What to Know About Thermage, From Someone Who Had It Done on Her Stomach

After substantial weight loss, I was left with loose skin around my stomach, and decided to try Thermage. Here's my honest feedback and what to expect.

About seven years ago, I went through a major health kick and managed to drop about 70 pounds in a year. I took the slow-and-steady approach—focusing more on lifestyle changes versus crash diets and gym burnout—and honestly felt super-proud of what I was able to accomplish. Since then, I’ve managed to keep (most) of that weight off, and I still have a healthy relationship with food and exercise. 

All that said, substantial weight loss comes with a few downsides, and the one I’ve particularly been self-conscious about is an increase in skin laxity. My loose skin seems to be isolated to my abdomen, which makes sense— that’s where I stored a lot of excess weight. 

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There’s really not a whole lot you can do to dramatically treat skin laxity in this area, outside of a tummy tuck, but I’m not jumping on the operating table anytime soon.

In my research for alternative treatments, I came across a few that looked somewhat promising. One of them was Thermage, which uses radiofrequency energy to heat up deep layers of skin and in turn trigger collagen production. Collagen is responsible for creating plump, firm, and youthful-looking skin (think of baby cheeks), so the more you have of it, the tighter your skin will be. 

Thermage is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat both face and body, including loose skin on the underarms, knees, elbows, and stomach. I was fortunate enough to have the treatment provided gratis (it’s reported on RealSelf to be an average of $2,475 per session) by Paradise Valley, Arizona, board-certified dermatologic surgeon Dr. Susan Van Dyke. Below, I share my honest feedback so those who are seriously considering it will know what to expect.  

Related: 5 Aesthetic Treatment Combinations You Should Never Get on the Same Day

4 Things to Know Before Getting Thermage 

Whether you’re doing preliminary research on Thermage or you’ve already booked an appointment, keep the following in mind. 

There’s Some Prep Work Involved 

Even though Thermage is a noninvasive treatment that’s completed without anesthesia and in less than a couple hours, it’s not like you can walk in and walk out the day you decide to have it done. You’ll need a consultation beforehand, to determine whether you’re an ideal candidate—especially if you haven’t been to this particular doctor before—during which you’ll outline your goals and current lifestyle habits. From there, your doctor will let you know if you should move ahead with Thermage. If so, they will also likely prescribe medication to pick up for the day of. This usually consists of a tranquilizer, to help you relax, and/or a narcotic, to relieve pain. 

Thermage Can Be an Uncomfortable—Sometimes Painful—Treatment 

Speaking of pain, Thermage has a reputation for being uncomfortable, since the device heats up the deeper layers of your skin. However, the new Thermage FLX system incorporates a vibrating mechanism that essentially serves as a distraction and, as such, reduces discomfort. 

If you have a low pain tolerance, then you might experience more severe discomfort compared to others, which would warrant pain medication. I consider my threshold relatively normal, and I opted not to take either medication prescribed to me. There were a few moments where I felt a twinge of pain, especially in the later part of the treatment when my skin was already sensitive, but it was a fleeting feeling. 

As for the actual process, it’s pretty straightforward. You’ll need to remove any metal on your body (including a bra, especially with underwires), and then your provider will place a sticky grounding pad on you (for me, it was on my back), which allows the radiofrequency to go deeper. A wash-off grid is placed on the treatment area along with lubrication, then the Thermage device is moved across this grid while stopping to pulse for about a half second. This is repeated two to four times, until you hit 600, 900, or 1,200 pulses—and the whole process takes roughly an hour. My abdomen felt sensitive for the rest of the day, but it wasn’t anything that stopped me from pursuing my normal routine. I worked out that night, and the next day I felt fine. Note that only one Thermage treatment per year is recommended. 

Related: All the Ways to Boost Collagen Production (And One That Won’t Work)

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It’s Going to Take Time Before You See Any Results 

Because Thermage tightens the skin by stimulating collagen, results aren’t going to be seen right away. It takes about two to four months for collagen supplies to ramp up, and this can continue for the next 6 to 12 months. I personally noticed a slight difference about 90 days in. 

Results Probably Aren’t Going to Blow You Away 

Thermage can definitely improve skin laxity, but don’t expect a night-and-day transformation. Dr. Van Dyke did an excellent job of tempering my expectations with Thermage during my initial appointment and on the day of. She told me that from her experience, results were most dramatic on patients who had very low body fat and crepey skin texture as well as on smaller areas (like the face, knees, or elbows). If anything, she said I would see a slight improvement in overall firmness. 

My Thermage Results 

After about two months, I started to feel and see a slight difference in the firmness of my skin. Like Dr. Van Dyke said, it wasn’t anything extreme, but it was enough of a change for me to feel like I hadn’t completely wasted my time. I even elicited a few “Wow, you’re really working at it in the gym!” comments from my boyfriend, who, to be honest, probably forgot I’d even had the treatment done in the first place! 

Specifically, I noticed that my belly button seemed to be placed ever-so-slightly higher and my lower belly felt less droopy. My pants also seemed to fit a little bit better. All that said, I would be lying if I didn’t say my Thermage results were very, very subtle and there’s no way anybody else would have noticed a change except for myself, my doctor, and my boyfriend (who regularly sees me in the buff). 

Bottom line: I probably wouldn’t pay money out of my own pocket to have the treatment performed on my abdomen again, but I would consider it for my face as a noninvasive alternative to a facelift

As always, if you’re seriously considering Thermage, then it’s best to speak with a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon, who can walk you through your options.

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