Thermi RF, Morristown New Jersey
Please read the latest paragraph for our latest update.
We were proud to be the first to offer Thermi RF and Thermi smooth treatment in Morristown, New Jersey. People who are familiar with Dr. Rafizadeh’s practice know that he is not one to adopt any new technology lightly. He has strict criteria that a new device or procedure has to meet in order be offered by him. He does not offer the non-invasive treatments that do not meet these criteria.
These criteria are as follows:
- It has to produce visible results in a majority of cases.
- The side effects have to be minimal.
- The recovery must be fast and proportionate to the results.
- The cost must be in line with the results obtained and the recovery period.
- At least occasionally, or in certain areas, it should produce results that are not achievable by the standard surgical procedure.
Thermi RF technology appeared to satisfy these strict criteria. This is why we decided to introduce it to our practice.
Radiofrequency has been used for many years to treat skin laxity. The idea is to heat the deep dermal tissues in order to create contraction and production of collagen and elastin. The obstacle has always been the skin surface. The question was, how to deliver energy to the right level of skin without damaging the skin surface? We finally have an answer. This is what ThermiTight is designed to do. We will be the first one to offer this service in Morristown, New Jersey. So how does it work? A small insulated and blunt cannula is inserted through a small needle hole after numbing the skin with some local anesthetic. Radiofrequency energy is delivered through the tip of the cannula, which is not insulated. This heats the deep dermal layer exactly where the action is required.
The heating is closely monitored by two different methods to assure safety. The temperature at the tip of the cannula is monitored on the screen on the machine. The machine will shut off delivering further energy once the set temperature is reached. In addition to this there is a second safety method. An infrared camera will monitor the skin surface temperature at the same time to make sure it doesn’t go above the goal set by the surgeon. These monitoring systems set this procedure apart from other RF devices. Here we have strict control of how much energy is being delivered. Why is this important? Well, if not enough energy is delivered then one can’t expect results and if too much is delivered there could be complications. This is why close monitoring is so critical. This technology was finally making sense and we are decided to offer it in Morristown, N.J.
We were hoping to create skin tightening in the Jowls and neck. This would be ideal for patients who are developing early stages of skin laxity under the chin. The procedure could be used in other areas of the body including the knees, arms, abdomen, thighs etc.
The above pictures are provided by the company in their promotional material.
This is an alternative to a face and neck lift and is good for a patient who does not want the extra recovery time and the extra cost of a facelift. I would recommend this procedure for a patient with early signs of skin laxity who is not yet ready for a facelift. The arm lift is different because to accomplish these results surgically, there would be a long scar on the inside of the arm that would be visible. In this case this procedure offers a definite advantage over the surgery.
THERMI Smooth
A one cm diameter hand piece is used to heat the skin to a temperature of 42 degrees centigrade. The skin temperature is monitored with the infrared camera and when the right temperature is reached the probe is moved to other areas.
The results are subtle but there is thickening of the skin as shown by sonography. This can be done in other areas of the face like the perioral area, but it seems to work better in areas of thinner skin like the eyelids.
The course of the facial nerve branch to a particular muscle is traced using an accurate nerve stimulator. Then the probe is placed on top of the nerve. The area is anesthetized with a local anesthetic and then heat is applied to affect the nerve and prevent conduction. The result is very much like Botox, but it lasts longer, 6 months to 2 years depending on the number of areas where the nerve is treated.
latest update on Thermi Tight and Thermi Smooth:
We used Dr. Rafizadeh’s strict criteria to adopt this technology into our practice, but unfortunately the results are minimal and in reality the results show above in the company’s before and after pictures are not reproducible. The Thermy Tight will produce some fat reduction, but we have seen minimal results on skin tightening. For example the picture above shows a good result in the upper lid after Thermi Smooth but on more careful inspection one sees that the eyebrow is higher and this is what makes the improvement. So we realised that this technology is not what we are proud to offer and we decided to return the Machine and take a loss for the benefit of our future patients.