Thermage FLX

How it works

Thermage FLX, made by Solta Medical, is a monopolar radiofrequency system. A treatment tip is pressed to the skin, and energy flows through the tissue to a grounding pad, warming the deeper layers while a cooling burst protects the surface. Tips come in different sizes and are intended for the face, the eye area or the body. The warmth is meant to stimulate collagen over the following months, and the response varies by person.

Good to know

• Tips are rated for a set number of pulses and are typically opened for one patient, so the tip is the real consumable on a Thermage quote.
• A smaller eye-area tip and a larger face or body tip are not interchangeable, and a plan that uses both may list two tips.
• Pulse counts are quoted as totals per tip, such as a face tip fully used, which is a different framing from a per-area price.
• The FLX name marks a later generation than earlier Thermage models, so older price lists may describe a different system.

How Thermage FLX affects a treatment quote

On a Thermage estimate the first thing to find is the tip. Which tip is planned, and how many of its pulses will be used, tells you most of what you need. A clinic that opens a full-capacity tip for the face and a second smaller tip for the eyes is describing two items, even if the quote shows one total.

The second thing is how pulses are counted against that tip. Some clinics plan to use every pulse available, others use fewer when the skin does not need them, and the price may or may not move with it. Ask whether leftover pulses are discounted or simply unused. Then confirm tax, numbing and whether a follow-up appointment is part of the arrangement. The final plan comes from the doctor's examination.