 Thermage:
A Non-Surgical Facelift?
Cosmetic Surgery: Promises and Pitfalls™
PROMISES
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Thermage
employs radio frequency treatments of the face to "stimulate
collagen production, thereby firming and tightening
the skin”. No surgery, no down time—and is marketed
as a NON-SURGICAL FACELIFT.
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| Before |
4 Weeks
after Treatment |
PITFALLS
- These treatments are simple to perform and
are usually done by a technician, not the physician.
- Treatments are expensive $2500-3000
for a full face treatment. They are marketed as being
inexpensive when compared to a facelift, but potential
results are not comparable to surgery. Patient should
know prior to undergoing any procedure exactly how
much improvement to expect.
- Treatments are painful, as reported
by patients undergoing the procedure.
- Results are inconsistent. No specific
amount of change (if any) can be predicted in any
given individual. This lack of any realistic predictability
of results should be understood by the patient.
- Results are minimal. Even the before and
after photos shown on websites, representing the best
results, show minor changes. The following quote is
from the website clickondetroit.com: “The
changes are subtle and the before and after pictures
don’t look a whole lot different to you and me. But
with a photographer charting the progress at monthly
intervals and researchers measuring the improvements
in millimeters, change is clear.”
- Patients are advised results may take 6 months and
then an additional treatment may be recommended. But
then what?
- Complications are difficult to find in any
printed material but 5 burns were reported
on the manufacturer's website.
- No data available on length of effects or
long term safety of the procedure.
No scientific studies available. We have
made an attempt to search the medical literature without
success.
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