncomfortable and boring lying there for so long. After the procedure there is really no recovery: your skin appears normal. There is NO down time. The next day there is minimal, if any, discomfort. This is the great advantage over surgery or peels which do require recovery and are more uncomfortable.

Thermage is NOT surgery. I use the blue jean analogy. If you consider your skin as a pair of beloved, if well worn, blue jeans, surgery is like having the seams cut out, re-fitted, and stitched back up. Thermage, by comparison, is like putting your blue jeans into the dryer and re-sizing them. They work by two different methods, and if money is no problem, you can even do both!

Scheduling a consultation will help you realistically assess whether you are a candidate for Thermage.

How does Thermage work? Thermage uses radio frequency waves that travel down under your skin to heat the collagen causing tissue contraction. Another analogy is like bacon cooking – as the temperature rises, you can see the collagen in the bacon contracting.  EEH! YUCK! If you prefer the jello analogy, again, after you heat the jello, you activate the collagen, and it firms up. Like the jello or the bacon, your skin becomes tighter and firmer. 

How long does it last? Thermage effects may take up to six months to see, but the collagen once heated is never the same. It helps build up the collagen, and the dermal layers are thicker. Whether or not this results in a VISIBLE change depends on your skin. 

How many times does it take? I usually recommend Thermage be done just once, and occasionally a second time six months later. However, for those people who are hard on themselves, there is probably no problem with doing it every year or so, just to keep those jowls at bay. 

Who is a candidate? I would suggest a personal consultation, but be realistic. This is to improve, not ablate, loose saggy skin. 

I have dark skin. Will it cause pigmentation problems? No changes in pigmentation are usually seen.  Also your skin will not be red and peely after the procedure making it ideal for those with darker skin tones. 

Which areas can be treated? Thermage can be done almost everywhere – face, eyes, neck, but also on upper arms, hands, stomach and thighs, around the knees. 

How does it work? You can watch the Thermage video we filmed for a local TV show. Click the Thermage video link! Enjoy. 

How long does it take? About one or two hours. 

Does it hurt? Yes. But if you like, you can take some pills ahead of time, and have someone pick you up after the procedure. You can still feel some discomfort, but the pills help take the edge off of the procedure. 

What is the recovery time? There is no recovery time at all with Thermage! The very moment you leave, you will look normal and can go about normal activities—swimming, outdoor fun, etc. There are no precautions at all. 

Why not a laser? Lasers are amazing, but most of the powerful lasers and peels can ONLY be done from the jaw line up on your face. You can’t use a CO2 laser below your neck. Thermage is really the only powerful non surgical treatment for areas below the neck. 

Before and After Photos

Patient A

Patient B

Patient C

Patient D

Patient E

Patient F

This 50 something year old had a few medical problems, and really wasn’t a candidate for any big surgical procedures, so she opted for something a little less surgical, but that fit her budget and recovery time schedule. A family reunion was coming up, and she just wanted to feel a little better about herself. I did a bit of liposuctioning under her chin, just under local anesthesia to remove any extra fat from right up underneath the chin. Then 4 weeks later she had a Thermage procedure in the office – a non-surgical method of skin tightening. No skin was remove! And the only incision she has is a .5″ scar under her chin. Wonderful and so fun for her!