Low-Pain, High-Output Thermage FLX — Comfortably and Reliably

Hello, I'm Dr. Tae Hoon Kim, board-certified dermatologist.

Many people think the reason skin looks older

is simply sagging, but aging takes many different forms.

Various changes such as vertical pores, skin texture, fine lines and a double chin take the face further away from a youthful look.

These are not just problems of the skin surface; they appear as the strength deep within the skin gradually declines.

The 'Thermage FLX' treatment I'll talk about today improves the collagen, elastin

and ECM environment in the dermis, and raises the support that helps the skin hold up.

It uses radiofrequency (RF) energy to deliver effective heat to the dermis and remodels the inside of the skin through that heat response.

Because it reorganizes the collapsed elastic structure of the skin so that it becomes dense again, the skin looks firmer and more refined.

The problem is that a heat response must be created to produce results,

so heat and pain come with it, and some people say the results are great but it hurts too much to go through with.

To this, I can confidently say that 'low-pain, high-output Thermage FLX' is possible.

Pain so severe that you give up halfway?

When the pain is too severe, the patient's face tenses up.

The jaw clenches, the eyes twitch and the head moves slightly,

which makes it difficult to keep the originally planned shot distribution and rhythm consistent.

That is why I spent a long time researching to develop the know-how for 'low-pain, high-efficiency Thermage FLX' that can ease this.

Not a matter of simply putting up with it, but a way to remove the variables that undermine the precision of the treatment.

It is neither giving up results to make it less painful, nor, for the sake of results,

making you grit your teeth and endure it; it is an approach that designs comfort and results together.

To do this, a board-certified dermatologist builds a precise, customized treatment plan based on long clinical experience.

It is not simply because Thermage FLX is a good device or a famous one;

it is about a skilled practitioner delivering energy to the right places with the know-how to reduce pain.

Holding fast to 'high output', which matters even more than low pain.

I am sometimes asked this question:

“If it doesn't hurt, doesn't that mean it doesn't work as well?”

Not at all.

In the end, results come down to the total amount and density of energy.

It is possible to deliver energy that is effective enough for a real response to occur while still reducing pain.

If the treatment is done with energy that is too weak, then even after the treatment

you may not feel much difference, and the skin may seem refined for a few days before feeling back to how it was.

Again, the key to 'low-pain, high-output Thermage FLX' is holding fast to 'high output'.

Not simply putting in as much and as strong as possible, but securing enough energy to create a meaningful remodeling response within the skin!

Closely assessing the skin's condition comes first.

If the skin is sensitive — especially if a state of recently accumulated irritation that keeps it from recovering normally

has become the default — the same energy can feel completely different.

In such cases, I sometimes recommend postponing the treatment for a while and having another treatment that can improve the skin's condition first.

Also, the forehead, eye area, cheeks, jawline and under-chin all have different pain thresholds,

so it is important to design every area differently according to skin thickness and the pattern of aging.

Of course, this must also be reflected when applying numbing cream, and it is essential to keep it covered for long enough so that the concentration in the skin is right.

“It is not the number of shots that creates results, but how they are distributed.”

With denser energy where it is needed and restraint where it is not, a full-face treatment is entirely possible with 600 shots.

With the medical team's understanding and design, the results of a 'low-pain, high-output Thermage FLX' full-face treatment last about 1 year.

The reason patient satisfaction differs from clinic to clinic even with the same Thermage FLX device is that laser-lifting devices depend heavily on the hands using them.

Here, 'depending on the hands' means that know-how has to be combined with the medical team's understanding of facial anatomy and a careful skin analysis.

With Thermage FLX, the face can be read like a map, with each zone treated as a different problem, which allows effective treatment.

That is why, before a laser-lifting treatment, the face should be analyzed as if drawing a map, and the treatment planned on that basis.

For example, the eye area needs a delicate approach, the cheeks attention to lost elasticity, the jawline contour refinement,

and the area around the mouth and the nasolabial folds, facial movement and expressions, and even the spots where hollowing may occur all need to be checked.

But the whole face should not be treated in the same way.

Some areas may well end up under-treated and others over-treated, and the pain may be great while the perceived effect is weak.

A treatment performed with accurate mapping, understanding exactly where the skin is weakening most and where to focus, is different.

If you are considering Thermage FLX right now, I hope you find a place that can read your face accurately and provide a 1:1 customized treatment.

Thank you for reading this long post.

Written by Dr. Tae Hoon Kim