Thermage Singapore: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best age to get Thermage?+
There is no best age to get Thermage. A 2020 Delphi consensus on fourth-generation monopolar radiofrequency placed skin quality and the degree of laxity ahead of age when choosing who to treat. Thermage FLX suits mild to moderate laxity in skin that still recoils, in a face that has kept its volume, and crepey eyelid skin. Marked skin excess is referred for a surgical opinion, whatever the age.
Does Thermage cause fat loss in the face?+
It is rare, but it can happen. Where too much heat reaches one spot, injury to the fat beneath the skin can leave a dip in the contour. A 2007 survey of facial treatments supported lower-energy multiple passes guided by the patient’s report of heat over the original high-energy single pass, and that is how energy is chosen here. Any new dip or change in contour after treatment is reviewed by Dr Sin Yong.
Can Thermage be used on the body?+
Yes. Thermage FLX has a body tip for loose skin across a larger surface, such as the abdomen, arms or thighs after pregnancy or weight change. It tightens the skin envelope and does not reduce fat, so where fat is the main concern Dr Sin Yong discusses the 4K Body Lift instead. Folds of skin are beyond any energy device and are referred for a surgical opinion. Which tip and areas suit you is decided at examination.
What should I avoid after Thermage?+
Straight after Thermage, avoid saunas, steam, hot yoga and heat-based facials, and do not rub the treated skin. Pause retinoids and exfoliating acids until any redness has gone, and do not add other energy devices or injectables over the area unless they are spaced in your plan. Gentle cleansing, moisturiser, daily sunscreen and ordinary activity are fine. If a small blister, crust or dark mark appears, do not pick it; send a photograph so it can be reviewed.
Is Thermage in Singapore done by a doctor?+
It depends on the clinic, so ask before booking who examines the face and who holds the handpiece. At this practice Dr Sin Yong examines you, chooses the tip and performs every Thermage FLX treatment himself, with a genuine single-use tip and energy adjusted to your report of heat. When comparing clinics in Singapore, also ask which tip is used and whether the device is registered with the Health Sciences Authority.
How do I check that a Thermage treatment in Singapore uses an approved product?+
In Singapore, medical devices, which include most aesthetic lasers, energy devices and injectable fillers, must be registered with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before they can be supplied; only the lowest-risk class A devices are exempt. Ask which radiofrequency device will be used and check it on HSA’s medical device register, and check that the clinic holds an MOH licence.
What is Thermage FLX?+
Thermage FLX is the fourth-generation Thermage platform, a non-invasive monopolar radiofrequency device made by Solta Medical. It passes radiofrequency current at 6.78 MHz from a single-use tip, heating the deep dermis and fibrous septae while cryogen spray cools the surface. Compared with Thermage CPT, it adds real-time energy tuning and a larger 4.0 cm² face tip. Dr Sin Yong performs it personally after examining the face.
What is an RF treatment for the face?+
An RF treatment uses radiofrequency current to heat tissue so existing collagen contracts and new collagen forms gradually. Monopolar radiofrequency, as in Thermage FLX or Volnewmer, heats the dermis as a volume rather than at points, which is how it differs from focused ultrasound. RF microneedling delivers the heat through needles instead. Which form suits, if any, depends on the layer that has changed, decided at examination.
How much is Thermage in Singapore?+
Thermage fees are not published on this site, because Singapore’s rules on medical advertising do not allow prices to be advertised, and because the fee follows the plan. It depends on the Thermage FLX tip and the pulses it carries, the areas treated, whether Thermage is combined with another protocol, and review. A written quote is given after Dr Sin Yong has examined you. When comparing quotes, confirm that the device is Thermage FLX and which tip is included.
How long does Thermage last?+
No length of time can be promised. Thermage FLX prompts your own collagen to remodel, and that collagen goes on ageing with the rest of your skin. How long any change is noticed depends on your skin quality, the degree of laxity, the area and tip used, sun exposure, weight change and smoking. Dr Sin Yong reviews the response once new collagen has had time to form, and any repeat is decided at review rather than to a fixed schedule.
Is Thermage really worth it?+
It can be, when the laxity is in the skin itself. Thermage FLX suits mild to moderate laxity in a face that has kept its volume, and crepey eyelid skin with the eye tip. It is the wrong spend when the heaviness comes from fat, a hollow cheek, a descended brow or folds of skin, which heat in the dermis does not change. Change builds gradually and varies between people, so an examination comes before any booking.
Which is better, Thermage or HIFU?+
Neither is better for every face, because they heat different layers. Thermage FLX heats a broad volume of deep dermis and suits laxity of the skin envelope, including the eyelids with the eye tip. HIFU focuses ultrasound to points down to the SMAS and suits early descent along the jaw in a face with fat to spare. In lean faces Dr Sin Yong does not use HIFU or Ultherapy and plans the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift instead.
Besides Thermage, is there a lifting option that does not add filler?+
Yes. Thermage adds no filler, and neither do Dr Sin Yong’s protocols. The VF Lift – Vertical Facelift is monopolar radiofrequency of the same class, with modes for laxity, puffiness and hollowing. Time Freeze Laser LCLR® is a dual-wavelength laser with a Sculpting mode for compact fat and settled filler. Nothing is injected, so there is no filler to overfill, migrate or form lumps. Which suits you is decided at assessment.
Thermage or HIFU?+
They heat different layers. Thermage FLX is monopolar radiofrequency that heats the deep dermis and fibrous septae in bulk, so it suits laxity of the skin envelope, including the eyelids with the eye tip. HIFU converges ultrasound to small points at set depths, down to the SMAS at 4.5 mm, so it suits deeper laxity along the jaw and under the chin. Some faces need both. Dr Sin Yong performs each and chooses from the examination.
Can Thermage tighten a turkey neck?+
Thermage FLX is used on necks at other clinics. For a turkey neck, Dr Sin Yong uses the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift, which delivers monopolar radiofrequency of the same class on Volnewmer, and Time Freeze Laser LCLR® instead. Neither relaxes vertical platysmal bands, which answer to botulinum toxin, and folds of redundant neck skin are beyond any energy device and are referred for a surgical opinion. The neck is examined before a plan is made.
Is Thermage painful?+
Thermage FLX delivers monopolar radiofrequency energy with vibration and cooling to improve comfort during treatment. Most patients describe a sensation of deep heat during each pulse; some find this tolerable without anaesthesia, while others prefer topical numbing cream applied beforehand. Discomfort varies by individual sensitivity and treatment area, and energy is adjusted to your report of heat.
How long does Thermage FLX last?+
No duration can be promised. Collagen remodelling continues after treatment, and how long any change lasts depends on your skin, the area, the plan used and ongoing ageing, including sun exposure and weight change. Review timing and any repeat treatment are set at consultation and follow-up rather than to a fixed schedule.
How many Thermage sessions do I need?+
The number of sessions is planned individually and depends on the degree of laxity and your treatment goals, with the response developing progressively as new collagen forms. Any maintenance interval is set at review as facial ageing continues.
When do Thermage changes appear?+
Some tightening may be felt soon after treatment, from the immediate contraction of collagen, but the main response depends on new collagen forming over time, and review is timed with that in mind. How much change follows varies with age, skin quality and the degree of laxity, and no particular result is promised beforehand.
Can Thermage FLX and VF Lift – Vertical Facelift be done on the same face?+
Yes, where the examination finds laxity in one zone and puffiness or hollowing in another. Both are monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz, on different platforms with different cooling; Thermage FLX is directed at the skin envelope, while VF Lift – Vertical Facelift on Volnewmer is planned along vertical vectors for laxity, puffiness and hollowing. How the plan is staged is decided at assessment.
Can I have Thermage FLX if I have had filler or threads?+
Often, yes, but it changes the plan. Recent filler or threads where the tip will pass need to be declared, because heat over them is timed and placed with care. Metal implants or plates near the area also change how the treatment is planned. Bring the dates and products of earlier treatments to the consultation so Dr Sin Yong can plan around them.
Is Thermage suitable for Asian skin?+
Radiofrequency heats tissue through electrical resistance rather than through absorption by melanin, so skin colour is less of a factor than with many lasers, and Fitzpatrick III to V skin, common in Singapore, is routinely assessed for it. Suitability depends more on the degree of laxity, facial fat and volume, pregnancy, an implanted electronic device such as a pacemaker, and medical history.
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