THERMAGE Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and answers

1. What is it?

A facial tightening technique which provides an alternative to surgery. ThermaCool is also extremely effective in the treatment of moderate to severe acne.

2. How does it work?

Radio frequency waves are applied to the skin and penetrate to the deeper layers and tighten the collagen there, resulting in a lifting of the facial contours.

In the case of acne, the heat inhibits the activity of the sebaceous glands.

3. Who can carry out the treatment?

Only practitioners validated and trained by Thermage Inc, the manufacturers of the equipment. Dr. Hugo Kitchen and Mr James Kitchen are both certified by Thermage Inc. as validated practitioners and have been since February 2005. Click here for further information.

4. What happens at a consultation?

After making sure that ThermaCool would be appropriate for the client and obtaining his or her consent, a medical history is taken and the area to be treated is measured and photographed, after which the treatment can begin.

The Thermacool tip is applied to the skin and the carefully metered and monitored energy delivered to the target areas.

The procedure takes about two hours.

5. What happens afterwards?

Measurable tightening improvements occur gradually over the next few months; some patients have reported seeing an earlier response.

6. How many treatments will I need?

A single treatment produces results in the majority of patients.

7. How long does it last?

Anything from two to five years.

8. Are there any side effects?

Generally the treatment is well tolerated but in a very few cases there may be mild swelling, redness, occasional blistering, numbness or pigment changes, all of which can be resolved.

The reported incidence of adverse events following treatment is less than 0.05% and is therefore quite rare.

9. Does it hurt?

No, because a cooling spray chills the skin down to the sensitive nerve endings both before and after the delivery of the energy, so that the heating effect of the impact is delivered only to the deeper tissues and is not felt other than as mild warmth.

10. How much does it cost?

£1000 - £1500 per treatment for each area. For example, the forehead counts as one area, the lower face another and the neck a further area.