Thermage Procedure Candidates
Any man or woman with any skin color, who has considerable skin sagging and is not yet ready, or approving or able to have a surgical face lift. Thermage may be completed in about any area, such as the face, neck, abdomen, arm, or eyes.
Thermage Procedure Description
Thermage functions by delivering heat energy (radiofrequency) via a hand piece to the deeper parts of the skin (dermis). This hand piece also incorporates a cooling spray that protects the top layer of the skin (epidermis) from injury. The heat energy stimulates the deeper tissues to contract to decrease the appearance of lines.
Eventually, a new layer of collagen develops and remodels to aid in an even firmer appearance to the skin. This action is non-ablative in that it does not create damage to the surface of the skin.
Thermage does not create injury to the surface of the skin, unlike dermabrasion and laser resurfacing. Therefore, there is absolutely little “down time” where a patient may have to worry about being able to appear in public. Treatments may take up to 2 hours, depending upon the areas of the treatment area.
Patients ordinarily return to work the same day, unlike a facelift, where patients regularly take at least 2-4 weeks to recover. Similarly, there is no scar unlike the surgical face lift. Effects from Thermage can last from 6 months up to 2 years.
Thermage Healing & Downtime
Thermage is not painful and does not require an anesthetic cream in most cases. Side effects may involve redness, swelling, bumps and blisters. These usually resolve within a few hours. Patients could return to work the same day, unlike other treatments where the patient may not be able to return to work, or appear in public for at least 2-4 weeks, the competitor’s recovery time.
For the past seven years, Dr. Abboud has focused his entire practice on cosmetic laser skin care, and non-invasive procedure. He is the owner and director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology, a network of cosmetic and laser skin care centers, which have become some of Chicago’s area recognized clinic entity in aesthetic medicine. Learn More About Chicago Thermage