Thermage

Thermage

Through the aging process, the collagen in your skin breaks down resulting in wrinkle, crepiness, and sagging skin. The ‘Face by Thermage’ is a non-invasive procedure, which uses patented, FDA cleared capacitive radiofrequency technology that safely delivers heat to the deeper layers of your skin to tighten existing collagen and stimulate new collagen growth deep down, through all three skin layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous (fat) layer. This capability to deliver heat deeply to the subcutaneous layer sets it apart from most other “skin-only” rejuvenating technology, resulting in true tightening and contouring of your skin for overall subtle but definitely a younger and tighter looking skin without the hassle or the “appearance” of having undergone surgery.

The Super-Pulse CO2 ablative laser yielded amazing result because of its ability to peel into deep layers of skin and also provide coagulation in the ways of controlled thermal damage to create immediate tightening of skin (up to 20% of conventional facelift surgery). However there was so much down side including prolonged redness and post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation which can last for months, especially for patients of Mediterranean or Asian descent.

No other non-surgical procedure has been able to duplicate the degree of skin tightening/lifting since, until Thermage came on the market. Thermage is not a laser, but a FDA approved patented capacitive radio-frequency technology that safely delivers heat to the deeper layers of your skin down to the subcutaneous (fat) layer to tighten existing collagen and stimulate new collagen growth. This capability to deliver heat deeply to the subcutaneous layer sets it apart from all other “skin-only” rejuvenating technology, resulting in true tightening and gentle lifting of your skin (up to 30% of conventional facelift surgery), resulting in improved contouring along the jaw line and under the chin, and visible softening of wrinkles around the mouth, eyes, and forehead. Best yet, unlike lasers, Thermage is truly “colorblind”, and can be safely worked on all skin types and colors. A hand-piece with a smooth, flat tip protects the outer layer of your skin with cooling, while at the same time delivering high levels of radiofrequency energy, which safely heats collagen in the deeper layers of the skin and its underlying subcutaneous tissue. The procedure generally requires only one treatment, and you can quickly get back to your normal routine with little to no downtime.

Results can vary from subtle to dramatic. Although some improvements are immediately visible, majority of the improvements can best be appreciated by the third month, and continue up to six months. Results can be long lasting depending on your skin condition and aging process. The patients has to realize that the consumer satisfaction rate for Thermage procedure can be as low as 25% to as high as 90% in different parts of the country. The reason for this is mutli-fold. First of all it doesn’t replace facelift surgery but presently is the “gold’ standard for “non-surgical” technology which can safely tighten and lift skin to certain degree in patients of all skin type and color, with minimal downtime. The expectation level needs to be carefully discussed between the patient and the physician. Finally of all the technology devices out there, Thermage has the highest learning curve and there are multiple nuances to performing the Thermage procedure “well” for optimal result, which can truly vary from one physician to the next. In the past five years, Dr. Kang has accrued extensive experience with the Thermage device, and noted consistently good result. For further information, please call Dr. Kang’s office for comprehensive consultation.

If you have further questions, please contact Dr. Kang and his staff to learn about hundreds of satisfied patients who have undergone Thermage procedure by Dr. Kang over the past five years. Please ask about his unique techniques in applying the Thermage, which makes it so successful in his hands and ask about combination therapy with other non-invasive procedures to achieve the maximum benefits with little to no down time.

Related Articles by Dr. Kang