What Thermage FLX is
Thermage FLX is a fourth-generation monopolar radiofrequency platform from Solta Medical, working at 6.78 MHz. Compared with earlier versions, it adds a system that tunes energy delivery in real time and a larger 4.0 cm² face tip. There is no imaging. The treatment is guided by examination and by what you report feeling.
Radiofrequency heats through electrical resistance, not through melanin. Skin colour therefore matters less than it does with lasers. The heat is spread across the whole zone under the tip, not placed in separate points. Its target is the deep dermis and the fibrous septae, not the deeper SMAS layer. That is why it is planned for skin quality and laxity and is not described as a facelift without surgery.
Think of it as a treatment for skin rather than for structure. If your concern is loose, thinning or crepey skin, it may be a reasonable option. If your concern is hollowness, heaviness or a large amount of spare skin, another plan is likely to serve you more honestly. Dr Sin Yong makes that judgement at examination. Published clinical literature sits behind this type of radiofrequency, but that history does not tell you how your own skin will respond. Results vary.
The three tips
Used across the cheeks, jowls and jawline. It is the larger 4.0 cm² tip, and it heats the whole area beneath it with each pulse.
Used on the upper and lower lids. Contact lenses come out, anaesthetic drops go in, and shields protect the eye. Lids can stay puffy for longer than the rest of the face.
Used on loose skin of the abdomen, arms or thighs.
Every tip is single-use. It is fair to ask which tip and how many pulses your plan includes.
Who it suits
The pinch test says a lot. It tends to suit mild to moderate laxity in skin that still springs back when pinched, in a face that has kept its volume. Common concerns are looseness over the cheeks, jowls and jawline, hooded upper lids, crepey lower lids, and loose skin on the abdomen, arms or thighs. Skin quality and the degree of laxity matter more than age when selecting patients, and settings are adjusted from heat feedback. For the neck, Dr Sin Yong plans the VF Lift or Time Freeze instead. Vertical neck bands are a muscle concern, so they are assessed for botulinum toxin, not radiofrequency.
How long change takes
Change builds gradually as new collagen forms, and it varies between people. Some tightening may be felt straight away, but that does not predict your result. No length of time can be promised for how long any change stays. It depends on skin quality, the degree of laxity, the area, the tip, sun exposure, weight change and smoking. Follow-up is timed to your collagen response, and any repeat treatment is decided at review. The number of sessions is planned individually. Because the response is slow, a judgement made in the first days after treatment is not reliable. A change that develops gradually is also harder to notice in the mirror. This is why a review is booked and not left to chance.
Thermage on the eyelids
The eye tip is a separate decision from the face tip. It is considered for hooded upper lids and crepey lower lids, where the skin itself is the concern and the brow sits in a reasonable position. It is not a substitute for eyelid surgery. A dropped brow, a lower fat bag, a weak lid edge and marked excess skin are all outside its reach, and muscle-driven droop needs a surgical opinion. If the skin is the problem, it may help. If the structure is the problem, Dr Sin Yong will tell you so and refer you on. The eye itself is protected throughout with anaesthetic drops and shields.
Thermage compared with other lifting options
| Option | Energy | What it reaches | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermage FLX | Monopolar radiofrequency, 6.78 MHz | Deep dermis and fibrous septae, heated in bulk | Cryogen cooling, and guided by your heat feedback |
| Ultherapy | Focused ultrasound with imaging | Separate points down to the SMAS | Imaging is checked before each line |
| HIFU | Focused ultrasound | Points at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mm, reaching the SMAS | Heat is placed in points, not in bulk |
| VF Lift | Monopolar radiofrequency, 6.78 MHz, on Volnewmer | Planned along vertical vectors | Uses continuous water cooling |
| Time Freeze Laser LCLR® | Laser, 755 nm and 1064 nm | Several depths | Uses light, not radiofrequency, and has a Sculpting mode for selected fat and settled filler |
A device is a tool
Thermage is a device, and how it is used matters. A survey of 5,700 monopolar radiofrequency treatments reported immediate tightening in 26% with an older high-energy method and 87% with a lower-energy, multiple-pass method. It was a physician survey with no control group. [3] What you notice also depends on whether loose skin is the real problem. See Time Freeze vs Ultherapy vs Thermage.
Who should avoid it or wait
A pacemaker, implantable defibrillator or other implanted electronic device. Monopolar radiofrequency is not used in these patients.
Pregnancy. Infected, broken or inflamed skin, including an active cold sore or eczema flare.
Metal implants, recent filler or threads in the path of the tip, heat-sensitive skin conditions, slow healing, or reduced sensation. Each of these changes the plan, so mention them at assessment.
Avoid sun and tanning. Tell the clinic about any new rash, cold sore or skin flare, as the visit may need to move.
Heavy skin excess goes to plastic surgery. Muscle-driven eyelid droop or large lid excess goes to oculoplastic or plastic surgery.
What Thermage treatment in Singapore cannot do
Hollows need a separate plan, such as dermal fillers.
It is not a fat treatment, and overheating one spot can injure fat. Heaviness from fat needs a different assessment.
Only surgery removes skin. A large amount of spare skin is referred for a surgical opinion.
It works in the dermis, not on the SMAS, so it does not move descended tissue.
The eye tip cannot lift a dropped brow, remove a lower fat bag, strengthen a weak lid edge or remove marked excess.
Treatment day and comfort
Risks and side effects
Redness, warmth, mild swelling and tenderness, which usually settle.
Small raised welts, bruising, and temporary numbness or altered sensation.
A superficial burn or blister, and crusting. Too much heat in one spot can injure the fat below and leave a contour dip.
Medical assessment, a genuine single-use tip, cryogen cooling, energy adjusted to your feedback, and aftercare. These reduce risk but do not remove it. Report heat that feels too strong during treatment, and contact the clinic about a blister, crust or new dent.
What affects the fee
No fee is published here. A written quote is given after examination. It depends on the tip and pulses used, the areas treated, whether Thermage is combined with another protocol, and review. Before you agree, check that the device is Thermage FLX and confirm which tip and pulse count the quote includes.