As the cooler months draw closer, warm energizing treatments are increasingly appealing. Thermi, a recently updated thermal therapy procedure, promises to tighten skin and banish wrinkles. Using a tiny probe inserted under the skin, it delivers heated energy to warm the tissue and collagen to a precise temperature to restore skin safely and effectively. We talked to Z. Paul Lorenc, M.D. FACS, board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City to see how adding Thermi has positively impacted his practice.

 

How long have you offered Thermi in your practice?

I’ve offered Thermi in my practice for more than 12 months now.

 

Why did you add this procedure?

I added this procedure to my practice because Thermi meets the once un-met need for skin tightening. Before thermi, we didn’t have a predictable method of skin tightening that was minimally invasive.

 

How have the Thermi offerings improved and expanded since it originally came out?

Since Thermi came out, it is now used on many different and non-traditional areas of the body. For example, ThermiTight was initially used for tightening skin in the neck, belly, and arms, but now this has expanded. ThermiTight can be used for breast lifts, tightening skin around the knees, the elbows, and more.

 

What areas of the body are best treated with Thermi?

Body areas mentioned above for ThermiTight. For ThermiSmooth, this works to smooth over wrinkles on the face and can be used on any area on the body as well. ThermiSmooth can even be used to treat cellulite on the legs, with a high-energy setting. There is also ThermiVA, which is for vaginal rejuvenation. 

 

Who are the best candidates for Thermi?

The best candidates for Thermi is anyone who has lax skin. We see really great results with patients who are in their 40s and 50s because that is when we see skin that is more lax, however is hasn’t lost all elasticity yet.

 

Why is this an important tool for medical spas and plastic surgeons to add to their practices?

Thermi is an important tool for plastic surgeons to have because it expands the scope of their practice and what surgical treatments they offer. It gives patients more options. Spas will typically just offer ThermiSmooth, and this also expands the scope of their treatments and gives patients more non-invasive options.

 

What does the future hold for procedures such as ThermiTight?

The future is bright for less-invasive treatments and this is what we have been seeing recently in the entire plastic surgery space. Less invasive, less downtime, and a combination of multiple different treatments is trending. Overall, Thermi changed the scope of my practice.