Thermage is a popular non-invasive skin anti-aging project in the world. It is popular all over the world and is recognized by the international cosmetic dermatology community as the “gold standard” for skin firming.
Thermage’s main principle of anti-aging effect is to denature the aging collagen through high temperatures, and regenerate and supplement a large amount of healthy collagen through the “damage re-repair” mechanism.
Thermage is a Monopolar RF device with a frequency of 6.78mhz, suitable for anti-aging throughout the body, and is known as the best choice for skin tightening.
LitonLaser has a monopolar RF machine similar to Thermage. The same 6.78 MHz, monopolar RF technology, suitable for anti-aging of all parts of the body, and an imported handpiece is added to the product.
Introduction and treatment theory of Thermage monopolar RF.
Thermage is a non-surgical skin tightening and lifting treatment that is a monopolar radiofrequency. Universal radiofrequency energy promotes the reorganization and regeneration of collagen, making the skin firmer, improving fine lines and wrinkles, and making the skin look younger overall. It is mainly used to improve sagging skin on the face, neck, abdomen, thighs and arms. The treatment effect can last from six months to one year.
The same monopolar RF machine from LitonLaser was produced and sold in 2013, and has the same therapeutic effect as Thermage.
The monopolar RF machine uses radio frequency technology to convert electrical energy into heat energy to produce a therapeutic effect. When the generated heat energy acts on the deep layer of the skin, it will cause thermal damage, destroy cells, vaporize cells, or shrink cell tissues, and then, based on the slight damage to the skin, it will promote the production of new collagen in the deep facial tissues.
Pass through the skin surface – enter the dermis – pass to the fascia layer – burn cells evenly – produce new collagen.Of course, the process of new collagen production takes time, so the beauty effect of Thermage will usually be better after 1 month.
Monopolar RF machine functions and features.
Significant cosmetic effect, a must-have for reducing age.
One Thermage treatment can have a significant cosmetic effect, reducing crow’s feet, lifting the skin around the eyes, improving the sagging of the skin around the eyes, fading marionette lines and nasolabial folds, effectively improving skin wrinkles and sagging, making the skin smoother and more delicate. It can be said to be one of the must-have artifacts for goddesses to reduce age.
One treatment, continuous effect.
Immediately after Thermage treatment, the skin can show a firming effect of about 10%. With the continuous regeneration of collagen, the skin firming effect will continue to appear within 1 to 6 months after treatment, reaching its peak effect after 6 months, and generally lasts for about 1 year, which is very suitable for people who are busy with work and have no time to take good care of themselves.
Deep penetration, full-layer heating.
Thermage’s monopolar radiofrequency technology can penetrate 4.3 mm below the skin, with a deep penetration depth, which can more effectively stimulate the tightening and regeneration of collagen. And unlike other anti-aging devices that only treat a single depth, Thermage 3D full-layer firming treatment can three-dimensionally heat the deep and shallow layers of skin tissue and evenly stimulate collagen regeneration.
Multiple-site treatment.
Thermage’s multiple treatment handpieces can treat different areas, such as face, eye area, body, etc. At the same time, the monopolar RF machine is also a non-invasive treatment device approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for upper and lower eyelids.
Good safety.
When the monopolar RF machine treatment handle touches the skin, cold air is automatically sprayed to protect the epidermis from thermal damage.
Short treatment time.
Thermage treatment is very fast. With the preparation in advance, the whole treatment usually takes 2 to 3 hours at most, and there is almost no recovery period. You can immediately return to your normal life and work after the treatment, without affecting your daily life at all.
6.78 MHz monopolar RF machine applicable range.
Radiofrequency technology has a wide range of applications. It can not only be used to treat mild to moderate skin sagging and fine wrinkles (especially eye wrinkles) all over the body, reduce fat and reshape the body, improve contours and skin texture, but can also be used in hemangioma resection surgery.
Thermage treatment areas include loose skin around the eyes, face, neck, chin, abdomen, buttocks, thighs and arms.It can tighten the skin and provide non-invasive anti-aging effects.
Precautions after Thermage treatment.
Keep the area clean and hygienic.
Due to the “thermal effect” principle of Thermage monopolar RF, it will cause some trauma to the skin, such as redness and swelling of the skin. After the operation, you need to keep the area clean and hygienic, and try not to touch or scratch the skin frequently in a short period of time.
Don’t rush to put on makeup too early.
After Thermage treatment, if your skin becomes red, swollen, or pigmented, it is recommended to wait 15 to 30 days until your skin has recovered before putting on makeup. If you put on makeup too early, especially heavy makeup, the chemical residue in the cosmetics may irritate the skin and affect the effect.
Eat a light diet with balanced nutrition.
After Thermage treatment, pay attention to eating a light but balanced diet and reduce the intake of greasy and irritating foods.
Moisturize and protect your skin from the sun.
Within one month after Thermage treatment, your skin may become dehydrated and dry. Therefore, you should pay special attention to hydration and sun protection after the operation. If you use the water light needle hydration treatment, the beauty effect of Thermage collagen regeneration and reconstruction will be doubled, and you can get hydrated and shiny skin. For daily skin hydration, you can also choose medical repair products with hyaluronic acid as the core ingredient.
Ice compress after treatment is not recommended.
Sometimes redness, swelling and blisters may occur after Thermage treatment, and many people will use ice compress to relieve them. However, ice compress may inhibit the growth of collagen, so it is not recommended to use ice compress at home unless prescribed by a doctor.
Clinical data of monopolar RF Thermage treatment.
We often see the comparison photos of Thermage before and after the operation displayed by medical beauty institutions, and the effect is indeed good.
However, can monopolar radiofrequency Thermage really stimulate the skin to grow a large amount of young and healthy collagen?
For doctors and researchers, seeing the regeneration effect of Thermage on collagen at the microscopic level (such as pathological sections) can really make people believe it.
Of course, we need to know that the main changes in skin aging include a decrease in the amount and quality of collagen, a decrease in elastic fibers, a decrease in hyaluronic acid, and a decrease in the number and activity of fibroblasts.
Thermage skin tightening clinical case 1.
The earliest medical paper on Thermage on collagen was published by Sota in 2004.
The study used ThermaCool for skin tightening and anti-aging treatment. The clinical efficacy of the subjects in the study showed that at the 12th week after surgery, the average vertical eyebrow height of patients treated with Thermage alone increased significantly by 1.6-2.4 mm. Skin texture parameters (laxity, wrinkles, glossiness, pore size) were improved.
Importantly, the study also did histological sections.
The results showed that at 4 months after surgery, a significant increase in collagen, thickening of the epidermis, and a decrease in sebaceous glands could be seen in the pathological sections.
Figure B: HE staining 4 months after Thermage surgery. The darker the color, the more collagen
Thermage skin tightening clinical case 2.
Also in 2004, a study titled “Histological and Ultrastructural Evaluation of the Effects of Radiofrequency-Based Non-Ablative Dermal Remodeling Devices” was published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Dermatology sub-journal.
The study used ThermaCool TC radiofrequency to treat bovine tendons and human abdominal skin, observing the effects of Thermaje on the microstructure of the dermis.
Electron microscopy showed that the diameter of collagen fibrils increased. And the effect on collagen fibrils was closely related to epidermal cooling.
Without cooling, 100% of collagen fibers within 1 mm of the dermis are affected. The percentage of affected fibrils drops to 60% at 1 to 2 mm (due to degeneration), 10% at 2 to 3 mm, 5% at 3 to 4 mm, and about 1% at 4 to 6 mm.
When medium cooling was used, the percentage of fibril degeneration was 10% at 0 to 1 mm, 30% at 1 to 2 mm, 1% at 2 to 3 mm, and no degeneration was observed at 4 to 6 mm.
When high cooling was used, the percentage of fibril degeneration was 0% at 0 to 1 mm, 1% at 1 to 2 mm, 20% at 2 to 3 mm, 20% at 3 to 4 mm, 10% at 4 to 5 mm, and 1% at 5 to 6 mm.
The results suggest that cooling allows RF energy to penetrate deeper, causing collagen degeneration mainly in the middle and deep layers of the dermis, and thereby stimulating collagen regeneration.
A, Control cross section showing normal collagen fibrils. B, Control sample in longitudinal section showing normal collagen fibrils. C, Sample after radiofrequency (RF) treatment (moderate cooling) at 0 to 1 mm below the skin surface. Large arrows point to cross sections of partially denatured collagen fibrils showing loss of electron density and clear boundaries. Small arrows point to normal fibrils. D, Sample after RF treatment (moderate cooling) at 0 to 1 mm below the surface. Large arrows point to longitudinal fibrils at the junction between normal and partially denatured areas, which have loss of electron density and clear boundaries (magnification ×17 280).
In this study, changes in collagen were not observed by HE staining, but the effect on collagen was determined by detecting the expression of collagen mRNA.
The results showed that type I collagen mRNA expression increased in the skin 2 and 7 days after treatment.
Northern blot analysis of treated and untreated skin (day 0) showed a 2.4-fold and 1.7-fold increase in collagen mRNA at days 2 and 7 after treatment, respectively.
Thermage skin tightening clinical case 3.
In 2014, Japanese scholars conducted a histological analysis of the changes in the time and quantity of collagen after Thermage treatment to determine the mechanism of anti-aging effects.
The results showed that after Thermage treatment, the number of collagen fibers increased, and the collagen fibers in the entire dermis became thicker, forming thick collagen fiber bundles (see the figure below). The increase in collagen was most significant three months after surgery.
The study also used fluorescent antibody technology to study the effects of Thermage on type I and type III collagen.
The results showed that both type I and type III collagen increased significantly.
The study also examined changes in dermal stem cells and found no significant changes in stem cell numbers after Thermage.
The histology of this study demonstrated a significant increase in type I and type III collagen in the dermis after Thermage treatment with a monopolar RF machine. The number of stem cells did not affect the increase in collagen.
Thermage skin tightening clinical case 4.
In 2020, Korean scholars published a medical paper titled “Monopolar Radiofrequency Treatment for Facial Relaxation: Histological Analysis”.
The device observed in the study was Thermage FLX, commonly known as the fifth generation Thermage, now called Super Thermage.
The treatment energy level ranged from 1.5-3.0, and the total cumulative energy was 30-45 KJ/cm 211 subjects with skin types III and IV participated in the study.
They received a single monopolar radiofrequency treatment on the face, and biopsies were taken before treatment, 2 months after treatment, and 6 months after treatment.
The density of collagen and elastic fibers in the papillary dermis, upper reticular layer, and lower reticular layer, as well as the remodeling of collagen fibers were evaluated.
Clinical trial results of Thermage for skin tightening.
- Histology 2 months after treatment showed increased collagen and elastic fibers in the papillary dermis and upper reticular dermis.
- 2 months after treatment, the arrangement of collagen fibers in the reticular dermis was more parallel and neat than before treatment.
- Images taken 6 months after treatment showed that the high collagen and elastic fiber density observed at 2 months was maintained.
- The researchers also measured changes in epidermal thickness.
- Unlike previous studies, the Korean study showed an increase in epidermal thickness in the four younger subjects, while the older subjects had a slight decrease in epidermal thickness.
Customer satisfaction with treatment outcomes.
According to the questionnaire results at the 6-month follow-up, clients reported that monopolar RF treatment was either improved (36.4%) or very improved (63.6%).
Monopolar RF Thermage Treatment FAQs.
Q: Is the treatment with Thermage painful?
A:During the operation of Thermage, because the skin is heated and directly acted on the skin, it will cause pain. However, the pain of Thermage treatment after the fifth generation has been greatly reduced! Thermage equipment comes with cold spray, cooling and vibration functions. In addition, surface anesthetic cream and painkillers will be applied before treatment. This alternation of “hot” and “cool” is to ensure that the deep collagen is effectively heated without scalding the epidermis, and effectively reduce the pain. Overall, there will be some “wooden” (anesthetic effect), “cool” (treatment probe feeling), “hot” (burning feeling of deep skin) feelings during the treatment, and occasional tingling, which is within the tolerable range of most people. If you are a person who is more sensitive to pain, be mentally prepared before treatment. You can inform the doctor in advance to appropriately reduce the treatment energy and reduce the pain.
Q: Are there any side effects of Thermage treatment?
A:Generally speaking, the probability of side effects after Thermage treatment in a regular hospital is very low. Even if there are redness, swelling, slight pain, pigmentation, skin dehydration and other phenomena, there is no need to worry, which are basically normal reactions of the skin to heat and will generally disappear after a few days.
Q: Which parts of the body are suitable for Thermage?
A:Thermage has a variety of probes that can provide personalized treatment for different parts of the body, including the face and neck, around the eyes, abdomen, arms, thighs, buttocks, etc.
Q: How long does the skin tightening effect of Thermage treatment last?
A:The maintenance effect of a single Thermage treatment also varies from person to person (generally it can last for 2 years, but in actual use, it needs to be done once a year to maintain the best condition). If you are young and have no bad living habits, the effect will naturally last longer; if you are older and have bad living habits, the effect will last shorter.
Q: Can people who have undergone myopia surgery undergo eye Thermage treatment?
A:If it is a femtosecond/semi-femtosecond eye surgery, you need to wait for half a year before you can do it. When performing Thermage treatment on the eye, you need to wear an eye shield to block the radio frequency from entering. The unrecovered eyeball is more sensitive, and the eyeball that has just undergone eye surgery may not be able to tolerate this kind of friction. You need to wait until the cornea recovers before you can do the treatment.
Q: What is the main function of Thermage treatment?
A:The main functions of monopolar RF Thermage treatment are skin tightening and non-invasive anti-aging.
Thermage similar Monopolar RF device.
Thermage is a very good device, but the only drawback is that it is too expensive, which makes it unaffordable for many beauty salons and clinics that like Thermage for anti-aging.
Therefore, finding a substitute for Thermage is the most important task. There are many RF machines on the market that imitate the shell of Thermage, but the parameters and performance cannot be copied, so the effect is not good. What we need is a machine with the same parameters as Thermage.
LitonLaser is a beauty machine manufacturer with 20 years of experience. It also produces and develops monopolar RF machines. We have a 6.78 mhz monopolar RF machine with almost the same parameters as Thermage, and also has an imported handpiece.
If you are a beauty salon owner, clinic doctor, or dealer/distributor/agent, and need to find the same monopolar RF machine as Thermage, you can contact us at any time.
