ThermiTight

The effects of aging, weight loss, and surgery can bring about big changes in the appearance of a person. Many of these changes involve sagging, or loose skin that hangs on the body.  In the past, the main solution to fixing loose skin was a major skin tightening operation.  There is a current option that is an alternative to having a larger operation and it is called ThermiTight.

BACKGROUND

Doctors have been using radio frequency energy for years to tighten skin. If the skin is heated to a certain temperature range it triggers a healing response that makes the skin tighten.  The heating contracts collagen, increases collagen production, and ultimately leads to tighter skin. All of the radio frequency treatments heat the depth of the skin from the top down.

ADVANTAGES

The procedure heats the deeper part of the skin as well as the subcutaneous tissues (the part that is sitting under the skin). To heat from the surface down is difficult because surgeons have to be careful not to raise the temperature too high. They do not want to burn the surface of the skin which is more sensitive to the internal portion of the tissue. 

ThermiTight uses a probe that is about the size of an oversized piece of spaghetti going through a small needle puncture. There typically is not even an incision. It is just a little poke with a needle that puts the probe underneath the skin and applies the energy to create the heat in the subcutaneous tissue and the deeper parts of the skin. This is where the greatest amount of tightening happens. ThermiTight is currently the only device that allows for internal use of radio frequency energy and the results are spectacular.  

NOT A FACELIFT

ThermiTight is not a facelift. There is a difference between tightening and lifting.  If a person looks in the mirror and takes their fingers and stretches the skin backwards and upwards, that is more of a lifting.  That is what a facelift and a neck lift does.

Tightening is actually shrinking the overall surface of the skin. It tightens and does a little bit of a lift. If a person has hanging tissue in the neck and then does the ThermiTight procedure of the neck, it will tighten the internal tissue as well as the skin. The results look like a lift but it is not really a lift. The results are more of a tightening. It is rejuvenation and tightening which achieves a little bit of a lift but it is not the equivalent of the non-surgical facelift. 

IDEAL PATIENTS

ThermiTight appeals to males and females of any age that have excess tissue with some sagging around the jaw and neck. The typical areas of treatment are from the corner of the mouth out to the earlobe and down. This includes the jowls area and the entire neck. In fact, the ThermiTight procedure can be used all over the body. It can treat sagging arms, sagging tissue in the tummy, thighs, and anywhere in the body where there is a little bit of sagging skin. 

Typical patients are between the ages of 30 and 90. They want to tighten skin without having a major surgical procedure. This is a great option for moms that had babies and do not have a lot of hanging skin. It is good for people who are up and down in weight and have a little sagging skin on their back. There are women who have looseness just below the bra roll and they want to tighten that in.  ThermiTight can also be used when doing liposuction in an area where there is a little bit of skin laxity to make sure that little bit of laxity does not turn into a lot. ThermiTight can help firm the tissue as it is healing post-op and, ultimately, tighten the skin for a better result.

SIDE EFFECTS

With any treatment, there are always risks. Since ThermiTight uses very high energy at high temperatures, the procedure is completely monitored. Doctors know the temperature at the end of the probe but there is a risk of burning the skin anytime high temperatures are used. It is extremely rare but it could happen. 

Theoretically, there could be pigmentation if there is a burn. There is a possibility of hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. There are nerves that travel in this area. Even though nerve damage is extremely low risk, and unlikely, all these things can happen. All in all, the side effect risks are extremely low while the potential benefit is significant.    

COST

Most patients are charged from $2,500-$3,000 to $5,000-$6,000 in the United States.  The cost depends on the body area and how long the procedure takes. It is a pretty low cost alternative to having a larger operation. The average surgical procedure is around $6,000 dollars and the average price of ThermiTight is about $3,000-$3,500. It is about half the price of your average surgical procedure and delivers very nice results.

NOT A SURGERY ALTERNATIVE

ThermiTight is not an alternative to surgery. Surgery is always going to give a bigger and better result. ThermiTight is primarily used to tighten skin and is an option for people that either don not want to have surgery or are not really candidates for a full operation but want some improvement.  It is also a good maintenance procedure. One of the things people see as they get older is little jowls loosening and a little laxity on the neck. That is something that a ThermiTight procedure can prevent from getting worse and even improve a little bit.

POST-OP INSTRUCTIONS

Following a ThermiTight procedure, patients need to wear a little chin strap garment full time for three days. After the third day, they wear the chin strap for the next four days at night when they sleep because there will be some swelling. This is a medical treatment with a short recovery process. The swelling is controlled with the garment. A patient needs to keep their head elevated for the first few days.  There is no incision so there are no stitches to take out.  There could be a little bit of bruising but no scarring.

RESULTS

A patient will not see immediate results following ThermiTight. Typically patients begin to see and feel some changes at around 2-3 weeks. It takes about 2 months until they start seeing significant changes. The majority of significant changes happen between 2-6 months.  Because there is a healing process, it continues to mature all the way up to one year. The majority of visible results happens in 3-4 months and then continues to refine for up to a year.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There is no such thing as a permanent solution. Even surgery is not a permanent solution. As time goes by, things get loose and may sag again. ThermiTight results can last up to three years. This is a lasting change that is accomplished with a pretty simple procedure that takes about an hour to complete. If a person is looking for a good alternative to major surgery, ThermiTight is a solution that might be right for their needs. Interested persons should consult with their physician to see if they are an ideal candidate for ThermiTight.

Written by Cosmetic Town Editorial Team - MA