New Plastic Surgery Procedures - Body Thermage

The body thermage is a relatively new procedure sweeping the plastic surgery field. Yes, it is the procedure you see performed on many of the makeover television shows.

New Plastic Surgery Procedures – Body Thermage

Many people wonder how celebrities can lose a dress size so fast with apparently doing anything. The answer is a procedure known as body thermage, which is generally used in the treatment of facial and neck laxity. Body thermage is considered an innovative and safe cosmetic option, which is based on radio frequency energy applied to the skin.

The body thermage procedure is often referred to as radiothermaplasty, therma-lift or therma-cool. The treatment is a non-surgical procedure that has shown effectiveness to temporary correct lax abdominal skin, but thermage can be also applied to lift other parts of the body including buttocks, thighs and arms.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the thermage procedure in 2002, originally for the treatment of facial wrinkles and rhytids. Since then, increasing references from TV shows promoting the results resulted in the procedure receive additional clearance for the extensive use of treatment anywhere on the body.

Although almost anyone can undergo body thermage, people whose age is between 35 and 60 are the ideal candidates for the procedure due to the mild to moderate skin laxity present at that age. The skin tightening procedure is meant to be permanent, but this can only be achieved with corresponding maintenance and follow-up programs.

In a massive breakthrough, thermage is also used to successfully treat stretch marks and loose abdominal skin after pregnancy or remarkable weight loss, particularly in obese patients. However, this procedure is not recommended for women immediately after childbirth, except if they are done having children because the effect will be lost with a following pregnancy.

A typical thermage procedure will last from 30 to 90 minutes depending on the area to be treated and pre-existing condition. People with implanted cardiac devices, including pacemakers, should avoid undergoing thermage procedures due to the radio frequency energy below the surface of the skin into the collagen. Specifically, the energy can interfere with the functioning of cardiac devices, a true disaster. Thermage does not require incisions, injections, or surgery. However, individuals taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), such as naproxen, prednisone, and ibuprofen, must avoid it.

The decision to have a body thermage procedure is not one that should be taken lightly. Make sure to consult with a qualified plastic surgery to determine if it is solution to your condition.

Ricardo de Silva is with PlasticSurgeonPractices.com - a directory of plastic surgery surgeons

By Ricardo Silva