Thermage FLX x Fraxel

How long have you been using Thermage FLX and Fraxel, and what role does each play in your practice?

We have been using Thermage FLX for about 5 years, and Fraxel for over 10 years at my practices. Thermage is our key non-surgical tightening system, and Fraxel is our go-to for non-ablative resurfacing for sun-damaged skin, as well as a very useful modality for complicated pigmentation and scarring.

What is your approach to integrating Thermage FLX and Fraxel treatments?

We believe in combination therapies to achieve best outcomes at our practice. Fraxel is the cornerstone of improving the skin surface for many of our patients – for pigmentation, tone and texture, sun damage and overall skin quality. Thermage FLX provides non-surgical tightening, particularly for the lower face, neck and eyes, that patients desire. We often combine both in the same session, with Thermage administered prior to Fraxel, which often results in immediate surface improvements, and a more gradual tightening of skin over a few months.

We create maintenance plans for our patients’ skin journeys, which includes the combination of Thermage FLX and Fraxel to address the points brought up above. This allows education and regular touch- points with our team, and structures an ethos of skin health. We combine these treatments with the appropriate skincare, injectables, peels and other energy-based devices to provide bespoke long-term plans that benefit our patients as a whole.

Do you consider Thermage FLX a preventative or corrective treatment, or both?

Both. In younger individuals with less volume loss and facial skin laxity, the tightening and remodelling serves to prophylactically manage the effects of ageing and the environment. For older individuals, it can be a great non-invasive, non-surgical option to provide tightening and renewal of typical areas of laxity.

Can you share how you use Fraxel as both a prejuvenation and corrective treatment?

Dealing with patients in Queensland, the ‘prejuvenation’ provided by Fraxel is excellent, as it tackles tone, texture, pigmentation and the ravages of sun damage with minimal downtime. Microscopically, it works to promote collagen remodelling and overall improvement in the quality of skin, to reduce the risk of progression to more advanced changes.

As a corrective treatment, it is outstanding to address the above issues even at quite advanced levels, and most importantly does so with a high safety threshold and low downtime.

Photos supplied by Dr Manoharan