ThermiRF™ is not one treatment. It describes an exciting technology that uses radio frequency energy to deliver heat to treatment areas on the face and body. The targeted application of controlled heat represents an opportunity to tighten and lift sagging skin, dissolve fat, and smooth wrinkles without the need for invasive surgical procedures requiring downtime, such as facelifts and liposuction.

Dr. Shelton offers three procedures that use the ThermiRF™ technology:

• ThermiTight™
• ThermiSmooth™
• ThermiRase™

The doctor will first evaluate your skin and trouble spots. You may be a good candidate for all of these procedures if you wish to forgo a more extensive and potentially risky surgery. However, there are also specific criteria that may make you a good candidate for each respective procedure based on ThermiRF™ technology.

Candidates for ThermiTight™ range from those in their early forties to the seventies, or older, who are not ready for a facelift or don’t want surgery, or are not medically fit to undergo sedation. ThermiTight provides the results “in-between” non-invasive procedures and surgery. It is designed to help make the lower face feel more tight when looseness is first appreciated by the patient, or slight sagging, or starting to see the jowls form over the jaw line. ThermiTight is also used to tighten the neck and can dissolve and reduce some of the bulky fat in the neck that gives the double chin, or turkey neck of those who feel they have a fat neck. ThermiTight can also be used on small deposits of localized fat around the middle, thighs, and arms. These areas are notoriously resistant to exercise and proper diet. ThermiTight™ should not be considered an alternative to weight loss programs for those patients who may not be at or around their ideal weight range.

ThermiTight™ is also a suitable treatment for areas of excess skin or crepy skin. These areas may be in greater need of tightening treatments as opposed to fat reduction procedures such as CoolSculpting®. If you are determined to be an appropriate patient for ThermiTight™, a local anesthetic will be used for your comfort. No incisions are made! A small needle is used to make an entry site after local anesthetic is delivered. The probe, which will deliver radio frequency energy, is then inserted under the skin. The thermal energy immediately shrinks targeted tissues and stimulates collagen, a naturally occurring firming protein whose production decreases as part of the aging process.

Dr. Shelton will monitor not only external skin temperatures throughout the procedure, which allows the safe administration of heat and helps deliver the best results by ensuring sufficient heating of the tissues is reached to cause tightening and collagen production, but the actual internal temperature is monitored real-time which guides Dr. Shelton to move the probe at the ideal pace. The design of this technology also allows the outermost and surrounding tissues to remain untouched. Due to the safe nature of this technology, you can be back to most activities within 24 hours of treatment. Common side effects are typically limited to modest swelling and redness at the treatment site. As in any procedure that involves a needle, there may be bruising and if ThermiTight is done on the face, patients are asked not to schedule the procedure within two weeks of an important social function they wish to attend.

As collagen remodeling and the elimination of fat cells is a process, you will see results gradually. These results can last for 2 years or more. ThermiSmooth™ and ThermiRase™ work in generally the same way as ThermiTight™, only ThermiSmooth™ only treats the external surface of the skin and dermis. It is not inserted underneath the skin so fat is not treated. It can be used on eyelids, the whole face, lips, crepy skin of the chest, inner arms, loose skin of the elbows, knees, etc.

ThermiSmooth involves a series of treatments, that can be done every 10 days or less frequently, for about five treatments, some more and some less. It is not a painful treatment and there is no downtime. In fact, the temporary slight water retention in the dermis after the procedure smoothens out fine lines for a day or so and patients will often see Dr. Shelton the day before or the day of an important social function for this type of radiofrequency facial. One treatment is not enough to tighten and lift skin, but it does start the collagen production and this temporary smoothening can be used to look good immediately.

Without undergoing a surgical eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) the skin that starts to droop down on the upper eyelids, creating hooding, can be lifted to some extent with this non painful series of ThermiSmooth treatments.

ThermiRase™ is dubbed an alternative to neuromodulators, such as Botox® and Dysport®. The aforementioned injectable treatments contain a solution that relaxes the muscles responsible for the development of frown lines on the forehead and between the eyes. ThermiRase™ also relaxes the nerves responsible for expression lines. However, unlike Botox®, the results of ThermiRase™ can be long lasting and some enjoy a wrinkle-free appearance for more than a year