ThermiRF recovery: swollen and squarish face

ThermiTight treatment is a great modality and perhaps the best device on the market for skin tightening.  With that said, however, it is expected that you will have swelling for some period of time after the procedure.  The heat from the treatment causes immediate denaturation of the collagen fibers in your skin and fatty tissue layer just under the skin.  If you had some thicker fat deposits in some areas, your doctor might have made a deeper pass with the ThermiRF cannula in an attempt to destroy some of the fat cells.  In either case, tissue injury will result in an inflammatory response, which you may notice as swelling or tender, sometimes lumpy, areas in the treated zones.  I tell my patients to anticipate these and to massage them once or twice per day. The healing process after Thermi can be lengthy, meaning that most patients continue to see improvement for up to 8-12 months afterward.  The fact that you are swollen 5 days post-procedure is not at all surprising.  By the time you have your first post-op photos taken, you should be able to see significant improvement already.  Those results should continue to get better and better over the coming year.

swelling is expected after ThermiTight. Some patients have swelling for less than a week and others more, but usually by days 12 - 14 the swelling is almost gone. Compression garments may help. I have never seen permanent swelling after ThermiTight.

I inform my patients to expect at least 7 days of swelling and some bruising after a ThermiTight procedure. Occasionally it can last a little longer. I suspect that the square shape is caused by the swelling and should improve when the swelling resolves. Sleeping with the head elevated at 45 degree, wearing a compression garment and gentle massage of the area can all help to resolve the swelling faster. Good luck!

The swelling after ThermiTight to the lower face and neck can last anywhere from 3-5 days. This is temporary and will go settle down as the days progress. 

Thank you for your question. Swelling
is still normal even after 5 days and can take longer to dissipate depending on
each individual. If you are concerned, please check in with your doctor.

Most patients are presentable in about a week after Thermi treatments. Don't be too dismayed about prolonged swelling(1-2 weeks). It usually means that you had a good, thorough treatment. Please follow up with your doctor if you feel you have unusual swelling for more than a couple of weeks. Using a face garment often reduces the posttreatment swelling. The squareness of your face will diminish as the swelling subsides.

Thank you for your question. Recovery from swelling varies from patient to patient. Swelling generally increases right after the procedure and slowly begins to decrease by the end of the first week. Most patients recover from swelling 1-2 weeks after the procedure. Our office has found that utilizing a face garment and getting endermologie treatments (which drains out excess fluid through the lymphatic system) really helps speed up the recovery process. Hope this helps!