Is Thermage a Treatment That Pulls the Skin?

Thermage is more accurately understood not as a device that pulls the skin in one direction, but as a treatment that delivers radiofrequency heat over a wide area to induce remodeling of skin density and firmness.

How Thermage delivers heat

Thermage FLX is a device designed to deliver volumetric heat beneath the skin surface using monopolar radiofrequency energy. While the surface is protected by cooling, thermal stimulation of the dermis and fibrous septa induces immediate contraction of collagen and subsequent remodeling.

Because it addresses the firmness and density of a broad surface rather than pulling a single point strongly, it is considered when a blurred facial line, thin and loosened skin, and changes in fine lines and texture appear together.

Is it the same lifting as Ultherapy?

For someone very young whose skin elasticity is already good but who wants to change the silhouette of the face, Ultherapy may be a more direct choice than Thermage. Conversely, when the skin has thinned and surface elasticity and density have declined, Thermage's role grows. Both devices are grouped under lifting, but they are not devices that do the same job.

For someone who actually needs treatment of both the dermis and the deeper layers, and when circumstances allow, the two devices can be used together in a layer-by-layer approach. But doing both is not always better. First confirm whether each layer is in a condition that needs treatment.

Uniform coverage and temperature over shot count

I do not view Thermage as a treatment that picks out specific areas only. I look at the skin density and connection of the whole face, including the forehead, and adjust shots and energy by area within that. In radiofrequency treatment, covering the target range evenly while safely accumulating sufficient heat is what matters.

Thermage FLX is designed with cooling and vibration to improve the treatment experience, but the degree of pain varies from person to person. Share your sensitivity and past experience before treatment, and speak up immediately if you feel pain that is unusually sharp or concentrated in one spot.

Natural firmness is evaluated over time

It is hard to judge the final result from how it feels immediately after treatment. Collagen remodeling proceeds gradually, so it is better to check together: photos recorded with the same expression and lighting, how well makeup adheres, and how firm the skin feels to the touch.

Even to someone who wants Thermage, if the concern lies outside Thermage's role, such as deep sagging, hollowing, pigmentation, or pores, I say that another treatment would be better. Rather than fixing the device and fitting the face to it, look at the face and decide the device's role.

Questions to think about before your consultation

Is my concern deep sagging, or thinning skin and loss of elasticity?
How are the tip and the shot distribution by area designed?
How do the role and order differ from Ultherapy or other treatments?

Treatment information

Thermage's mechanism, timing of results, and duration are covered on the page below and in the lifting series columns. Prices can be checked in the current event listing.

• Thermage FLX
• This month's events

Medical references

Solta Medical, Thermage FLX system information (solta.com)
Individual results, pain, and recovery depend on diagnosis and treatment conditions

This column is for general information. Individual indications, results, recovery, and risks depend on your condition and treatment settings, and should be decided after a medical consultation.