Thermage FLX^® Singapore

Thermage Singapore price: what decides the cost

Fees for Thermage are not published on this site, but what decides the cost can be set out. The largest factor is the treatment tip and the number of pulses the plan uses: Thermage FLX tips are single-use, and the face, eye and body tips differ in size and in the pulses they carry, so a full face, an eyelid treatment and a body area are different undertakings.

The second factor is the area, and how many areas are combined in one visit, for example face and eyes, or face and neck. The third is what the assessment finds: where laxity sits alongside fat or volume change, a plan may combine Thermage with another protocol, or point to a different one, which changes the cost. Fourth is whether a review or maintenance treatment is anticipated, since collagen remodelling continues for months and any repeat is planned at review rather than on a fixed schedule. When comparing quotes, it helps to confirm that the device is Thermage FLX and which tip and pulse count are included, because radiofrequency tightening covers many different devices. The fee is set out clearly at consultation, after Dr Sin Yong has assessed you.

Thermage for the eyes: what the Eye Tip treats

Thermage eye treatment uses a dedicated Eye Tip, smaller than the face tip, that is cleared for use on the upper and lower eyelids and the skin around the eyes. It heats the thin periorbital skin to prompt collagen remodelling, and is directed at mild hooding of the upper lid, crepey lower-lid skin and fine lines around the eyes.

Because the eyelids sit directly over the eye, the manufacturer's protocol uses protective eye shields, placed after anaesthetic eye drops, and energy is set for thin skin. Redness and mild swelling of the lids afterwards are common and settle. What the Eye Tip does not do matters as much. It does not remove herniated fat behind an eye bag, fill a tear trough hollow, or correct a drooping lid caused by a weak lifting muscle (ptosis), and marked excess upper-lid skin is more predictably addressed by eyelid surgery, for which patients are referred to a plastic surgery or oculoplastic specialist. Hooding caused by a descended brow is a brow question rather than an eyelid one. Assessment separates these before the Eye Tip is considered.

Who should not have Thermage?

Thermage FLX is not used in anyone with a cardiac pacemaker, implantable defibrillator or other implanted electronic device, because monopolar radiofrequency passes an electrical current through the body to a return pad. It is postponed during pregnancy, where its safety has not been established, and over skin that is infected, broken or inflamed, including an active cold sore or a flare of eczema in the treatment area.

Other points change the plan rather than rule treatment out: metal implants or plates near the area, recent filler or threads where the tip will pass, a skin condition that flares with heat, slow wound healing, and reduced sensation in the area, since energy is chosen partly from what you feel during each pulse. For the Eye Tip, contact lenses are removed and the eye is shielded. A face whose main problem is lost volume, heavy fat or marked loose skin is better served by a different approach, as set out above. Suitability is decided at consultation, after Dr Sin Yong has taken a medical history and examined the area.

Is Thermage safe? The risks to know

No energy treatment is free of risk, and Thermage FLX is no exception. The common effects are redness, warmth, mild swelling and tenderness, which usually settle within hours to days; the eyelids can stay puffy for longer after Eye Tip treatment. Less often there may be small raised welts, bruising, or temporary numbness or altered sensation.

The rare risks are a superficial burn or blister, crusting, and, where too much heat reaches one spot, a dip in the contour from injury to the fat beneath the skin. Technique has changed because of this: a 2007 survey of 5,700 facial treatments compared the original high-energy, single-pass method with lower-energy multiple passes guided by the patient's report of heat, and the panel recommended energy selection based on that feedback. Risk is reduced by a medical assessment beforehand, a genuine single-use Thermage FLX tip, cryogen cooling, energy chosen with your feedback during each pass, and clear aftercare. Any blistering, lasting redness or change in contour is reviewed by Dr Sin Yong.

What recovery looks like after Thermage FLX

The sequence below describes phases, not a timetable: how quickly each passes depends on the settings used, the area and the person, and is discussed at consultation.

1. Immediately afterRedness, warmth and mild swelling are expected; the eyelids can look puffy after Eye Tip treatment. Some tightening may be felt straight away.
2. The first eveningTenderness is usual and ordinary activity continues; small raised welts or a bruise are less common and settle.
3. The following daysRedness and swelling ease on their own; lid puffiness can linger a little longer. Temporary numbness or altered sensation is uncommon.
4. As the skin settlesThe main response depends on new collagen forming over the following months, so changes build gradually rather than appearing at once.
5. Follow-upAny blistering, lasting redness or change in contour is reviewed by Dr Sin Yong, and review is timed with the collagen response in mind.

Who it suits, who should wait, who is referred on

People whose main concern is lost volume, heavy fat or marked loose skin tend to respond poorly, because deep dermal heating is the wrong tool for those problems.

Before you book

• Tell the doctor about any pacemaker, defibrillator or other implanted device, and any metal implants
• Declare pregnancy, breastfeeding or plans to conceive
• Mention recent filler, threads or other energy treatments in the area
• Avoid sun exposure and tanning, and pause skincare actives if the skin is irritated
• Bring photos from earlier years and a list of previous facial or body treatments

Myths we hear in clinic

Thermage FLX: what did the new generation change?

Thermage FLX is the fourth-generation platform from Solta Medical, and what changed is how energy is delivered and tuned, not what the energy is. It is still monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz, still heating the deep dermis and fibrous septae, and still protected at the surface by cryogen cooling before, during and after each pulse. The FLX generation introduced vibration and surface cooling at the handpiece for comfort, a treatment accelerator, and AccuREP energy tuning. AccuREP adjusts energy in real time without imaging, so the energy is guided by your report of heat during each pass.

Two things have not changed. The target remains the skin envelope, meaning dermal collagen and the septae beneath it, rather than the SMAS, which is the plane reached by focused ultrasound. And Thermage still does not add volume, reduce fat or remove excess skin. Technique has also moved on. A 2007 survey of facial treatments compared the original high-energy single pass with lower-energy multiple passes guided by the patient's report of heat, and the panel recommended choosing energy from that feedback, which is how energy is selected at the clinic. Treatment uses a single-use tip, and it is worth confirming that a genuine FLX tip is used when comparing clinics.

Thermage vs Volnewmer vs HIFU: how do they differ?

Thermage and Volnewmer are both monopolar radiofrequency at 6.78 MHz, which heats a volume of tissue. HIFU is focused ultrasound, which heats discrete points at set depths, including the SMAS. Dr Sin Yong uses all three categories: Thermage FLX, Volnewmer as the platform behind VF Lift – Vertical Facelift, and the Ultraformer MPT for HIFU. They are not rivals for the same job, so which suits a face depends on whether the examination finds laxity in the deeper support layer, in the skin itself, or a volume deficit that heating cannot refill. The article on Thermage, HIFU and Volnewmer sets out the comparison at greater length.

Thermage, HIFU and Volnewmer