Thermage FLX: What to Look At Before the Shot Count

As collagen decreases and the supporting structure loosens, the skin on the face thins and fine crepey lines settle in. It is usually at this point that people start looking into radiofrequency lifting, and come across Thermage FLX.

These days many people are careful to check that a genuine tip is being used. That check prevents the use of reprocessed tips, so it is an essential step. There is one more thing worth asking once that check is done, though, and that is what we will look at today.

With Thermage FLX, the result is not settled simply by completing a set number of shots. Even at the same shot count, the heat actually reaching the dermal layer changes with skin thickness and resistance in each area. Using the same level on thin areas such as around the eyes and thicker areas such as the cheeks and jawline leaves one excessive and the other insufficient. Meeting the shot count is the baseline; setting the energy value of each shot differently by area is what needs to follow.

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How does Thermage work?

The purpose of Thermage FLX is not to pull the skin taut by force but to prompt the skin to fill in its own collagen and raise the density of its resilience.

When thermal stimulation is applied to the dermal layer, existing collagen fibres contract and new collagen begins to form. A firmer feel starts from straight after the treatment, with renewal continuing over the following months. In other words, Thermage FLX is not a pulling treatment but a tightening method that fills in the density of the dermal layer. How much you notice, and when, varies from person to person.

What is skin resistance?

Radiofrequency generates heat as it passes through tissue. The value describing how much the tissue blocks the flow of current is called resistance. Skin resistance varies with moisture density and tissue composition, which means the amount of heat actually generated can differ even at the same output.

This value differs from person to person, and differs between areas within one face. So even where the level shown on the device is the same, the heat the skin receives is not. This is exactly why the resistance that suits you needs to be checked before the treatment.

Why do results differ?

Conditions vary widely even within one face. The eye area is as thin as paper, while the cheeks and jawline have relatively thick soft tissue and subcutaneous fat.

Condition	When energy is excessive	When energy is insufficient
Thin, sensitive skin	Burden accumulates in surrounding tissue	—
Thick skin with high resistance	—	Heat does not reach the dermal layer

Both take you away from the direction you want. So while meeting the shot count remains the baseline, the energy value of each shot still needs to be set differently by area. What separates results with Thermage is not how many shots were fired but which area each shot went into and at what value.

Who does this treatment suit?

• Those whose skin has slackened and lost its bloom — where density feels reduced to the touch and support across the face has weakened
• Those with increasing fine lines — where skin around the eyes, mouth and forehead has thinned and the lines have deepened
• Those concerned about hollowing — looking for an approach that fills dermal density rather than one that contracts fat tissue

Thermage FLX suits those who want to fill in the density of thinned skin rather than lift sagging upwards.

How should the skin be cared for afterwards?

Thermage is a non-invasive radiofrequency method that makes no incision or wound in the skin surface, so you can return to daily life straight away. Heat has deliberately been applied to the dermal layer, though, so it is worth taking care for a few days.

Temporary redness, slight swelling and a mild tingling may accompany the treatment, usually easing within a few hours to a few days. If symptoms worsen or persist, please contact the clinic.

On the day itself, avoid saunas, steam rooms, vigorous exercise and tanning, and keep up with hydration and sun protection. Aftercare for Thermage amounts to adding no further heat or stimulation while the heat applied turns into collagen renewal.

Alongside confirming the tip is genuine, it is worth asking what values are used with it. Rather than comparing price or shot count alone, look at whether the clinic checks your skin thickness and sensitivity first. You can see how it compares with the other lifting options in our lifting guide, and we will go through which values suit you at the consultation.

Healthy, resilient skin comes together when accurate information and consistent care are added to the treatment itself. NUWA Clinic Gangnam, which proposes a direction suited to your skin through one-to-one diagnosis, is located directly in front of Exit 7 of Gangnam Station, on the 3rd and 4th floors at 385 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul.

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Frequently asked questions

Q. Does a higher shot count give a better result?

A. The shot count only shows the volume of the treatment. Even at the same count, the heat actually delivered changes with thickness and resistance by area, so it is worth also looking at how the energy value of each shot was set.

Q. Isn’t checking for a genuine tip enough?

A. Confirming the tip is genuine is an essential step. Even with a genuine tip, though, the result changes with which area it is used on and at what energy value, so checking both is the accurate approach.

Q. Can the level be set higher?

A. We would not recommend it. Excessive energy entering thin, sensitive areas can allow burden to accumulate in surrounding tissue. Conversely, a low value on a thick area means the heat does not reach the dermal layer, so setting values separately by area is the right approach.

Q. I am worried my cheeks will hollow after Thermage.

A. Thermage FLX works in the direction of filling dermal density rather than contracting fat tissue. That said, excessive energy applied without regard to your conditions is a burden whatever the method, so values are set after checking skin thickness.

Q. When do the changes start to show?

A. A firmer feel from collagen contraction may be noticeable straight after the treatment, while new collagen formation continues over the following months. When and how much you notice varies from person to person with age and skin condition.

Q. Can I exercise on the day of the treatment?

A. Please avoid vigorous exercise, saunas and tanning on the day. Activities that raise body temperature significantly can compound the heat already applied, so keeping to light activity for a day is best.