Thermage Results: How Long Do Skin Tightening Benefits Last?

Thermage is an anti-aging procedure that tightens and fixes your skin's contours. The one-time noninvasive treatment helps your body renew its natural supply of collagen to improve your skin's appearance.

Duration of Results

• While individual results will vary due to such factors as genetics and how damaged your skin is, the benefits of a single Thermage treatment can potentially last for years.

Immediate Results

• Soon after the procedure, patients may notice that the contours of their skin are are beginning to restore themselves, along with the skin becoming firmer and smoother.

Six Months Post-Treatment

• Your body can keep generating new collagen that keeps firming the skin and improving its shape for up to six months after the procedure.

Potential Side Effects

• Patients may feel a strong heating sensation on their face that lasts for a short while. They can also experience redness or swelling. Small blisters may occur, but they heal within a few days.

Cost

• As of September 2010, according to ABoardCertifiedPlasticSurgeon.com (see "References"), the average cost of one Thermage treatment is $2,000. However, CostHelper.com reports that treatment prices can range from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on where you live.

Insurance

• Because it's a cosmetic procedure, medical insurance typically doesn't cover Thermage. But in certain circumstances---such as when a doctor recommends Thermage to treat severe acne---insurance may partially reimburse patients for the procedure.