Thermage FLX vs Titanium vs Ultherapy? Effects & duration - Dr. Oh Seung-min | Gangnam Seoul, Korea Dermatology Clinic Guide

"My wedding is coming up soon; should I get Titanium?" "I heard Thermage or Ultherapy take time to show results, so what should I do to maintain them for a long time?" These are questions I've heard very frequently during 17 years of lifting consultations.

Hello.

I am Dr. Oh Seung-min, the lead director of O.N Clinic in Gangnam. Thermage, Titanium, and Ultherapy are all treatments frequently discussed when considering facial elasticity and contour. If you have a fixed schedule like a holiday, wedding, or photoshoot, "what bothers you most right now" is important. Conversely, if you want to manage elasticity even after the event, slightly different criteria are needed.

What I feel in actual practice is one thing: rather than deciding which of the three devices is best, you should first decide when and what kind of change you desire. If you want immediate visible effects and don't want to miss out on elasticity changes over time, rather than entrusting all roles to one device...

You can also consider methods that utilize different advantages. Conversely, if you choose a procedure without such distinctions, simply because "it's famous" or "a friend said it was good," the treatment direction might not align with the concerns you actually had.

Therefore, today, after 17 years of performing lifting procedures, I want to talk about the criteria I use to plan treatments. If you take just 3 minutes to read this, you will understand how to compare the effects of Thermage, Titanium, and Ultherapy from different perspectives, and why, when considering the maintenance period, it's better to examine your current facial condition first rather than sticking to just one device.

Thermage vs. Titanium vs. Ultherapy? Effects, Maintenance Period (Comprehensive Summary)

-Written by a current dermatology clinic lead director

It is often said that lifting procedures sometimes take time to show effects. However, not everyone is only thinking about changes several months later. If a wedding is scheduled for next month, or you're meeting family after a long time ahead of a holiday, or you have a photoshoot scheduled, the story changes. In such cases, how your current face line appears is also important. Here, there are two criteria to pay attention to: the changes that concern you most right now, and elasticity management that will continue over time.

First, let's look at treatments often sought by those who want to see results quickly due to a schedule. Among the devices known as 'Titanium' in Korea, there is a diode laser platform that uses three wavelengths together: 755nm, 810nm, and 1064nm.

The device is characterized by its structure, which uses different wavelengths simultaneously and delivers energy while cooling the skin surface.

However, I do not recommend Titanium first for all faces just because an important event is approaching. For individuals with very little facial fat and prominent sunken cheeks, or those concerned about heaviness in the lower face, the treatment direction should not be the same.

In particular, I do not prefer treating the entire face in the same way just based on a request like "make my face smaller." I need to first identify which area is a concern and what volume needs to be maintained.

And there's an important point here: it's difficult to conclude that Titanium's three wavelengths alone can guarantee the same lifting changes or maintenance period for everyone. Therefore, if you have an important event coming up, rather than deciding based solely on the device name, it's better to first confirm if your current facial condition and treatment goals align.

If you wish to manage skin elasticity beyond that, it would be good to also consider the characteristics of Thermage and Ultherapy, which I will discuss below. Thermage vs. Titanium vs. Ultherapy? Effects, Maintenance Period (Comprehensive Summary)

-Written by a current dermatology clinic lead director

When discussing lifting procedures like Thermage and Ultherapy, the word 'collagen' often comes up. While there can be individual differences in the changes felt immediately after the procedure, what I consider more important when looking at these devices is the subsequent tissue change process.

Thermage FLX is a device that uses high-frequency radio waves to deliver thermal energy to the dermis, and through collagen contraction and regeneration, it is used to improve wrinkles around the eyes and on the face. Official materials also describe wrinkle improvement and collagen regeneration as its main features.

On the other hand, Ultherapy (PRIME) is characterized by its ability to deliver energy to different depths while real-time monitoring of the tissue beneath the skin. Especially when it's necessary to confirm which skin layer to target for treatment, it allows for planning while directly viewing the underlying tissue.

(Ultherapy PRIME is designed to target different depths, such as the dermis and SMAS layer, through transducers that use 1.5mm, 3.0mm, and 4.5mm depths.)

So, is Thermage better, or Ultherapy? I don't think this question is simply about choosing one over the other. The direction to consider can change depending on whether the primary concern is the elasticity and wrinkles of the skin itself, or if sagging of the facial line or jawline is more bothersome.

And at this very point, there's no need to think that only one device is the answer. It's about dividing the concerns into parts that bother you on your current face line and parts that bother you regarding skin elasticity and wrinkles.

I explain this from the perspective of a 'complex treatment approach.' Considering treatments with different characteristics together does not necessarily mean you must receive multiple devices simultaneously. For example, if you have different concerns on your current face, such as skin elasticity and facial lines, you can examine what role each device can play separately.

Conversely, if you have other skin concerns such as skin texture, dryness, or fine wrinkles in addition to your face line, you can also separately check if a different type of treatment is needed. In other words, rather than assuming that one device can solve all different concerns like face line, skin elasticity, and skin texture...

It can be described as a method of distinguishing the roles of each treatment. However, this does not mean that the more treatments you combine (two, three, etc.), the longer the maintenance period will be. On the contrary, adding unnecessary treatments can only increase cost and skin burden.

Therefore, I do not determine the number of treatments first. After checking skin thickness, facial fat distribution, the location where sagging began, and the presence of hollowness, I plan by dividing which areas to manage first. If one device is sufficient, I do not necessarily recommend multiple treatments, and if there are different concerns, I review whether other methods are needed.

The maintenance period also cannot be viewed as a single number, such as "this treatment lasts for X months." This is because the speed of aging, skin condition, treatment intensity, and treatment area differ. Therefore, if you have an important event coming up, rather than simply asking, "Which one lasts the longest?", it is much more realistic to hear a plan on how to divide the immediate necessary changes from the subsequent elasticity management. ^^

The question we ponder at least once when managing our faces, "Should I get Thermage, Titanium, or Ultherapy?" In my opinion, there is no single answer to this question. Ultimately, what's important is not the device name, but the process of identifying what bothers you most on your face and what role each treatment can play.

If you have an important event, consider the remaining time and your current facial condition together. If you want to continue elasticity management beyond that, you can examine the characteristics of each device separately. So, when looking into lifting, rather than simply choosing the most famous device...

I hope you first look to see if the medical staff explains why they are considering this treatment, and what treatments you don't necessarily need. Thermage vs. Titanium vs. Ultherapy? Effects, Maintenance Period (Comprehensive Summary)

-Written by a current dermatology clinic lead director

This concludes the content I prepared today. Thermage, Ultherapy, and Titanium use different energy sources and have different device characteristics. Therefore, rather than simply comparing which device is better or lasts longer... I hope you first identify what concerns you about your current face before deciding on the treatment direction.

This has been Dr. Oh Seung-min, lead director of O.N Clinic. Thank you.

My wedding is coming up soon; is it okay to get the treatment now?

The choice of treatment can vary depending on the time remaining until the event, your current skin condition, and the desired changes. For closer dates, it's advisable to plan considering the recovery process, including swelling, after the treatment.

I have very little facial fat; if I combine several lifting treatments, won't it cause hollowing?

If you have little facial fat, rather than simply increasing the number of treatments, you should first determine which areas need volume maintenance. It's advisable to distinguish between areas with hollowness and areas where sagging is a concern.

My skin is thin, but my jawline feels very saggy. Is one treatment enough?

The possibility depends on skin thickness and the depth of sagging. In some cases, one device may be sufficient, and if there are different concerns, other treatment directions may be reviewed.

I want to improve my skin texture along with lifting; is that possible?

Facial contour and skin texture can have different treatment goals. If you have concerns about both face line management and skin condition, rather than entrusting all roles to one treatment, it's advisable to consider what methods can be used for each.

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