No Pain, Some Gain with Thermage

Flying home from a speaking engagement in California, where everyone appears to be barely post-pubescent, I was doing even more in-depth research on staying young than usual. There, on the cover of my favorite women’s magazine, was the solution I had been searching for – Thermage.  Thermage is a technology for tightening skin and building collagen using radiofrequency energy.  Don’t ask me how it works – it’s just friggin’ magic. 

According to the Thermage PR, the technology heats up your collagen, causing deep structures beneath the skin to tighten. Like I said – magic. The best news is that Thermage is an in-office procedure that takes about an hour, is non-invasive and you can go right back to work afterwards…if you don’t mind co-workers asking where you got the sunburn.

I tracked down the doctor mentioned in the article, called immediately, and was able to schedule an appointment in just 2 months. In the meantime, I asked everyone I knew what they had heard about Thermage. The responses I got included stories of intense pain, terrible reddening of the skin, and questionable results. I knew results were gradual, and pain doesn’t frighten me, so I wasn’t deterred.

Prior to my appointment I was given a prescription for a topical anesthetic, which the nurse applied to my face when I arrived. She then covered my face in Saran Wrap and told me I needed to let the anesthetic set in for a half hour. I asked if I could take the pain killer I had brought with me and she said “yes."

After I had marinated in anesthetic for the appropriate amount of time, the doctor came in and explained that he would be using the ThermaTip device to deliver radiofrequency energy to all parts of my skin from the eye area to just below the chin.

I braced myself for the intense pain I had heard about. What a pleasant surprise - I felt virtually no pain for the entire procedure, except for the last couple of touches on the under side of my chin. I do have a high pain tolerance, and I certainly was protected by anesthetic cream and pain killers, but this procedure was nothing like the painful experience described to me. I know there are those of you who will want to tell me how your experience differed, and I would certainly welcome a different perspective.

BUT DID IT WORK?  This is a tough procedure to evaluate, because it does take time to show results, and when you look at that face in the mirror every single day it’s hard to see gradual changes.  Having said that, I would still say that I think it made a difference in the tightness of my skin. It was inexpensive compared to a facelift (I paid $1400), took only an hour, and required no recovery time.  And since I found it painless, I would definitely do it again.

I had the treatment two years ago and I understand there are newer Thermage treatments now, with faster, more visible results. I’d love to hear about the newer Thermage treatments, how they feel, and if the results are more dramatic.

Comments

[joy]

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