Thermage: Stories

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Thermage -London, UK

mariola
posted 5 years ago
updated 5 years ago

Not Worth It
Cost: $7,500
London, UK

Extremely painful procedure. I had thermage over...

4 Dec 2007

Extremely painful procedure. I had thermage over two years ago.I am experiencing many side effects. Latest, after loosing most fat from my face, the skin is still painfully tightening. It does not lift, thermage cannot "lift" skin, it can draw it closer to your bone structure. My eyes now are much deeper set and very painful through the "pushing" of tightening lids over the eyes.There are too many frightening side effects to mention! I am in the process of suing thermage but that is not going to re verse or even stop the process from continually affecting my face. I will personally visit the headquarters of thermage in Hayward, California. With my efforts to allert the media I will try to inform the public to possibility of irreversible side effects which have affected many hundreds of people. Even if initially you might feel that some thightening is improving your looks, you will experience further fat loss, in some cases even one or two years after procedure. To say that thermage has changed my life is an understatement. From being a very happy,sucsesful Managing Director of a company that has helped to bring to life the program "Dancing With the Stars", I am now living in constant pain, dreading waking up in the morning, only to observe new damage to my skin in the form of dents,uneven skin texture,massively enlarged pores, difforming of parts of my face like my nose, or top lip or eyes. There are internet sites which inform why the thermage technology will never be predictable or safe, how the company is getting away with "murder" is beyond my comprehension. If anyone is still planning to go ahaed with the treatment, please read other internet sites, just key in "thermage fat loss", thermage disasters, thermage complaints, thermage damage and many more. Even from this site you can learn that even if you are lucky enough not to suffer immediate damage, the likelihood of incurring it later are extremely likely.

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Comments (39)

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Fairy God Mother 17 May 2013

Miss Cold, go to a reliable plastic surgeon immediately and seek help. Your face CAN GO BACK to how it was. You may need skin lifting procedure and fat graft.

ajapel 19 May 2012

It can happen with bipolar too if it goes too deep. I had a fotofacial which is IPL plus bipolar radiofrequency. I'm 6 months out with continuing fat loss (documented by my derm), texture changes and wrinkling plus nerve damage to my right eye. the skin is so thin now. It has been horrible. RF is damaging at higher settings. It's that simple. There seems to be no fix. The studies done with radiofrequency seem to only point out the benefits and use very conservative settings. They need to run a study on people who have been harmed, not the ones who were happy with the treatment. But the money for studies is often from the laser companies so we only see the positive studies.

Babyfatt 10 Nov 2012

Has anyone had any complaints with the Accent treatment? I've had many sessions done over the year at Forever Young and think it was a waste of money. Someone actually called me an old woman for the first time in my life last week! I'm in my mid thirties. After all those sessions that is the comment I get! :-(

puzzle 12 Nov 2012

I've got a notice some weeks before from an european lady. She had RF (Accent RF) treatment done almost a year ago and got severe damage to her face and neck, many symptoms are just like ours and her condition is deteriorating very fast... My opinion is that all heat based devices can cause these terrible damages and a lot of problems for the Health! They are not worth the risk.

ajapel 12 Nov 2012

Radiofrequency is a huge risk as it can do deeply and targets everything in its path. The deeper the damage the more permanent it is.

ally-opps 8 Jan 2012

never received your private e-mail!!
Al

ally-opps 5 Aug 2011

I just had the thermage cpt procedure done for 3,200.00 on 8/4/2011.I noticed a slight improvement after the procedure.First the forehead was done then both sides of my face and lastly under the chin.It was slightly uncomfortable but the Tech. was gentle & even lowed the frequency.This morning, I noticed a tighter look & I'm am excited with the ongoing improvement. I hope it'll last. I'm 63 yrs. old & the cost is affordable with my fixed income.

Notsosmart 28 Oct 2011

Hopefully the machine was low enough and there was cooling in the tip. I was damaged by Thermage in 2007 and it is a gift that keeps on giving. My face is now thinner, has weird configurations and scars, and no elasticity at all. I was talked into this procedure a few months after my husband died. I never should have done this. Now, I can't find anyone to fix me. Fillers go away in no time and even special facials re-activate the destruction. I wake up with lines and grooves that sometimes go away, and other times do not. I am in the entertainment industry in LA and this has been a disaster for me. If anyone knows how or who can fix the fat loss (no grafting because I have Sjogren's), please let me know. I so upset that it is still affecting my face after four years.

Fairy God Mother 8 Jan 2012

Notsosmart,

I wrote you a private email. Do check it. I too am in the entertainment industry I can understand your pain!

Notsosmart 10 Jan 2012

I am going for more injections on Wednesday. My face is so pruny looking. If only I could sell my latest screenplay I could go to someone in San Francisco. Cold weather really affects your skin, hyaluronic serum seems to help, but not like it used to in the beginning. Be very careful with facials that promise any kind of rejuvenation. They seem to make the situation worse.

DotMatrix 13 Nov 2010

I went to my Doctors office after taking a hormone (they pushed on me)& I ballooned up about 80 pounds in 6 weeks. This created a LOT of problems. And the Doctor frightened me into staying on the hormone. I went to a woman Doctor who took me off of the drug and got me into very limited healthy eating. I lost the 80 pounds in 6 months, which then left hangy skin. I thought is this a joke?

I went back to the original Doctor because he offered these "skin tightening" procedures and I listened eagerly to "Get Help". I had been to surgeons who would have cost me too much money and I was excited about the lower costs. I told them I wanted my arms and thighs done. They told me, for my thighs for 6 treatments, it would run just under $500 a treatment. I signed the contract. I went in and they brought out a little piece of paper placed it on my thigh and drew a square of about 8" by 6", I said what is this? They said what we will do today because if we did your whole thigh it would take TOO LONG. I said, "Wait a minute is this little square a treatment? I thought I paid for MY THIGHS and my ARMS. Not 1/6th of my thigh!"

It was just this little square and I was already on the table, had taken off from work and SO HOPEFUL... Needless to say it hurt so badly, and I was red. It was a financial rip off, in my opinion, as I pointed out if I went for a hair cut I would expect a hair cut not 1/6 of my head done. The verbiage that the nurse and I had was completely misleading. It is a Rip Off in my opinion. Costly, painful, ineffective and heart wrenching failure.

BrittB 3 Dec 2010

Hi Dot,

Welcome tot he community and thanks for the comment. I think your experience would be of great use to the community as a review, would you mind posting one? Let me know if you need help. Please keep us updated.

Thanks,

-Britt

Gia50 11 Sep 2010

Spent $3000.00 on upper arms, thermage is an absolute RIPOFF. I feel like I threw $3000.00 right out the window. The RN who preformed it checked each arm midway during treatment. She was reassuring me of how great my arms were going to look a couple of months down the road, she stated shew already sees an improvement. Of course these was a LITTLE less wrinkling of the skin because my arms were swollen from the treatment. She took before photos for comparison on my 6 month check up return. Well, I took before photos at home and have been taking them throughout this 6 month period. NO CHANGE, not even a little. I still can't waer sleevless tops or even short sleeves for that matter. I did not lose a lot of wieght, in fact I was always thin to average. I did however spen a LOT of years in the tanning salons, I had been going on a regular basis year round for about 30 years, luckily I had the sense to block my face throughtout my tanning sessions. I NEVER dreamed my arms would turn into these UGLY loose crepy looking appendages. I am so furious, I am NOT a rich person, but, I desparatley wanted to be able to expose my arms in spring and summer without being ashamed. After much discomfort (during the procedure) and the expense of $3000.00 I am back where I started. DON'T DO THERMAGE, IT IS A TOTAL RIPOFF. Thia by the way was done in a very well known plastic surgeon's spa center. I am going to see if I can at least get a small refund. It is TRULY disgraceful to rip off the public in this manner.

windandsee 10 Sep 2010

Dear Greyhaven, Where did you have your procedure done? Do you recall the equipment model? I'm having the procedure done in the morning on my face and neck. Cost = $2900. The place I'm going is among the top Thermage producers in San Diego, so I'm hoping they have the latest and best equipment and technique. I'm trusting thermage has come a long way since the negative posts were made in 2006 on this site. The staff claim that downtime and side effects are minimal, just pink skin. We'll see...

greyhaven 30 Jul 2010

I am a 56 year old female with 30 years of teaching in public high schools. Am very active, live a healthy lifestyle,and avoid too much sun. Although most people are shocked when they find out how old I am, I had begun to see those aging signs that are part of the life process. As a science instructor, I am someone who would NEVER consider going under the knife for any cosmetic reason however, I had considered other options the last two years. I'm not a big BOTOX fan so I began my research on THERMAGE treatments. A new MEDI-SPA opened in our area so I arranged a free consultation. After much discussion and weighing the options for me, I chose to take care of a few spider veins with Schlerotherapy and give Thermage a try. We discussed how the early treatments with Thermage were painful and often not effective. I found that on many comments that have been posted. My physician has the latest bipolar radio wave frequency equipment so today I had my treatment. I did not find it to be painful - nothing more than a warming sensation and a minor sting from time to time. The vibrations were not uncomfortable and my physician verbally kept monitoring how I was feeling throughout the process. After finishing one side of my face, I could see visible changes immediately - just a more "lifted" look. After the entire procedure, I was a bit pink, minimal swelling - all normal. My experience was pleasant and certainly less painful than a trip to the dentist for a routine cleaning. I will update this regularly with my progress but as for now, I am pleased with the THERMAGE experience. As for the outrageous cost that I have noted on numerous comment pages - my procedure which will include a followup treatment was only 1900.00. Certainly a lot of money but by far less than many of the amounts I have seen.

browneyedsusan 9 Jan 2011

I am so interested in your comments. You are the only commenter here who does not report a horrific experience. Please keep us posted.

puzzle 16 Sep 2009

High dawn Rogers, Sorry what happened with your arms. I have sent you a PN. It seems that you was overheated. Then I think a chance to stop the continuing adverse process is e. g. cortison or immune globuline. A little visible help may be ha injections per needle or maybe per high pressure injection device. Good luck from Germany.

dawn Rogers 21 Oct 2009

What is a pn and what is immune globuine and what is ha injections?

dawn Rogers 5 Sep 2009

I recently had a procedure with RF on my arms, and I think what I am seeing is damage to my skin. The under sides of my arms, which is where the skin is very thin has unusual skin texture and is wrinkling, the fat is falling away from my skin and causing my skin to sag. After first having it done, i noticed that at night I had hot sweats on my arms, so I think she burnt the under epidermus of my skin. She also said she used the setting for the face which is much thicker than my skinny arms. Also my pores have increased in size and in those spots, my skin seems to be wrinkling also. Every day this seems to be getting worse. Has anyone had these same adverse results. I know many people don't have this done on their arms, but are these the same things you noticed on your face and what else happens after this. Please someone respond, as I am having many sleepless nights and very depressed days. HELP

puzzle 27 Mar 2009

Alphacentoree - your proposal is interesting but also risky. The Oprah show helped Thermage a lot and from the red numbers I think. In Germany I contacted the distributor again. We heard that here nobody was damaged in such a way like we. And we are very much surprised that the high settings must not have caused this! The protection of dental work should not be necessary???... So it seems that WE are the problem not Thermage.... And that their homepage in USA serves only as alibi. I will await clarifying these contradictions. In the meantime we can observe the somewhat disappointing difficult repair attempts with fillers. Without undergoing various operations it will not go. - What results of one "non-invasive treatment"!

Alphacentoree (unregistered guest) 11 Mar 2009

Oh my goodness. You have totallay scared me to death on this procedure. I have considered doing this for well over a year, but no way! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Please write the Oprah show and see if she'll spread the word!

puzzle 23 Jan 2009

Mariola - the expectations are depressing! But your researching is excellent. A lot of doctors dont know enough about the dangerous monopalar rf. And a problem is that they like to refer to studies. But these are so expensive (and not opportun) that there is no space for the victims like you and us. The side effects like fat melting, skin thinning, deep wrinkles, collagen destruction e.g., are known meanwhile. We both got 2 month after our Thermage treatment problems with our jaw points and later with the teeth. About 1.5 years after the treatment we both got a lot of problems with our eyes. Simultaneous the lower lids lose more and more tissue. This area was not treated. Only the monopolar rf can cause fatty tissue necrosis. Perhaps this explains some strange. Strange things and pains concern the whole body. We all can only submit our immune system. I hope my lines will not be deleted.

LAH SOOT 3 Dec 2010

Collect before pics, take pictures of the damage, list details (who did the surgery/ when and where etc) and search for the biggest medical malpractice law offices in the larges city near you... send them the material with a request to handle your case.
This will be accepted without charge to you, they receive a portion of your rewards from the suit.
You MUST continue to see the doctor with complaints, otherwise their responsibility is voided after 2 years. Keep a log of your complaints to the doctor and visits.
If you can find other her willing to join you in the suit you will do better. Put up a notice in sites like this. You should have a very good case.
Good Luck!

mariola 15 Jan 2009

I had thermage over three years ago and unfortunately I am still experiencing side effects, like continous fat loss, pain,changes to my skin texture.The monopolar radio wave frequency used in thermage is very dangerous. It has been abandoned in surgical procedures and replaced with bipolar frequencies which are far safer and easier to control. There are very few doctors who understand even the rudimentary principles employed in this technique and there is simply no help or understanding for the numerous victims of thermage. Even if initially the tightening will make you look younger,the inevitable fat loss which will follow will destroy your self confidence in the following months and years. It is totally not worth it!

puzzle 15 Jan 2009

My wife and I had our thermage 2 years ago and were both damaged! Absolute nothing can meanwhile - dec 06 - happen promised us the doc in Germany. We have lost too much that we can recommend this unsafe and unexplored procedure.