Is Thermage Safe?

when performed by experienced providers, thermage is very safe. It utilizes radiofrequency energy and heats the dermal collagen fibers. Pigmentation, burns and fat atrophy are very rare complications.

Thermage is great to smooth, tighten and deep contour skin for an overall younger looking appearance without surgery or injections for the right person with little skin laxity.
Pros of Thermage: It is a single treatment, improvement is immediately visible and continues to improve for six months. No downtime; after the treatment, you can get back to normal routine. Thermage is color blind. Unlike lasers, Thermage procedures work on all skin types and colors. After Thermage, you don't have to avoid the sun.
Cons of Thermage: May or may not see results right away, especially if you need more than usual tightening. Results are not always predictable. It is not a very pleasant procedure, as you may feel discomfort in the form of deep heat sensation.

There is no evidence that I am aware of that Thermage is harmful. It can certainly be performed every 6-9 months, but beware that the results are quite variable. The reason is that the radiofrequency heat that Thermage employs is targeting the dermis of the skin, so the thicker your skin, the more of a tightening effect you will see. Therefore, areas of relatively thicker skin (for example the neck) tend to react better than areas of very thin skin (for example eyelids).
Also, younger patients with healthier, thick skin, with little sun damage, also tend to see more results. One nice way of utilizing Thermage is to maintain the results of a surgical procedure, for example, after a facelift. But I encourage all patients seeking Thermage that the results may not be what they are hoping for.
Dr. S

Thank you for your message! Thermage is very safe. Really only any patient can have it, unless you have an active infection on the area or if you have an electrically implanted device. The results of the Thermage are seen within 2-6 months and it can be repeated 1-2 times a year! The idea is for your body to build it's own collagen which will lead to tighter, firmer skin! I would recommend a consultation with a provider in your area for further assessment! 

Thermage® is a safe, non-invasive, radiofrequency (RF) cosmetic procedurethat’s clinically proven to help smooth, tighten and contour skin for anoverall younger looking appearance. The treatment delivers natural lookingresults with little to no downtime —on all skin colors, on and off the face,all in a single procedure. Fast and easy, you can even come in during yourlunch 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.
On the face, Thermage® can treat sagging skin, loose jowls, lack of definitionin the jaw line, sagging neck skin (“turkey neck”), wrinkles and fine lines,and lack of definition in the lips. Around the eyes, Thermage® can treat undereye bags, hooding, rough texture on the eyelids, wrinkles and fine lines, andother contributors to tired looking eyes. Elsewhere on the body, Thermage® cantreat wrinkled, sagging or bulging skin as well as the appearance of cellulite!While you will see an improvement immediately, Thermage® usually takes up to6 months to see the maximum result and this improvement is said to lastapproximately 18 months. Often patients repeat Thermage® more often toget additional tightening. It's important, of course, to make sure yousee a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist because resultscan be variable depending on who is performing the procedure.

Thermage like any other procedure depends on the skill of the professional involved.  Thermage is an entirely safe and effective procedure. Patients love it because they have no pre-treatment and when they leave the office no one can tell that they had any procedure performed.  Some patients would like to have it done yearly to build collagen. Again ztThermage is an entirely safe procedure. Long term your skin will produce more collagen and be tighter and look younger.

I have personally performed Thermage for more than 7 years now and have found it to be incredibly safe. As long as it is performed by an experienced operator, risks with this device should be quite low.
Thermage utilizes radiofrequency waves that penetrate deeply (much deeper than the average laser) to stimulate and reorganize collagen within the skin to smooth and contour textural irregularities and tighten lax skin. It is usually a one-time procedure but can be safely repeated at regular intervals for continued enhancement. I have many patients who return on a yearly basis for re-treatment. Thermage is also an ideal treatment to have done post-surgically (after facelift or necklift or tummy tuck for example) to further improve upon results and help maintain the surgical results for as long as possible. I treat many patients who have had a facelift in the past and do not want to undergo another invasive procedure. These patients usually elect to have the Thermage treatment when they start to see the effects of the surgical lift diminish -- usually 5-10 years after treatment.
Thermage is an excellent choice for anyone looking for skin tightening without significant downtime or risk of serious adverse effects.

Thermage is definitely a safe procedure, this is one of the true benefits of having it done. The main concern about the procedure not being safe goes back many years now to the early days of this machine. There were a few cases where patients experienced some areas of fat loss or atrophy that left some dimples in the face. These happened because the energy being used was too high resulting in over heating of the fat.
The machine has undergone multiple generations of improvements with many new safety features added along with a newer protocol that uses lower energies during a treatment.
The safety record following these updates has been excellent. Thermage provides an excellent option for patients who don't need or are not yet ready for a facelift to create some moderate skin tightening with no downtime.

The medical use of radiofrequency to tighten tissue was invented in the 1940's, so there is plenty of data in the medical literature which prooves that it is safe.The Thermage technology is based on the use of radio waves that are focused to a specific depth in the skin or just beneath the skin. 

We have used Thermage in our Offices for over 6 years.

The technology of Thermage has been imptoved over time. The newest improvement, Comfort Pulse Technology,makes the procedure a lot less painful than it used to be, and allows for faster treatments due to bigger heads.

Radiofrequency is not harmful in any way to your general health.

Repeating the Thermage treastments is totally safe and effective.