Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- PREFACE
- CONTRIBUTORS
- PART ONE ANATOMY AND THE AGING PROCESS
- PART TWO ANESTHESIA AND SEDATION FOR OFFICE COSMETIC PROCEDURES
- PART THREE FILLERS AND NEUROTOXINS
- PART FOUR COSMETIC APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT, RADIOFREQUENCY, AND ULTRASOUND ENERGY
- Chap. 42 TREATMENT OF TELANGIECTASIA, POIKILODERMA, AND FACE AND LEG VEINS
- Chap. 43 VASCULAR LASERS
- Chap. 44 OVERVIEW OF CO2 AND ER:YAG LASERS AND PLASMA DEVICES
- Chap. 45 CONTEMPORARY CO2 LASER RESURFACING
- Chap. 46 ER:YAG
- Chap. 47 PLASMA SKIN REJUVENATION OF THE HANDS
- Chap. 48 NONABLATIVE LASER TISSUE REMODELING: 1,064-, 1,320-, 1,450-, AND 1,540-NM LASER SYSTEMS
- Chap. 49 OVERVIEW OF BROADBAND LIGHT DEVICES
- Chap. 50 TITAN: INDUCING DERMAL CONTRACTION
- Chap. 51 SCITON BROADBAND LIGHT AND ER:YAG MICROPEEL COMBINATION
- Chap. 52 AMINOLEVULINIC ACID PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR FACIAL REJUVENATION AND ACNE
- Chap. 53 THERMAGE FOR FACE AND BODY
- Chap. 54 LUMENIS ALUMA SKIN TIGHTENING SYSTEM
- Chap. 55 ELLMAN RADIOFREQUENCY DEVICE FOR SKIN TIGHTENING
- Chap. 56 ALMA ACCENT DUAL RADIOFREQUENCY DEVICE FOR TISSUE CONTOURING
- Chap. 57 COMBINED LIGHT AND BIPOLAR RADIOFREQUENCY
- Chap. 58 FRACTIONAL LASERS: GENERAL CONCEPTS
- Chap. 59 PALOMAR LUX 1,540-NM FRACTIONAL LASER
- Chap. 60 FRAXEL 1,550-NM LASER (FRAXEL RE:STORE)
- Chap. 61 1,440-NM FRACTIONAL LASER: CYNOSURE AFFIRM
- Chap. 62 SCITON ER:YAG 2,940-NM FRACTIONAL LASER
- Chap. 63 ALMA PIXEL ER:YAG FRACTIONAL LASER
- Chap. 64 FRACTIONATED CO2 LASER
- Chap. 65 LED PHOTOREJUVENATION DEVICES
- Chap. 66 PHOTOPNEUMATIC THERAPY
- Chap. 67 HAIR REMOVAL: LASER AND BROADBAND LIGHT DEVICES
- Chap. 68 ACNE AND ACNE SCARS: LASER AND LIGHT TREATMENTS
- Chap. 69 FAT AND CELLULITE REDUCTION: GENERAL PRINCIPLES
- Chap. 70 ULTRASHAPE FOCUSED ULTRASOUND FAT REDUCTION DEVICE
- Chap. 71 LIPOSONIX ULTRASOUND DEVICE FOR BODY SCULPTING
- PART FIVE OTHER PROCEDURES
- INDEX
- References
Chap. 53 - THERMAGE FOR FACE AND BODY
from PART FOUR - COSMETIC APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT, RADIOFREQUENCY, AND ULTRASOUND ENERGY
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- PREFACE
- CONTRIBUTORS
- PART ONE ANATOMY AND THE AGING PROCESS
- PART TWO ANESTHESIA AND SEDATION FOR OFFICE COSMETIC PROCEDURES
- PART THREE FILLERS AND NEUROTOXINS
- PART FOUR COSMETIC APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT, RADIOFREQUENCY, AND ULTRASOUND ENERGY
- Chap. 42 TREATMENT OF TELANGIECTASIA, POIKILODERMA, AND FACE AND LEG VEINS
- Chap. 43 VASCULAR LASERS
- Chap. 44 OVERVIEW OF CO2 AND ER:YAG LASERS AND PLASMA DEVICES
- Chap. 45 CONTEMPORARY CO2 LASER RESURFACING
- Chap. 46 ER:YAG
- Chap. 47 PLASMA SKIN REJUVENATION OF THE HANDS
- Chap. 48 NONABLATIVE LASER TISSUE REMODELING: 1,064-, 1,320-, 1,450-, AND 1,540-NM LASER SYSTEMS
- Chap. 49 OVERVIEW OF BROADBAND LIGHT DEVICES
- Chap. 50 TITAN: INDUCING DERMAL CONTRACTION
- Chap. 51 SCITON BROADBAND LIGHT AND ER:YAG MICROPEEL COMBINATION
- Chap. 52 AMINOLEVULINIC ACID PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR FACIAL REJUVENATION AND ACNE
- Chap. 53 THERMAGE FOR FACE AND BODY
- Chap. 54 LUMENIS ALUMA SKIN TIGHTENING SYSTEM
- Chap. 55 ELLMAN RADIOFREQUENCY DEVICE FOR SKIN TIGHTENING
- Chap. 56 ALMA ACCENT DUAL RADIOFREQUENCY DEVICE FOR TISSUE CONTOURING
- Chap. 57 COMBINED LIGHT AND BIPOLAR RADIOFREQUENCY
- Chap. 58 FRACTIONAL LASERS: GENERAL CONCEPTS
- Chap. 59 PALOMAR LUX 1,540-NM FRACTIONAL LASER
- Chap. 60 FRAXEL 1,550-NM LASER (FRAXEL RE:STORE)
- Chap. 61 1,440-NM FRACTIONAL LASER: CYNOSURE AFFIRM
- Chap. 62 SCITON ER:YAG 2,940-NM FRACTIONAL LASER
- Chap. 63 ALMA PIXEL ER:YAG FRACTIONAL LASER
- Chap. 64 FRACTIONATED CO2 LASER
- Chap. 65 LED PHOTOREJUVENATION DEVICES
- Chap. 66 PHOTOPNEUMATIC THERAPY
- Chap. 67 HAIR REMOVAL: LASER AND BROADBAND LIGHT DEVICES
- Chap. 68 ACNE AND ACNE SCARS: LASER AND LIGHT TREATMENTS
- Chap. 69 FAT AND CELLULITE REDUCTION: GENERAL PRINCIPLES
- Chap. 70 ULTRASHAPE FOCUSED ULTRASOUND FAT REDUCTION DEVICE
- Chap. 71 LIPOSONIX ULTRASOUND DEVICE FOR BODY SCULPTING
- PART FIVE OTHER PROCEDURES
- INDEX
- References
Summary
Thermage uses monopolar radiofrequency to achieve nonablative skin tightening. This system employs a patented monopolar capacitive radiofrequency technology called ThermaCool. The ThermaCool device has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the noninvasive treatment of rhytids.
This system relies on radiofrequency-derived heat, which promotes skin tightening via two proposed separate mechanisms: first, heat causes immediate collagen denaturation and fibril contraction; second, long-term benefits include progressive dermal remodeling and subsequent tightening from a wound-healing response lasting several months. Thus treatment attempts to provide renewed facial contours without the need for invasive surgery. It has been clinically proven to tighten and gently smooth out wrinkles and requires no downtime from normal activities.
PATIENT SELECTION
Like many cosmetic procedures, patient selection is important. The ideal patient for Thermage has the earliest signs of aging, with mild skin rhytids and substantial laxity but minimal lipodystrophy, and does not desire invasive procedures for rejuvenation. Nonablative skin tightening via radiofrequency is not intended to replace the more dramatic effects of invasive surgical lifts. Results tend to be subtle and are not as reliably produced as those obtained from surgery. The skin contraction reportedly achieved is in the order of 1–3 mm (Sadick 2006). If patient selection is appropriate, these subtle changes are perceptible to patients, particularly eyebrow position or softening of the nasolabial fold. Educating patients on realistic expectations is paramount to patient satisfaction. In the authors' experience, patients report receiving comments such as, “You look refreshed; what have you been doing differently?
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- Office-Based Cosmetic Procedures and Techniques , pp. 241 - 245Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010