“Dear Dr. Seckel, Thanks for writing your wonderful new book, and I really appreciate “What’s New” and “Ask Dr. Seckel” on your website. My question concerns the Thermage procedure. I’ve read that results vary greatly from patient to patient. Can you explain why and tell me who (age, skin type, etc.) can expect the best results? How often must the treatment be repeated to maintain improvement?” -Ann, North Carolina
Dear Ann,
Thank you for your excellent questions. I will answer the first question about Thermage® in this posting and answer the second question about “home microdermabrasion kits in a second posting.
Thermage® is a high tech facial rejuvenation macine which uses a radiofrequency wave to heat the deep layers of the skin. Theoretically when you heat the collagen in the deeper layers of the skin to 66 degrees centegrade the collagen shortens and the skin tightens. Another facial rejuvenation machine which is used to tighten skin is Titan® which uses an infrared beam to heat the deep layers of the skin. Other skin tightening machines are Aluma, LuxIR, and Refirme.
These are very sophisticated fcaial rejuvenation technologies which have a cooling device to cool the skin surface as the radiofrequency wave or infrared wave is passed through the skin on its way to the deep layers of the skin to perform skin tightening. This is to prevent burning of the outer layer of the skin as the beam passes through. If the device is not used properly, if the doctor does not keep the device firmly pressed against the skin as the beam passes through a serious skin burn can occur and leave a scar. There have also been reports of depressions on the facial skin in certain areas where the Thermage treatment has heated and dissolved the fat under the skin during a skin tightening treatment– so these areas are not to be treated. Obviously if one wants to have a Thermage® or Titan® treatment they should seek out a board certified doctor who has a lot of experience with the machine.
Thermage® and Titan® have been marketed as the non surgical face lift which is very misleading. A face lift is a very effective surgical procedure which restores an aging face by tightening the sagging skin to a much more youthful appearance. Thermage® and Titan® cannot lift the face in the same way and cannot tighten the face to the same degree as a face lift.
Thermage®, LuxIR, Aluma, Refirme, and Titan® can tighten the skin of some individuals when done correctly by an experienced operator. Reports vary but generally the best results I have seen show a 30% skin tightening which can be achieved in 10 to 30% of patients. The best results I have seen are in very thin people with almost no fat under the skin. It may take 3 to 5 Thermage®, Aluma, LuxIR, Refirme or Titan® treatmants to achieve the final result, but once skin tightening is achieved the result should be final after 5-7 months.
The 30% skin tightening is only useful in younger people who have very early and minimal skin sagging. The average person who is seeking a face lift will be disappointed because 2/3 of the jowl, neck, cheek sagging will still be there.
In spite of these less than optimal results people are paying up o $4000.00 to have a skin tightening treatment with Thermage® ! I think it is a bad investment at this time if a person has significant facial aging with moderate facial laxity.
This is not a non surgical facelift. I have recently performed a surgical face lift on two patients who previously had a Thermage® procedure at a cost of $4000.00 and saw no result.
I have little doubt that in the next five years this technology will improve. There are other machines being developed as well. But for now skin tightening are most useful only for 30% of people who have minimal skin excess in other words people who don’t need a face lift in the first place. For those people it is very important that they consult a board certified plastic surgeon who has a lot of experience with the skin tightening technology who will give an honest opinion.
For further information on skin tightening and other non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures visit my Boston Plastic Surgery practice, read Save Your Face or contact me.
Sincerely,
Dr Seckel
Boston, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts