Time Freeze Laser LCLR® vs Thermage:
light or current for the same layer

Time Freeze Laser LCLR® vs Thermage: the same layer, a different energy

Time Freeze Laser LCLR® vs Thermage is the comparison closest to like for like, because both heat the dermis as a volume rather than at points. Thermage FLX, made by Solta Medical, passes monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz from a single-use tip to a return pad. The skin's resistance generates heat in the deep dermis and the fibrous septa while cryogen spray cools the surface. Its target is the skin envelope.

Time Freeze Laser LCLR® uses light rather than current. It is Dr Sin Yong's protocol on a long-pulsed 755 nm and 1064 nm laser platform. The two wavelengths have different absorption profiles and are used together, directing energy at the superficial, mid and deep dermis in one visit, with wavelength, fluence and vector calibrated zone by zone.

In both, collagen contracts and then remodels, and how much any face changes varies.

The difference that matters: the Sculpting mode

Thermage acts on the skin envelope and nothing else; it has no component for fat or filler. Time Freeze adds the Sculpting mode, which targets superficial fat in zones Dr Sin Yong selects: sagged fat along the jowl and in the nasolabial area, under the chin, the buccal region, and fat that blurs the jawline. The same mode is used on settled product, including nodules of collagen-stimulating material such as PCL, PLLA and CaHA, which no enzyme dissolves. Each deposit is mapped with ultrasound first; see the Sculpting mode of Time Freeze Laser LCLR®.

A loose envelope over normal fat is a Thermage question. A loose envelope over compact fat or settled product is a Time Freeze question, because tightening skin over a heavy pad leaves the heaviness in place. In a face already lean, removing fat would not help, so Sculpting zones are selected at assessment and lean faces go to the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift. Nothing is injected with either, so there is no filler to overfill, migrate or form lumps.

“Thermage and Time Freeze heat the same layer. What I need to know is whether the skin is simply loose, or loose over something that should not be there.”

Dr Sin YongOn laser and radiofrequency tightening

Which suits which face

Dr Sin Yong performs Thermage FLX with a genuine single-use tip, as well as HIFU, Ultherapy and thread lifts. For most lifting he leads with Time Freeze Laser LCLR® and the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift where they suit.

What each cannot do

• Thermage FLX cannot treat sagged fat or settled product, replace volume, reposition deeper tissue or remove skin.
• Time Freeze Laser LCLR® cannot replace lost volume, remove redundant skin or correct a lid that sits low because the eyelid muscle has weakened.
• Neither reaches the SMAS, relaxes vertical neck bands or lifts heavy redundant skin, which is referred to a plastic surgery specialist.

The screening questions differ

Thermage uses electrical current, so a pacemaker, defibrillator or other implanted electronic device rules it out, and metal implants near the area change the plan. It heats through electrical resistance rather than melanin, so skin colour is less of a factor. Time Freeze uses light, and its 755 nm wavelength is absorbed by melanin: freshly tanned or sunburnt skin is not treated, and photosensitising medicines, a recent course of oral acne medication, lupus, and tattoos or eyebrow embroidery in the zone are discussed first. Pregnancy and inflamed skin mean waiting for either.

Recovery and risks

After Thermage, redness, warmth and mild swelling are expected, and lids can stay puffy after the eye tip; rarely a burn, blister or dip in the contour. After Time Freeze there is no redness and no downtime; tenderness can occur where fat or filler excess was targeted, temporary darkening is uncommon and more likely after sun, and burns or blisters are rare.

Neck and eyes: where the two part ways

For the neck, Dr Sin Yong uses Time Freeze Laser LCLR® and the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift instead of Thermage. Time Freeze is used for loose, crepey neck skin and compact fat under the chin, set for thin neck skin with the thyroid kept out of the field; see neck lift without surgery.

For the eyes, Thermage FLX has a dedicated eye tip for crepey lid skin and mild hooding, with shields under the lids; Thermage for the eyes explains it. Time Freeze has a periorbital zone, with conservative settings and eye protection, directed at lax upper-lid skin, brow heaviness and the fine skin under the eye. With either, true ptosis of the eyelid muscle and a large fold of skin are referred on.

Which goes with what, and how Dr Sin Yong chooses

Time Freeze Laser LCLR® is usually paired with the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift, and the two can be used together on the same face. Thermage FLX is a separate choice, considered where a loose envelope over normal fat is the whole problem; for the neck Dr Sin Yong uses the VF Lift and Time Freeze instead.

Dr Sin Yong examines the face himself, palpates skin and fat thickness over each zone, takes the full injectable history, and uses ultrasound where filler or a biostimulator is involved. He reads the face by area: lean, VF Lift; puffy or heavier, Time Freeze; a loose envelope over normal fat with nothing to take away, Thermage may be planned. Fees follow the plan; see how fees are quoted.