Thermage is a non-surgical skin tightening procedure that uses radio waves to lift and firm the skin. It can be used to rejuvenate several areas of your body, including your face, stomach, knees, arms, legs and butt. Thermage — also known as ThermaCool, ThermaLift and radiothermoplasty — was originally used to tighten facial skin, smooth wrinkles and improve facial contours without incisions or downtime, but its use has been expanded to other parts of the body. The procedure is still considered a good option for people who don't want a full facelift and for those who worry that an injectable filler such as Restylane or Juvederm won't have lasting results.

Thermage can lift sagging eyebrows, increase the prominence of cheekbones and redefine the jawline. Additionally, Thermage can tighten wrinkled facial skin, improve the appearance of double chins and turkey necks and eliminate the signs of aging on the hands.

The Thermage Procedure

Thermage is typically performed in a doctor's office and may take up to an hour, depending on the size and condition of the treatment area. Thermage delivers radiofrequency energy to heat collagen, a structural protein located in the deep layers of the skin. Thermage helps build and contract collagen, which in turn tightens the skin’s appearance. During each pulse, the outer layer of the skin is cooled while the deeper layers of skin and fat are heated to induce collagen tightening.

Each energy pulse takes two to seven seconds. The entire face may require 400 to 600 pulses. The number of pulses needed to treat other body parts varies.

Thermage Results

You may be able to see Thermage results after just one procedure. Some women who have undergone body contouring around their love handles with Thermage have lost 1.5 inches of girth around their abdomen after one treatment.

The skin tightens during the initial process and continues to tighten for three to six months afterward. The procedure also stimulates your body's natural healing process, which produces more collagen over time.

The Thermage experience is often described as a deep heating or mild pinching sensation. A new vibrating handpiece has led to significantly less discomfort.

Still, oral pain medication and a topical anesthetic may be administered before treatment.

Best Candidates for Thermage

Thermage may work best for people who require 1 to 2 millimeters of facial tightening, compared with the 1 or more centimeters offered in a brow lift.

Thermage body contouring candidates should have lax skin in the lower abdomen. This includes women who have had children. Women with flabby upper arms, inner thighs and buttocks may also be candidates for Thermage.

Thermage Side Effects

Thermage side effects are rare, but can include swelling, redness, blisters, peeling, bumps or dimpling. If a side effect occurs, it is usually temporary.

Thermage Cost

Thermage cost ranges between $1,000 and $5,000 per treatment.

If the out-of-pocket cost is prohibitive, ask your surgeon about payment plans or read our article on patient financing. Cost is also increased if other procedures are done in conjunction with or following Thermage.

For example, some women may opt for skin tightening with Thermage following liposuction to firm and tighten their abdomen. Thermage is often paired with Fraxel, a laser treatment that resurfaces your skin’s outer layers. (Thermage targets the deeper layers.)

The Thermage Procedure

The Thermage® procedure can tighten and tone facial skin, renew facial contours, and produce healthier, more abundant collagen to improve skin structure. Thermage® uses a monopolar capacitive radiofrequency (CRF) device called ThermaCool® to stimulate the deeper layers of the skin (the dermis and the deeper subcutaneous layer) while cooling and soothing the outer layer (the epidermis). Read on to learn more about how Thermage® can give you a younger appearance without surgery.

How the Thermage ThermaCool System Works

As the collagen in the dermis and the subcutaneous layer begin to stretch and sag, the skin loses some of its firmness and naturally smooth texture. The Thermage® procedure targets these collagen-containing layers. The ThermaCool® system utilizes a specialized treatment tip called the ThermaTip™, which delivers the CRF energy to the skin in controlled amounts. The ThermaTip™ uniformly heats the treatment area, stimulating collagen growth by essentially tricking the body into thinking it has suffered an injury and therefore needs to regrow collagen to restore the skin’s structure.

What Is Thermage Treatment Like?

In general, the higher the setting used during the Thermage® procedure, the more impressive the final results; however, there will also be an increased risk of discomfort. If you are undergoing a more rigorous Thermage® treatment, your doctor may have you take pain medication before beginning. The preparation for each treatment will vary depending on the individual Thermage® candidate.

Patients report a brief, deep heating sensation with every touch of the ThermaTip™ device. The outer layer of skin (the dermis) is cooled with a spray so that the visible layers of skin are not damaged. Each touch of the ThermaTip™ covers approximately one-half to three-quarters of a square inch, and each pulse lasts between two and seven seconds.

How Long Does Treatment Last?

In general, the actual treatment lasts less than an hour, though preparation and possible administration of anesthesia will add to this time. On the part of the patient, Thermage® procedures require no preparation beyond cleaning the face and removing all makeup.

What are the advantages of Thermage?

It is completely non-invasive, since no surgeries or injections are involved.
The improved tonicity, outline and texture of the skin are naturally achieved by stimulation of the collagen.
As opposed to laser treatments, Thermage can be used to treat all kinds of skin and of any color.
As opposed to injectable fillings, Thermage acts on every section of the face: forehead, eyelids, nasolabial folds, jaws, cheeks and chin.
In just one session of between 30 minutes and 2 hours, the collagen is tightened and its growth is stimulated.
The improvement is evident immediately and it continues during the following 6 months. The results last years.
You will be able to return to your normal activities very quickly, a recovery period will not be necessary.
How does Thermage work?
Since Thermage acts selectively in each layer of skin, it is convenient to begin the explanation with the skin layers:
1) The external layer, epidermis, is the only visible layer.
2) The mid layer below the epidermis, dermis, is where the concentration of collagen is higher.
3) The interior layer, subcutaneous, is mainly made of fat and a web of collagen fibers.
When the collagen is deteriorated because of exposure to the sun, genetic factors or normal aging process, the skin of the face begins to wrinkle and to look sagging.
Obviously, conventional treatments that act on the surface level do not restore the collagen of the mid and deep layers of the skin.
Thermage is the only non-invasive treatment available to restore and tighten the collagen of the skin in all its layers. It uses capacity radiofrequency (CRF) technology to generate intense heat on the mid and deep layers of the skin, which produces an immediate tightening and an improvement in the skin's tone and texture. Meanwhile, the external layer of the skin is kept cool with a spray of very cold water.
Length
One session lasts between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
Recovery
After the treatment, your skin will probably remain slightly red for one day or two. Most of the patients return to their normal activities immediately after the treatment, a recovery period and special cares are not necessary.

The Results
The skin will look and feel softer, firmer and tighter immediately after the Thermage treatment. You may also notice some favorable changes in the outline of your face that will become more evident as months go by.
In general, you will notice a progressive improvement during at least 6 months, a result of the new production of collagen. The outline of your face will also become more clearly defined thanks to the tightening effect.
Thermage will not, of course, make time stop, but it will make your face look younger and fresher again for a long time. Even after many years, you will look younger than you really are and you will look much better than if you had never had this treatment done.