Does Thermage CPT Really Work?

One of the big issues that is often disregarded is Patient Selection. Because many treatments are "over hyped", it can be easy to assume any procedure will work for everybody. That's simply not so.Age causes multiple challenges, one of them being the loss of the nice, springy collagen that keeps skin firm and tight. Thermage, and other heat-creating procedures, are designed to tighten up "old" collagen and produce new collagen that is smoother, tighter and more closely fitting to tissue layers underneath.Here's the problem: Not everyone's skin will respond. Why not? Because your body must still possess the ability to actually create an abundance of new collagen that will outpace the natural collagen breakdown that occurs more and more rapidly as you get older.You can think of it as a race of sorts. The older you are, the faster your collagen breaks down, resulting in wrinkles and sags. At the same time, new collagen, which is what keeps you looking younger, develops at a slower pace. In time, the collagen breakdown is happening faster than the collagen development. (This happens everywhere, not just your face!)This is where heat-based tightening comes into play. For a person who has consistent new collagen developing all along, results from treatments such Thermage can be relatively quick and sometimes profound. The new collagen then outpaces the older collagen loss. BUT, on the flip side, for someone who is deep into age-related collagen loss cycles, the result can be disappointing. Which takes us back to Patient Selection.As to new and old Thermage, the companies behind these technologies are always investing in improvements. The Thermage FLX is faster and more comfortable, and yes, better. For the right person, it's a great way to firm up skin and improve crepey skin, especially on the body.Go with proper expectations; realize this is not a facelift; know if you are a good candidate.

Thank you for the great question.
Thermage CPT is a great option if you are looking for non-invasive skin tightening and lifting.  It can be used to treat sagging skin, loose jowls and is particularly used when patients do not want a surgical facelift or a surgical neck lift.  It is easy to perform and has no downtime.  Patients find it comfortable and results continue to improve over the subsequent 6 monthly following a treatment. 
For people who have more severe sagging of the skin and who want more dramatic results, a surgical facelift or a surgical neck lift is usually recommended.

Thermage CPT offers more uniform heating and better cooling as well as added comfort due to the different levels of vibration that distract from the heat of the tip of the handpiece. The vibration option is turned off for eye treatments. While the amount of time required to treat an area remains the same, it is much more tolerable with more noticeable results, possibly due to patients being able to tolerate a higher setting with the CPT. Results can take up to 6 months, but I noticed with the CPT there is a more noticeable immediate tightening post treatment. Results can vary from person to person and may require more than one treatment.

As with every treatment, make sure you are a good candidate and that you know what to expect. This is a noninvasive procedure with no downtime, so you won't have a dramatic result.

I have heard from physicians that had the old thermage that patients find the new one less painful. The lower energies allow more passes and more cumulative heating and stimulation of collagen.

Any doctor on here that says Thermage doesn't work, most likely has no clue on how to actually use the system, or is too scared to medicate their patients for comfort.  Can you do Thermage without meds?  Yes, but you wont see a result.  In order to get amazing Thermage results, you must get medicated for comfort.  All skin tightening treatments use heat to contract the collagen in your skin.  Thermage does this in 1 treatment, and it will be painful if you do it correctly.  Using meds will make it comfortable enough for you to get through the treatment.  
We perform thousands of Thermage treatments a year and we've been doing it since 2007.  

I have performed thousands of Thermage treatments since its introduction over 15 years ago.  I can tell you that if done by the right person, and with reasonable expectations, it is extremely effective.

Heat and RF based devices to tighten skin work on some people consistently and not others. Its hard to tell who will benefit and who will not. I do warn my patients about this when they select these procedures as I think it is important to be honest about what such devices like Thermage and EndyMed3 Deep can do. 

The newest Thermage technology, known as CPT, is a significant improvement. Patients report decreased pain and improved results. I am particularly impressed around the eyes and on arms and neck.

If you are looking for nonsurgical solutions, Thermage® is asafe, non-invasive cosmetic procedure that helps smooth, tighten and contourskin for an overall younger looking appearance. It can be used to treat saggingskin, loose jowls, lack of definition in the jaw line, sagging neck skin(“turkey neck”), wrinkles and fine lines, and lack of definition in the lips.The treatment delivers natural looking results with little to no downtime —onall skin colors, on and off the face, all in a single procedure. Fast and easy,you can even come in during your lunch break and return to work after!Thermage® uses radiofrequency technology to heat the deep, collagen rich layersof your skin. The heat helps tighten existing collagen and stimulate theformation of new collagen, which reduces sagging, renews contours, and improvesthe smoothness and texture of the skin’s surface. Comfort Pulse Technology,including a vibrating handpiece delivers enhanced patient comfort.

Thank you for your question. I would suggest Ultherapy for facial skin tightening, not Thermage. Ultherapy deposits focused ultrasound energy below the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s creation of new collagen. As a result, skin will actually begin to lift and tone over time. Collagen is a natural protein that gives skin its youthfulness by keeping it firmed, toned and elastic. Plus, the treatment is completely non-invasive and does not require downtime. I have seen excellent results with the treatment.