Volnewmer vs Thermage: two monopolar radiofrequency platforms
Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed · 3 min read
Volnewmer and Thermage FLX are both monopolar radiofrequency devices working at 6.78 MHz, so the physics of heating is the same: current flows from a tip through the tissue to a return pad and heats the dermis and fibrous septae as a volume. They differ in how the skin surface is protected, Volnewmer by continuous water cooling and Thermage by cryogen spray, and in tip design and treatment approach. Dr Sin Yong’s VF Lift – Vertical Facelift protocol is built on Volnewmer.
Dr Sin Yong has been invited to share his VF Lift protocol with physicians internationally.
Key facts
Same
Monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz; volumetric dermal heating
Volnewmer
By CLASSYS; continuous water cooling; the platform for VF Lift – Vertical Facelift
Thermage FLX
By Solta Medical; cryogen spray cooling; long published history
Neither is
Focused ultrasound (HIFU)
Choice
Set at assessment by area, tissue thickness and the overall plan
Both platforms deliver monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz. In monopolar RF, current passes from the treatment tip to a return pad placed elsewhere on the body, and the tissue’s resistance to that current generates heat. The heat is spread through the deep dermis and the fibrous septae beneath it, which is why monopolar RF is described as bulk or volumetric heating. The intended effects, immediate collagen contraction and remodelling over months, are the same.
What is different
Volnewmer and Thermage FLX
Volnewmer
Thermage FLX
Manufacturer
CLASSYS (Korea)
Solta Medical
Frequency
6.78 MHz monopolar
6.78 MHz monopolar
Surface protection
Continuous water cooling through the tip
Cryogen spray before, during and after each pulse
Published literature
Newer, growing
About two decades
Used in
VF Lift – Vertical Facelift (face and body)
Thermage FLX face, eye and body treatments
Cooling matters because it lets the surface stay protected while heat builds beneath it. How each system cools, and how the tips deliver energy, changes how a treatment is paced and how it feels, more than what it is fundamentally trying to do.
How VF Lift uses Volnewmer
VF Lift – Vertical Facelift is Dr Sin Yong’s protocol on Volnewmer, applied in a vertical vector pattern and adapted for the face and the body. It is built to target Sculptra and Ellansé and take away the excess, as well as for skin laxity. He has been invited by CLASSYS to share the protocol with physicians in Asia and Brazil. Whether VF Lift, Thermage, focused ultrasound or none of these suits you is decided at assessment; the VF Lift page and the Ultherapy vs Thermage comparison explain the options.
“Both machines heat the same layer with the same frequency. What changes the result is how the energy is planned and placed.”
Dr Sin YongOn radiofrequency platforms
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz and heat the dermis as a volume. They differ in cooling, tips and treatment approach.
No. Volnewmer is radiofrequency, not focused ultrasound.
VF Lift – Vertical Facelift is Dr Sin Yong’s protocol on Volnewmer, applied in a vertical vector pattern for the face and body.
