The first thing most of our clients ask about Thermage CPT is, “does it really work?” Here are some facts about Thermage.
Yes, Thermage CPT for skin tightening does exactly what it claims to do. It sends radio frequency energy into the deep layers of the skin, this energy turns into heat which causes your collagen chains to shorten and thicken, creating a tightening effect.
Your skin will also appear tighter because of some mild swelling that occurs immediately after the treatment and resolves itself by the next day.
This denaturing of your collagen provokes skin fibroblasts to produce new, healthy collagen. The process takes a few months so although you will see an immediate improvement; it is the long term collagen growth and stimulation of blood flow in the fatty layer where the real results will be found. In fact, you will continue to see results for up to 6 months.
How noticeable are the results?
The tightening from Thermage can be measured in millimeters. So it is subtle and certainly a more suitable treatment for skin that isn’t too loose or damaged. It is not a substitute for plastic surgery and not everyone is a good candidate for this treatment. Patients between the ages of 30 and 60 with skin that still has good ‘snap-back’ when pinched, will do well with Thermage.
One of the best parts of this treatment is the ‘no downtime’ factor. Thermage is non-ablative, so all of the controlled damage and heating is under the top layers, leaving your surface skin unharmed. There is a cooling feature built into the tip which keeps the top layers of skin safe from overheating. The new Thermage CPT also has a vibration in the hand piece which is distracting and increases the comfort level.
Each disposable tip has 1200 pulses which are enough to cover the face, sides of neck and under the chin. You can choose which area you would like your technician to give more attention to. The mid-face and jawline are most often the spots that people request to put the extra pulses into.
Thermage can be done all over the body and tightening loose tummy skin has been particularly successful.
(Results vary by individual patient and results cannot be guaranteed)
How does it really feel?
Speaking from experience, I can tell you that about 80% of the treatment is extremely comfortable, like a warm vibrating massage. The other 20% feels very ‘spicy’ and has some bite to it. The jawline, the temples and near the nostrils were the most uncomfortable. At Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic we give you the option of taking pain medications ahead of time and getting a ride home. If you are sensitive, this might be something to consider. The settings can be altered to fit your comfort level but there is a goal to keep the numbers at a place you can cope while still getting optimum energy to achieve your best results.
How long does it take?
The treatment lasts between 1 ½ hours and 2 hours and only one treatment is needed, although a ‘top up’ is recommended in a year or so to help maintain your results.
A couple of points you should know:
- Don’t use anti-inflammatories for as long as possible after your treatment or right before. The inflammation created by the treatment is key to getting results, Tylenol is fine to use.
- You can’t have Thermage if you have a pacemaker or defibrillator implant.
- If you have a metal implant, you should not have Thermage done in that area.
- A grounding pad will be placed on your back during the treatment so the current runs from the handpiece and into the body and doesn’t return to the handpiece.
- An oily, gooey, coupling gel is used throughout the treatment that may play havoc with your hair so don’t bother coming right from the salon for your treatment.
- If you are having Thermage done on your eyes, be prepared to wear special plastic eye-shields like a large contact lens) while each eye is being treated.
- Once your treatment is done you can go right back to your normal activities even out to dinner and no one will know you’ve had anything done.
One last reminder, be patient and realistic with your expectations. Your results will take time.
