Guide · Skin tightening

Thermage vs RF skin tightening what you are paying for, and the alternatives

Thermage is one brand of monopolar radiofrequency, not a category of its own. Here is how it works, what drives Thermage-style pricing, how monopolar RF compares with other energy types, and what SkinRev Lab and IN Eternity Clinic offer instead.

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Written & medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · 16 October 2026

Quick answer

Thermage, made by Solta Medical (part of Bausch Health), is a brand of monopolar radiofrequency (RF). It heats the deeper layers of the skin to tighten existing collagen and prompt new collagen. Thermage FLX is the current generation.
Thermage pricing is largely driven by its single-use treatment tips, which come with a set number of pulses (REPs), plus the areas treated and who performs it. We do not quote other clinics' prices.
Neither SkinRev Lab nor IN Eternity Clinic lists Thermage among its treatments.
At SkinRev Lab, a non-invasive aesthetic centre at CityLink Mall, SKINTIGHT uses microplasma on the Alma PrimeX for crepey skin, texture and fine laxity: S$588 per zone per session, before GST. It is a different approach from monopolar RF.
At IN Eternity Clinic, Pacific Plaza, Dr Sin Yong performs monopolar RF (VF Lift, Volnewmer 6.78 MHz) and RF-plus-ultrasound (Svelte Touch). Both are priced at consultation.

What Thermage is

A brand of monopolar radiofrequency

Thermage is made by Solta Medical, a Bausch Health company, which describes it as using monopolar radiofrequency energy to heat layers of the skin and stimulate collagen production. Radiofrequency is an alternating electrical current; the tissue's natural resistance turns it into heat. Monopolar means current flows from the treatment tip into the body and returns through a pad placed elsewhere, which lets heat build through a broad volume of dermis rather than only near the surface.

Thermage FLX, the current generation, adds AccuREP technology, which Solta says adjusts energy delivery for each pulse, along with skin cooling before, during and after each pulse and a vibrating handpiece for comfort. The manufacturer positions it as a single-treatment procedure and says results appear gradually over two to six months.

Early laboratory work on the original Thermage device found collagen fibrils contracting immediately after treatment, followed by a wound-healing response that increased new collagen production.

How it compares

Monopolar RF and other energy approaches

Tightening devices differ mainly in where the heat goes and how it gets there. Monopolar RF warms a broad volume of dermis and the fibrous strands beneath it. Other approaches either stay closer to the surface, carry heat in through needles, or focus it into small points at set depths.

Depth is not the only thing that matters. Skin thickness, where the laxity sits and whether volume has been lost decide which approach fits, which is why assessment comes first.

Approach	How heat is delivered	Where it mainly works	Examples in our network
Monopolar RF	Current flows from the tip through the body to a return pad, warming tissue as a volume	Dermis and fibrous septa	VF Lift (Volnewmer 6.78 MHz) at IN Eternity Clinic; Thermage is another brand, not offered by us
RF combined with ultrasound	RF warmth and ultrasound energy delivered together from one system	Deeper dermis plus the support layers beneath	Svelte Touch at IN Eternity Clinic
RF microneedling	Fine needles carry RF to a chosen depth inside the skin	Dermis, at the needle depth	RF Microneedling at IN Eternity Clinic
Microplasma (RF-based)	A 40.68 MHz field forms plasma at pin tips, making micro-channels and conducting heat down	Skin surface and upper dermis	SKINTIGHT at SkinRev Lab
Focused ultrasound (medical HIFU)	Ultrasound focused into small heated points at set depths	Dermis and the SMAS at about 4.5 mm	HIFU at IN Eternity Clinic
Focused ultrasound (non-medical)	Multi-sequential pulsed ultrasound (N Pulse-Ultrasound)	Dermis and subdermal connective tissue	SKINLIFT® at SkinRev Lab

Ultherapy vs HIFU: how focused ultrasound brands compare →The complete guide to non-invasive skin tightening →

Thermage price

What drives Thermage-style pricing

Thermage prices in Singapore vary, and a single headline figure means little until you know what is behind it. We do not quote competitors' prices, but these are the general drivers.

The tip: Thermage FLX treatment tips are single-use consumables, each supplied with a set number of pulses, called REPs. Entries in the US FDA's device database list, for example, a 4.0 cm² total tip with 600 REPs, a 3.0 cm² tip with 400 REPs and a 0.25 cm² eye tip with 225 REPs. Bigger tips and more REPs cost more.
The areas: face, eyes, neck and body areas need different tips and different numbers of pulses.
Who performs it: a doctor's assessment and time are part of the price.
What is included: consultation, numbing, a review visit afterwards.
The basis of the price: per session or per package, and before or after GST.
For any monopolar RF brand, the same logic applies: ask how many pulses or passes are planned, on which areas, and with which tip or handpiece.

Before you book

Questions to ask about any Thermage offer

Is it Thermage, or a different RF device described as similar? Ask for the brand by name.
Is a new, sealed treatment tip used for you, and how many REPs does it carry?
Which areas are included, and how many pulses go to each?
Who assesses you and performs it, and are they a doctor?
Is the price for one session or a package, is it a one-time rate, and does it include GST?
Is anyone promising a fixed result or a set duration? Results vary with age, skin quality and lifestyle, and a responsible provider will say so.

What we offer

Neither of us offers Thermage. Here is what we do offer

Neither SkinRev Lab nor IN Eternity Clinic lists Thermage among its treatments. If you want Thermage specifically, another provider is the right choice. If what you want is the result, firmer skin and a tighter lower face, these are the options in our network, from non-medical to doctor-led.

Non-medical option

SKINTIGHT at SkinRev Lab: microplasma on the Alma PrimeX

SKINTIGHT is not monopolar RF. It uses the microplasma mode of the Alma PrimeX, an RF-based technology in which a 40.68 MHz high-frequency field discharges at pin tips close to the skin, forming plasma that creates fine micro-channels on the surface while conducting heat into the dermis. It is fractional, so untreated skin is left between the channels.

It suits crepey or loose skin, uneven texture, enlarged pores and some scarring on the face, eye area, neck or body. It refines skin quality and surface firmness rather than lifting deep tissue, which is why some clients pair it with SKINLIFT®. Sessions take about 30 minutes and are done by an Aesthetic Specialist; numbing cream can be applied. On tightening settings expect mild redness for a few hours; scar settings bring pinpoint scabbing for a few days.

SKINTIGHT is S$588 per zone per session, before GST. Face, neck and double chin, upper and lower eyes, and each 15 × 15 cm body area count as one zone. A short course is usually planned at assessment, and results vary.

SKINTIGHT microplasma skin tightening at SkinRev Lab →How the Alma PrimeX works →

Doctor-led RF

VF Lift and Svelte Touch at IN Eternity Clinic

VF Lift (Vertical Facelift) is performed by Dr Sin Yong (MBBS Singapore, MRCS Edinburgh, MSc Practical Dermatology Cardiff) at IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, beside Orchard MRT. It uses Volnewmer monopolar RF, running continuously at 6.78 MHz through a water-cooled tip, applied in passes along vertical lines planned against the way the face has dropped. Where a deeper layer needs support, Ultraformer MPT focused ultrasound may be added. It is used for early to moderate sagging, jowls and a blurred jawline.

Svelte Touch, also performed by Dr Sin Yong, delivers RF and ultrasound together from one system. It is used for early jowls and a softening jawline, and with gentler settings for mildly heavy upper lids and puffy lower lids caused by lax skin.

Both are priced at consultation by the clinic, once Dr Sin Yong has assessed where the laxity sits. Monopolar RF passes current through the body, so it is not suitable with a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, over metal implants in the area, or during pregnancy. WhatsApp IN Eternity Clinic on +65 8815 3008, Monday to Saturday, 11am to 8pm, or ask SkinRev Lab to pass on your enquiry.

VF Lift with Volnewmer monopolar RF →Svelte Touch at IN Eternity Clinic →

Choosing

Which route fits, and when to see a doctor

Crepey skin, texture, pores or fine laxity, and you prefer a non-medical session: SKINTIGHT at SkinRev Lab.
Early softening of the jawline or jowls, non-medical: SKINLIFT® at SkinRev Lab, sometimes alongside SKINTIGHT.
Established jowls, a blurred jawline, or laxity across several layers: a medical assessment with Dr Sin Yong for VF Lift, Svelte Touch or HIFU.
Mainly lost volume rather than loose skin: tightening will not put it back; a biostimulator or filler is often the better first step.
Heavy sagging with folds of excess skin, a drooping eyelid muscle, or an eyelid that has changed suddenly: see a doctor, as energy devices are not the answer.

Sagging face and jowls: which layer is the problem →

What the research says

Real but modest tightening

In a histology study of the original Thermage device, treated tissue showed collagen fibrils contracting immediately and an increase in collagen type I gene expression afterwards, consistent with tightening followed by new collagen (Zelickson 2004).

In 50 patients with mild to moderate cheek or neck laxity, a single monopolar RF treatment produced significant improvement in most, judged by masked assessors over six months, with mild, temporary redness and swelling. The authors noted that how long results last was not yet known (Alster 2004).

A review of over 600 monopolar RF facial treatments found temporary side effects in 2.7%, all of which resolved, with multiple passes at lower energy linked to better outcomes and comfort (Weiss 2006). These studies concern Thermage devices; they do not test SKINTIGHT, VF Lift or Svelte Touch.

Sources

References & sources

Common questions

Your questions,
answered

What is Thermage?

Thermage is a brand of monopolar radiofrequency made by Solta Medical, part of Bausch Health. It heats the deeper layers of the skin to tighten existing collagen and stimulate new collagen. Thermage FLX is the current generation.

How much does Thermage cost in Singapore?

Prices vary by provider, and we do not quote other clinics' prices. The main drivers are the single-use tip and its number of pulses (REPs), the areas treated, who performs it, and whether the price is per session and includes GST. Ask for a written breakdown.

Does SkinRev Lab or IN Eternity Clinic offer Thermage?

No. Neither lists Thermage among its treatments. SkinRev Lab offers SKINTIGHT microplasma, and IN Eternity Clinic offers doctor-led monopolar RF (VF Lift) and RF combined with ultrasound (Svelte Touch).

Is SKINTIGHT the same as Thermage?

No. SKINTIGHT uses microplasma on the Alma PrimeX, an RF-based fractional technology that works on the skin surface and upper dermis. Thermage uses monopolar RF to heat a broader volume of deeper dermis. They suit different concerns.

How much is SKINTIGHT?

S$588 per zone per session, before GST. Face, neck and double chin, upper and lower eyes, and each 15 × 15 cm body area count as one zone.

What is the difference between monopolar and other RF?

Monopolar RF sends current from the tip through the body to a return pad, warming a broad volume of dermis. Other RF devices keep the current near the handpiece, carry it in through needles, as RF microneedling does, or use it to create microplasma at the surface.

Is Thermage FLX the same as VF Lift?

No. Both use monopolar RF, but they are different devices. VF Lift uses Volnewmer at 6.78 MHz, applied along vertical vectors by Dr Sin Yong at IN Eternity Clinic, sometimes with focused ultrasound added. It is priced at consultation.