Thermage After SMAS Neck Lift / Face Lift

Minimally invasive modalities including thermage or other radiofrequency treatments do give some additional tightening, and if your expectations are not too high, they may help.

Fractional laser, IPL and skin tightening lasers (or all three procedures combined) also help.

Chemical peels can also help.

We have offered all these treatments to out patients, with the caveat that they are minimally invasive and generally give minimal results.

Avoid a chemical peel to tighten neck skin.  Chemical peels, unless deep peels, don't tighten much and there is a greater risk of scarring the neck skin than facial skin.  Similarly avoid dermabrasion and CO2  (carbon dioxide)laser resurfacing for the neck.  Fractional CO2 has less risk of scarring the neck than non-fractional CO2 but there is a risk of scarring. Thermage and Ulthera are non-invasive techniques that do not have to damage the epidermis of the skin to penetrate and effect a change in the dermis.  These energies help produce more collagen.  The newer Ulthera is a deep ultrasound energy, reaching deeper levels than Thermage, and it has been shown to tighten the SMAS without surgery.  The result is never the same excellent tightening that a facelift or necklift can provide but in some cases, not all, it can be substantial.

Thermage could be done as early as 3 months after a necklift.

But the CAN is much less important than the WHY question. If the necklift result is disappointing after one year or less, Thermage will most likely not fix this.

This can be done 6-12 months after, but the results are likely to be disappointing. A peel may give you more of what you are looking for.

After a facelift or neck lift, most plastic surgeons will prefer you wait at least 6 months prior to having Thermage, laser treatments, fractional laser, or other similar cosmetic procedures. Each patient is unique and you should consult with your face lift surgeon. Only after a comprehensive evaluation can he/she help determine appropriate options for you. Best of luck.

Dr. Chaboki

The standard time frame for any type of skin resurfacing, or in this case RF therapy using Thermage, after a Face Lift is 6 months.  If you had an exstensive traditional Face and Neck Lift, You might consdier a year to be on the safe side.  The reason to wait, after the Face Lift, is to allow adequate time for the disrupted blood supply, caused by the incisions and tissue dissection, of the face and Neck lift, to re-establish before another skin injury is created with resurfacing or Thermage.  Better to wait a little longer and have no issues with healing, IMHO.