Thermage Procedure Can Be Used Safely Over Fillers

Monday December 19, 2005
Study Published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine

HAYWARD, Calif., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermage® today announced the results of a study that showed that the Thermage procedure can be used safely over soft-tissue fillers. The study, which was published in the December 2005 issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, is the first part of a two-part study that evaluated the tissue interactions of monopolar capacitive radiofrequency (CRF) with five commonly injected fillers in an animal model.

This is the first study ever conducted that suggests that the Thermage procedure and fillers can be used as a combination therapy to improve skin laxity and volume," said Peter R. Shumaker, M.D. from the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Calif., and a lead investigator in the study. "The results are significant for physicians who have patients that have or want filler injections, and would like to receive the Thermage procedure at the same time."

The Thermage monopolar CRF treatment is used by physicians to tighten and contour the skin of their patients. Soft tissue filler augmentation, one of the fastest growing aesthetic procedures, is a treatment modality widely used for aesthetic improvement of deep facial lines and wrinkles. Since many people seeking aesthetic procedures may have had previous filler injections or may desire filler treatment and concurrent Thermage skin tightening and contouring, Thermage initiated a study to examine the safety and interaction of Thermage radiofrequency treatment over five commonly injected soft-tissue fillers.

Thermage is a safe, non-invasive cosmetic procedure performed in a single treatment with no downtime. It is clinically proven to tighten, contour and rejuvenate facial skin to help naturally restore a more youthful appearance. The Thermage procedure is administered in a doctor's office using the ThermaCool(TM) system that utilizes a unique form of capacitive radiofrequency technology to tighten existing collagen and stimulate new natural collagen growth.