What is Thermage FLX?
A monopolar radiofrequency treatment for skin laxity. A single-use tip sends current through the skin, the tissue's resistance turns it into heat in the dermis, and that heat contracts collagen and prompts more to form over the months afterwards. The surface is cooled during each pulse.
Is radiofrequency the same thing as ultrasound lifting?
No. Ultrasound is focused to a point deep in the tissue; radiofrequency spreads through a volume of dermis. Histometric work comparing the two describes different patterns of thermal change, and that is the reason Rewind keeps both systems and chooses between them at the examination.
How many shots will I need?
The face plan Rewind publishes is 600 shots, and the eye plans are 225 or 450 on a separate tip. A higher count covers more area at the same energy; it is no way to buy a stronger result. The doctor sets the figure after examining the skin.
How do I know the tip has not been used before?
The tip is a single-use consumable, sealed in a box printed with its shot count. Ask for it to be opened in front of you at the start of the session. That printed count is the count your quote was built on, and a tip cannot be recharged for a second patient.
When do the results show, and how long do they hold?
Part of the tightening is immediate and part arrives as new collagen forms over the months after the session. The clinic's own figure for how long its device lifting holds is six months to over a year, moving with skin condition and with the plan chosen.
What does the treatment feel like?
Each pulse is a short wave of heat against a cooled surface, and how strong that reads depends on the area and the energy chosen. Settings are adjusted as the session runs. Comfort measures are agreed when you book, since no fixed protocol is published for this device.
Is there any downtime?
Very little. The clinic lists temporary redness, swelling and mild tenderness, all of which settle on their own, and normal activity including makeup is possible the same day. Alcohol, heavy exercise and the sauna are left out for a week.
Can radiofrequency tighten the neck?
The neck is planned as its own area, with lower settings because the skin there is thinner. Published radiofrequency trials cover the face and the neck, and whether both go into your plan is decided once the doctor has examined the skin below the jaw.
Can I have radiofrequency and ultrasound in the same plan?
Both systems are held here, and a split-face trial has compared monopolar radiofrequency directly with microfocused ultrasound. Whether to combine them, and in which order, is a judgement made at consultation and depends on which layer of your face needs the work.
What age does this treatment make sense at?
It is a question of elasticity more than of age. Skin that still recoils responds to heat; tissue that has descended needs repositioning, which heat cannot do. Patients in their thirties and in their sixties both come for it, and the examination decides which group a face belongs to.
What can go wrong?
Published safety data for monopolar radiofrequency report blistering and burns, prolonged redness, altered sensation and, uncommonly, loss of fat beneath the treated skin. Tell the doctor about fillers, threads or other energy treatments in the area, and about any implanted electronic device.
Who plans the session, and can it be handled in English?
Dr. Jonghwan Choi, the medical director and a board-certified plastic surgeon, examines the face and sets the shot count before the session is carried out in the clinic. Interpreter-assisted consultation is arranged for international patients, and Rewind holds KHIDI registration for treating foreign patients.
