Is Thermage CPT Really Better Than Old Thermage?

The new Thermage "Comfort Pulse Technology" is designed to be less painful. It works by creating a vibration that sort of distracts the nerves by occupying them with the vibration impulse instead of the heat impulse. I have tried it and found it to be much more comfortable, but I don't think the end results would be a lot different.

Yes. There are two main advantages to having a treatment with the Thermage® CPT system over the earlier generation Thermage® systems; superior results and greater patient comfort. The new system was redesigned for enhanced heat distribution and uniformity which increases the volume of tissue reaching therapeutic temperature resulting in a more efficient treatment. Improved patient comfort has been clinically proven and is due to the patented Comfort Pulse Technology™ (a vibrating hand-piece) which essentially ‘distracts’ the brain from feeling pain by disrupting the brain’s neural response. Pain management is no longer an issue.

Thermage CPT stands for Comfort Pulse Technology.  It is the latest generation of Thermage machines.  The CPT machine gives more cooling to the surface of the skin while delivering more energy to the skin with each pulse.  The results you see depend in large part on how much energy is delivered to the skin, so the more energy delivered with each pulse (and the more pulses you get) the better your results.  However, without cooling the skin higher energy levels would be painful and could cause burning or other unwanted side effects. The CPT tip also provides vibration which decreases any uncomfortable sensation.  With Thermage CPT you do not need any pain medication, which would otherwise be necessary.

Having worked with many generations of Thermage over the last 8 years, including the CPT, in our practice we have absolutely found the CPT to be not only far more comfortable for patients but more effective as well.  The CPT technology is able to deliver more energy to the skin for enhanced treatment results but with greater comfort and safety. Having both performed treatments as well as been a patient, I can say I prefer the CPT over old Thermage hands down.

To my knowledge, there is no real data showing better results between the two technologies.  What really matters is how many pulses you'll get for your money.  With each Thermage treatment, a treatment tip is put on the machine.  Each treatment tip has a certain number of pulses, and treatment tips come in a variety of pulse counts (400, 800, 900, 1200, etc.).  In general, one treatment tip is used per patient.  My experience is that you get better results with more pulses.