With the plethora of anti-aging treatments available, it’s likely you may have heard of Thermage and its skin tightening and smoothing benefits. If you’ve spent too much time in the sun, overindulged a little too regularly or hit the wrong side of 30, you may have considered if it’s worth the investment. (Yes to all three for me…) With the fourth generation of Thermage FLX available nation-wide, here is a breakdown of what you can expect during and after a treatment.
What is Thermage FLX?
A non-invasive treatment to address skin laxity and lines for the face, eyes or body with the benefit of no downtime. Thermage first pioneered the non-invasive treatment of wrinkles using radiofrequency energy 20 years ago. Thermage FLX is the 4th generation with superior clinical results and improved comfort during treatment.
What does it do?
In one treatment you can achieve smoother tighter skin for the treated area with immediate results that continue to improve for up to six months. Results vary but can last for years and maintenance treatments are often suggested to be performed annually.
Where can you get it?
Pro Cosmetica Surgery in Sydney’s CBD or find clinics nationwide.
The treatment:
To start my face was cleansed, I had some ‘before pictures’ taken and was offered and took two paracetamol to help with any pain. My therapist Zoe at Pro Cosmetica Surgery advised there could be mild pain but that the 4th generation of Thermage FLM has a vibration and cooling tip to make the treatment comfortable.
A temporary tattoo-like grid was applied to my skin as a guide for my therapist Zoe during the procedure.
Zoe explained the treatment of my face and lower jawline would take around 90 minutes with 900 pulses delivered. But you’re probably wondering how the treatment actually works. The radio frequency heats the deep layers of the skin where collagen is found; the heat causing the collagen to contract and encouraging new collagen to start growing as a healing response takes place. You can see smoother skin after the treatment with results that continue improvement for up to six months.
Next, a gel was applied, and the treatment began. Each pulse delivered a brief cooling sensation, followed by a heat pulse with vibration as the heat is delivered deep into the skin. Overall, it was quite comfortable. Out of the 900 pulses, there were less than a handful I’d describe as painful. Zoe regularly checked in for feedback on the level of the heat and we paused halfway for a sneak peak of the treatment effects. As Zoe went over the face and grid marks multiple times, I almost drifted off to sleep.
Following the treatment, a hyaluronic sheet mask was applied and massaged into the skin which had both a cooling effect and Zoe explained following the Thermage session, product would penetrate the skin more effectively.
Post-treatment my skin looked noticeably smoother and more taught than before. My jawline appeared more contoured and my laugh lines shallower when I smiled. My skin was mildly pink, but this settled when I got home. Zoe suggested taking ingestible collagen to heighten results as the collagen in the skin rebuilds over the coming months.
Who is it suitable for?
Thermage FLX is the ideal treatment for someone looking for a skin tightening solution, wants something stronger than topical products but that is non-invasive and has no downtime.
When should you start this treatment?
A great time to start this treatment is when you start noticing signs of skin laxity or fine lines. Our collagen starts to decline at around age 25 to 30 and can be accelerated by sun exposure, diet and other factors. A few years on, these signs of skin ageing can start to become noticeable. The treatment does not make your skin sensitive to the sun so you can have the treatment any time of the year with no need to avoid the sun after like laser treatments.
The price:
This will vary on the treatment area and clinic. As a guide, you could expect to pay between $2,000 to $3,000.
