Thermage FLXยฎ Skin Tightening in Danville, CA
Thermage FLX Skin Tightening in Danville, CA
Thermage FLX is a non-invasive radiofrequency treatment used for wrinkles and skin-firmness goals without surgery. Controlled RF heating is delivered while the skin surface is cooled; treatment is often performed in one main session, with gradual improvement over the following months and usually little social downtime.
Thermage FLX firms skin using radio waves, with no cutting and no needles. The handpiece heats the deeper layers in a controlled way while keeping the surface of your skin cool. It is usually done as one main session, the improvement builds over the following months, and most people carry straight on with their day afterwards.
Thermage FLX: the essentials
The short version
Non-invasive monopolar radiofrequency (RF) system with surface cooling and treatment-tip energy delivery
A machine that heats deeper skin with radio waves, while cooling the surface, through a treatment tip.
Non-invasive treatment of wrinkles and rhytids, including periorbital wrinkles; temporary improvement in cellulite appearance is also included for vibration-assisted use
Treating wrinkles without cutting the skin, including the wrinkles around the eyes. With the vibrating handpiece, it is also approved for temporarily improving the look of cellulite.
Used here for non-surgical firming, including the jawline, cheeks and upper neck.
Non-surgical firming, including the jawline, the cheeks and the upper neck.
About 60 minutes for a typical facial treatment. Timing varies by area.
About an hour for a typical facial treatment. It depends on the area.
One session, repeated once every 12 months. A touch up treatment every 6 months gives superior results.
One session, repeated every 12 months. A top up every 6 months gives a better result.
No downtime and, in Dr. Gallacher's experience, no redness. Mild warmth or slight swelling can occur and settles quickly.
Usually nothing anyone would notice. You may be red or a little swollen for a while.
Do not treat patients with a pacemaker, AICD or other implantable electrical device per current manufacturer safety information
It must not be used on anyone with a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator, or any other implanted electrical device.
What is Thermage FLX?
What is Thermage FLX?
Thermage FLX is a non-invasive radiofrequency system that delivers controlled RF energy into tissue while cooling the skin surface. It is used for non-surgical treatment of wrinkles and is commonly selected in aesthetic practice to improve skin firmness without incisions or injectables.
It is a machine that sends radio waves into the tissue under your skin, heating it in a controlled way, while keeping the surface cool. It is used to treat wrinkles and to firm skin without any cutting or injections.
Thermage FLX is an established radiofrequency treatment for non-surgical skin tightening. It is not a laser and it does not remove the surface of the skin.
It is a well established way of firming skin without surgery. It is not a laser, and it does not take any of the surface of your skin off.
Thermage is one of the oldest established ways of firming skin with radio waves and has been in use for more than twenty years, which is rare in a field where machines come and go. FLX is the current version of it, and that is the version used here rather than an older unit. The maker says the FLX generation added three things: a calibration step that reads the skin and sets the strength of each pulse individually, a bigger tip so a whole face takes about an hour, and vibration alongside the cooling to make it more comfortable. The idea behind it has not changed: heat the deeper layers in a controlled way while keeping the surface cool.
Thermage is one of the longest established non-invasive radiofrequency treatments in aesthetic medicine and has been in clinical use for more than two decades, which is unusual in a field where devices come and go. FLX is the current generation of that platform, and this practice runs the current generation rather than an older unit. According to the manufacturer, the FLX generation added an energy calibration step that measures the electrical resistance of the skin and sets the output for each individual pulse, a larger treatment tip that allows a typical face to be covered in about 60 minutes, and vibration alongside the cooling to improve comfort. The underlying principle is unchanged: controlled deep heating with the surface kept cool.
How does Thermage FLX work?
How does it work?
The treatment tip delivers monopolar radiofrequency energy while cooling protects the surface of the skin. Controlled heating produces an immediate contraction in some of the collagen, and a longer rebuilding response that develops over time.
The treatment tip sends radio waves into the deeper layers while cooling the surface, so the top of your skin is protected. The heat makes the fibres deeper down shrink a little straight away, and then sets off a slower rebuilding that carries on for months.
The improvement is a gradual rebuilding of collagen, not a dramatic tightening. How much you get varies with how loose the skin was to begin with, your age, your anatomy and the settings used.
What you get is a gradual rebuilding, not a dramatic tightening. How much depends on how loose the skin was to start with, your age, your anatomy and the settings used.
Diagram showing Thermage FLX radiofrequency heating deeper skin while cooling the surface
A diagram showing radio waves heating the deeper skin while the surface is kept cool.
What areas can Thermage FLX treat?
Which areas can be treated?
Current labeling includes non-invasive treatment of wrinkles and periorbital wrinkles, including the upper and lower eyelids. In practice, Thermage is also commonly used across facial and body areas according to applicator and physician judgment.
It is approved for treating wrinkles, including the wrinkles around the eyes, on both the upper and lower lids. In practice it is used on many parts of the face and body, depending on the handpiece and the doctor’s judgement.
- Face and jawline for selected wrinkles and skin-firmness goals
- Periorbital area when correct eye protection and technique are used
-
The cheeks and upper neck
- Selected body areas and temporary cellulite appearance improvement when appropriate
- The face and jawline, for certain wrinkles and for firming.
- Around the eyes, with the right eye protection and technique.
- The cheeks and the upper neck.
- Selected areas on the body, and temporarily improving the look of cellulite, where that suits.
What happens during a Thermage FLX treatment?
What happens during the treatment?
A return pad and treatment tip are placed according to the system protocol, and the handpiece delivers repeated RF pulses with cooling; vibration may be used on appropriate areas to improve comfort.
A pad is placed on your body to complete the electrical circuit, and the treatment tip is fitted. The handpiece then delivers pulse after pulse of energy, cooling the skin each time. On some areas it also vibrates, which makes it more comfortable.
Patients commonly feel cycles of heating and cooling. A typical facial visit takes about an hour. Total time varies with the area and the plan.
You feel cycles of heat and cold. A typical facial visit takes about an hour. How long it actually takes depends on the area and the plan.
When will I see Thermage FLX results, and how long do they last?
When will I see results, and how long do they last?
Some people notice early firmness, but the improvement develops gradually over roughly two to six months as the tissue rebuilds. Results may last one to two years; longevity varies and should not be guaranteed.
Some people notice a little firmness early on, but the real improvement builds gradually over about two to six months as the tissue rebuilds itself. Results may last one to two years. How long varies from person to person, and nobody should guarantee it.
Thermage is planned here as a single main treatment. Dr. Gallacher's recommendation is to repeat it once every 12 months, because the collagen that has been rebuilt is then maintained rather than allowed to fall back, and in her experience a touch up treatment every 6 months gives superior results. Repeating it does not stop the ageing process: skin continues to age after treatment, and a repeat treatment maintains a result rather than preventing ageing. Some patients choose one treatment and leave it there, which is a reasonable decision.
Thermage is planned here as one main treatment. Dr. Gallacher's advice is to repeat it once every 12 months, so the collagen you have gained is kept up rather than allowed to slip back, and in her experience a top up every 6 months gives a better result. Repeating it does not stop you ageing. Your skin carries on ageing afterwards, so a repeat treatment keeps a result going rather than preventing anything. Some people have one treatment and leave it at that, which is a fair choice.
How many Thermage FLX treatments are needed?
How many treatments will I need?
Thermage is a single-session treatment rather than a multi-visit series. Dr. Gallacher recommends repeating it once every 12 months, and in her experience a touch up treatment every 6 months gives superior results.
Thermage is one main treatment rather than a course of visits. Dr. Gallacher recommends repeating it every 12 months, and a top up every 6 months gives a better result.
One treatment, repeated once every 12 months. A touch up treatment every 6 months gives superior results.
One treatment, repeated every 12 months. A top up every 6 months gives a better result.
What is the downtime after Thermage FLX?
Will I need time off?
Most patients have little or no social downtime after Thermage and return to normal activity the same day. In Dr. Gallacher's experience there is no redness after Thermage FLX. Mild warmth or slight swelling can occur immediately afterwards and settles quickly. Bruising is not the expected outcome of a Thermage treatment, but it can happen, as can tenderness or a temporary change in sensation in the treated area. The less common effects listed below are uncommon, but they are real, they are reported with radiofrequency treatment, and you should read them before deciding.
Most people have nothing anyone would notice after Thermage and go back to normal the same day. In Dr. Gallacher's experience there is no redness after Thermage FLX. You may feel warm, or have slight swelling, straight afterwards, and that settles quickly. Bruising is not what we expect after Thermage, but it can happen, and so can tenderness or a temporary change in how the area feels. The less common effects listed below are uncommon, but they are real, they have been reported with radiofrequency treatment, and you should read them before deciding.
| After treatment | Possible experience |
|---|---|
| Immediately | Warmth; slight swelling is possible. Redness is not expected |
| The same day | Any warmth or swelling settles; routine activity is usually possible |
| Uncommon/important | Bruising, persistent swelling, burns/blisters, surface irregularity, altered sensation, nodules, pigment change or scarring have been reported |
Straight afterwards Warmth, and possibly slight swelling. No redness is expected.
The same day Any warmth or swelling settles, and you can usually do everything as normal.
Uncommon but important Bruising, swelling that lasts, burns or blisters, an uneven surface, altered sensation, small lumps, changes in skin colour and scarring have all been reported.
Who is Thermage FLX for, and who should not have it?
Who is it for, and who should not have it?
Thermage may suit patients seeking a non-surgical, gradual improvement in wrinkles or mild-to-moderate skin-firmness concerns who understand that results are subtler than surgery.
It may suit someone who wants a gradual improvement in wrinkles, or in mild to moderate looseness, without surgery, and who understands the change is subtler than an operation.
- Patients with a pacemaker, AICD or other implantable electrical device should not undergo Thermage treatment according to current manufacturer contraindications
- Current manufacturer information notes that use has not been studied in several situations, including pregnancy/breastfeeding and certain medical conditions; these require physician review
- Expectations should be redirected toward surgery when the degree of laxity requires tissue removal or structural lifting for a meaningful change
- Anyone with a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator, or any other implanted electrical device must not have this treatment.
- The maker notes it has not been studied in several situations, including pregnancy and breastfeeding, and with certain medical conditions. Those need reviewing with the doctor.
- If the skin has dropped enough that it would need lifting or removing to make a real difference, surgery is the honest answer, not this.
Thermage FLX treatment at Dermatology and Laser Centre: Dr. Gallacher performs every treatment herself.
A Thermage FLX treatment here. Dr. Gallacher does every treatment herself.
What are the benefits and risks of Thermage FLX?
What are the benefits and risks?
The main advantages are non-invasive treatment and little routine downtime; the limitations are gradual, variable results and the possibility of uncommon but meaningful RF-related adverse effects.
The advantages are that nothing is cut or injected, and there is usually nothing to stop you carrying on. The limits are that the result is gradual, it varies, and there are uncommon but real side effects that come with radiofrequency.
| Potential benefits | Possible risks / limitations |
|---|---|
| No incisions, needles or surgical recovery for the RF treatment itself | Temporary pain, redness, swelling, hives or bruising |
| Usually one main treatment session with gradual improvement | Blister/burn, scabbing/scarring, surface irregularity, altered sensation, lumps/nodules, pigment change or HSV reactivation have been reported |
| Little social downtime for most patients | Results are not equivalent to a surgical facelift and cannot be guaranteed to last a fixed period |
What you can gain
No cuts, no needles, and no surgical recovery from the treatment itself.
Usually one main session, with the improvement building over months.
Little or nothing that anyone would notice afterwards.
What you are accepting
Pain, redness, swelling, hives or bruising for a while.
Blisters or burns, scabbing or scarring, an uneven surface, altered sensation, lumps, colour change, or a cold sore flaring up, have all been reported.
It is not the same as a surgical facelift, and no one can promise how long it will last.
What are alternatives to Thermage FLX?
What else could I do instead?
Alternatives depend on whether the main problem is skin quality, laxity, volume loss, wrinkles or deeper structural descent.
It depends whether the main problem is the quality of the skin, looseness, lost fullness, wrinkles, or the whole structure having dropped.
- RF microneedling for selected texture and tightening goals
- Exilis or other energy-based tightening options offered by the practice
- Fractional laser resurfacing when texture/photoaging is the dominant issue
-
Dermal filler where the problem is lost volume rather than loose skin
- Surgical lifting when laxity is advanced and a larger structural change is desired
- RF microneedling, for certain texture and firming goals.
- Exilis, or another energy treatment offered here.
- Fractional laser resurfacing, when texture and sun damage are the main problem.
- Filler, when the real problem is lost fullness rather than loose skin.
- A surgical lift, when the looseness is advanced and you want a bigger change.
Our approach to Thermage
How we use Thermage here
Thermage works best when the goal is a gradual, non-surgical improvement in firmness, not when someone is expecting the lift that surgery gives. Dr. Gallacher uses it when the anatomy, the skin quality and the expectations all fit what radiofrequency can realistically do, and she says so directly when they do not. Thermage is also a very operator-dependent procedure. The device sets a range; the result comes from the decisions made inside that range. Tip selection, energy level, the number of pulses, the coverage pattern across each zone and the point at which treatment of an area is stopped all change the outcome, and they are adjusted during the treatment in response to what the patient reports feeling rather than run as a fixed default programme. Treating to a stock setting is the most common reason a Thermage result disappoints. For that reason Dr. Gallacher performs every Thermage treatment in this practice personally, from the first pulse to the last. It is not delegated to an assistant, a nurse or a technician, and it is carried out using the manufacturer's current technique guidance for the FLX generation rather than an older protocol carried over from an earlier device.
Thermage works best when what you want is a gradual improvement without surgery, not the lift an operation gives. Dr. Gallacher uses it when the anatomy, the skin quality and your expectations all fit what radio waves can realistically do, and she will tell you plainly when they do not. It also matters a great deal who is holding the handpiece. The machine gives a range of settings. The result comes from the choices made inside that range: which tip is used, how much energy, how many pulses, how they are laid out over each area, and when to stop. Those choices are adjusted as the treatment goes along, based on what you say you are feeling, instead of running a standard programme from start to finish. Treating everyone the same way is the commonest reason a Thermage result disappoints. So Dr. Gallacher does every Thermage treatment here herself, from the first pulse to the last. It is never handed to an assistant, a nurse or a technician. She treats using the current guidance for the FLX generation of the machine, not an older routine left over from an earlier device.
Choosing the right technology for the problem
Picking the right machine for the problem
Thermage is the flagship device in this practice for non-surgical tightening, and it is chosen for a specific job: laxity and loss of firmness in skin whose surface quality is already reasonable. It is not the answer to every ageing complaint, and it is not offered as a default. Where the dominant problem is surface texture, scarring or sun damage, a resurfacing device is the correct choice. Where the problem is lost volume, replacing volume is the correct choice. Where the skin has descended far enough that tissue would have to be removed, surgery is the honest answer. The device is selected for the indication in front of us, which sometimes means recommending a treatment we do not perform here.
Thermage is the main device used here for firming skin without surgery, and it is chosen for one particular job: skin that has gone loose but whose surface is still in reasonable condition. It is not the answer to everything, and it is not the automatic suggestion. If the main problem is texture, scarring or sun damage, a resurfacing treatment is the right one. If the problem is lost fullness, replacing that fullness is the right one. If the skin has dropped far enough that some would have to be removed, surgery is the honest answer. The device is picked to match the problem, and sometimes that means recommending something we do not do here.
Illustrative result
What a result can look like
The slider below shows the kind of change Thermage FLX is used to produce, in the areas it is most often used on: the jawline, the cheeks and the upper neck. Read it as an illustration of what the technology does, not as a prediction. The degree of change varies with how loose the skin was to begin with, your age, your anatomy, your general health and the settings used, and photographs cannot tell you what your own result will be. Drag the divider to compare, or open any picture for the detail.
The slider below shows the kind of change Thermage FLX is used for, on the areas it is most often used on: the jawline, the cheeks and the upper neck. Treat it as an illustration of what the machine does, not as a forecast. How much changes depends on how loose the skin was to start with, your age, your anatomy, your general health and the settings used, and no photograph can tell you what your own result would be. Drag the line across to compare, or open any picture to see it larger.
Questions patients ask
Does Thermage FLX hurt?
Does it hurt?
You feel cycles of heating and cooling. The FLX system uses cryogen spray cooling delivered through the treatment tip, and vibration on appropriate face and body areas, both intended to improve comfort. Each pulse gives a brief sensation of heat at the tip followed immediately by cooling. Most patients in this practice describe it as tolerable rather than painful, but tolerance varies genuinely from person to person, and the heat sensation is also part of how the treatment is guided: telling us what you feel is how the energy is set correctly for you. Comfort options are discussed before treatment starts, and the settings are adjusted during the treatment, not fixed at the beginning.
You feel cycles of heat and cold. The machine sprays a coolant through the tip and, on suitable areas, vibrates as well. Both are there to make it more comfortable. Each pulse gives a short burst of heat, followed straight away by cooling. Most people treated here describe it as bearable rather than painful, but people really do differ. What you feel also guides the treatment: telling us how hot it feels is how the strength gets set correctly for you. We talk about comfort before we start, and the settings are changed as we go rather than fixed at the beginning.
How long does Thermage FLX take?
How long does it take?
About 60 minutes for a typical facial treatment. The appointment length varies with the area and the number of pulses.
About an hour for a typical facial treatment. The appointment length depends on the area and how many pulses are needed.
How many Thermage treatments do I need?
How many will I need?
Thermage is done as one main treatment. Dr. Gallacher recommends repeating it once every 12 months, and in her experience a touch up treatment every 6 months gives superior results.
Usually one main treatment. Dr. Gallacher recommends repeating it every 12 months, and a top up every 6 months gives a better result.
When do Thermage FLX results appear?
When will I see anything?
Some patients notice early tightening, while measurable improvement typically develops over roughly two to six months as tissue remodeling continues.
Some people notice a little tightening early, but the measurable improvement usually builds over roughly two to six months while the tissue rebuilds.
How long do Thermage results last?
How long does it last?
Results can remain visible for one to two years in some people. You go on ageing, and how long it lasts varies, so a fixed period should not be guaranteed.
For some people the result stays visible for one to two years. You go on ageing, and it varies from person to person, so no fixed length should be promised.
How much does Thermage FLX cost?
How much does it cost?
The cost depends on the area being treated, because the size of the area determines the tip used and the number of pulses required. Dr. Gallacher can give you a more precise idea of cost at consultation, once she knows where you want to see a result. Thermage is a cosmetic treatment and is not covered by insurance. We quote before treatment, not afterwards, and the quote covers the whole planned treatment rather than being priced by the pulse.
The cost depends on which area is treated, because the size of the area decides which tip is used and how many pulses are needed. Dr. Gallacher can give you a closer idea at your consultation, once she knows where you want to see a change. Thermage is cosmetic, so insurance does not cover it. You get the price before the treatment, not after, and it covers the whole planned treatment rather than being charged pulse by pulse.
Who should not have Thermage FLX?
Who should not have it?
Current manufacturer information lists pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and other implantable electrical devices as contraindications. Other medical conditions, pregnancy/breastfeeding, permanent makeup, tattoos and prior procedures require individualized review.
Anyone with a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator, or another implanted electrical device. Other medical conditions, pregnancy and breastfeeding, permanent make up, tattoos and previous procedures all need going through with the doctor first.
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
