Beside ‘almost painless’,someone laughed because it hurt.
Some barely felt pain; someone else laughed involuntarily because it hurt. Even the latter was happy afterward. If you only read that the results were good, you can miss the difficult part during treatment. Pain and satisfaction needed separate readings.
Barely felt pain
“I barely felt any pain, and there was no pain or bruising afterward either.”
Google Maps · 2026.06
Laughed from the pain
“Midway it hurt so much I kept laughing in disbelief, but now I'm home I can't stop looking in the mirror.”
NAVER Maps · 2025.05
Different people's experiences—not percentages showing which is more common.
Even in a happy review, look separately for what treatment felt like.
One face,different stories at the eyes, jaw and neck.
A 300-shot FLX reviewer said heat varied by area and the eye area felt sensitive. Someone else found the jaw and neck hard enough to say they'd want sedation next time. A single pain score couldn't capture every area. Once you know your treatment area, look for accounts of that area.
Sensitive heat around the eyes
“I had 300 Thermage FLX shots. Heat felt different by area and the eyes were sensitive, but they kept checking on me, so I made it through well.”
KakaoMap · 2026.04
Struggled at the jaw and neck
“At the jaw and neck I said I'd need sedation next time. They reassured me that this was the last bit to get through. Looking back now, I think I could do it again, haha.”
NAVER Maps · 2025.05
Different people's experiences—not percentages showing which is more common.
Ask what your specific area may feel like and how they adjust if it's difficult.
‘I had anesthesia’can hide very different preparations.
‘I was fine without sedation’ might sound as if cream alone was enough. But this person described three stages of anesthesia, from cream to injections. Being awake doesn't mean the preparation is the same. Ask what's included in your booking and mention pain concerns beforehand.
“They gave me anesthesia in three stages, from cream to injections, and took such attentive care throughout that it was easy even without sedation!”
NAVER Maps · 2025.05 · Read the evidence ↗
Cream only, or injections too? Start with the name of the anesthesia you'll receive.
Gas made it comfortable for them.Would it suit you?
Someone felt comfortable after numbing cream, a wait and gas anesthesia together. It's an appealing account if you're wary of sedation but worried about pain. Still, a mention of gas doesn't establish what's right for you. Ask what it involves, whether your condition allows it and what precautions follow.
“They applied numbing cream, used a device to help it absorb, wrapped the area and allowed enough time. Gas anesthesia was added during treatment. That thorough preparation let me receive Thermage comfortably and without pain.”
NAVER Maps · 2026.03 · Read the evidence ↗
Rather than ‘Gas will be fine,’ ask which anesthesia methods are used together.
Some chose sedation.Others felt at ease staying awake.
Someone was told after sedation they'd had 600 shots. Another, awake with nerve anesthesia, felt reassured that they could say ‘It's a bit hot.’ The sedation review didn't separately rate the anesthesia. These two accounts can't compare pain or safety, but they suggest asking how you can communicate during treatment.
Reported having sedation
“After sedation, they only told me they'd done 600 shots…”
NAVER Maps · 2024.03
Felt comfortable being able to speak
“At first I wondered if that would be scarier. But being awake meant I could immediately say ‘It's a bit hot now,’ and that actually put me at ease.”
NAVER Maps · 2026.08
Different people's experiences—not percentages showing which is more common.
Discuss anesthesia in light of your health and plans afterward, not its popularity in reviews.
Not ‘I endured it,’but ‘I spoke up and they adjusted it.’
An awake reviewer described staff checking at each new area and adjusting intensity. Another who had 600 shots said breaks helped. You don't have to compare only endurance. Being able to speak up and discuss stopping or adjusting was the more practical question.
Checked in and adjusted intensity
“The clinician kept asking how I felt whenever we moved to another area and adjusted the intensity each time. It was much more manageable than I'd expected.”
NAVER Maps · 2026.08
Took breaks along the way
“I worried about Thermage pain at first, but it was more bearable than expected. We took breaks, so I was okay.”
Google Maps · 2025.08
Different people's experiences—not percentages showing which is more common.
If it really hurts, speak up and discuss adjusting or stopping instead of just enduring it.
Questions to bring to your consultation
Keep the questions that matter to you for your consultation.
Before you go
Why we chose these six points
We selected both satisfied and disappointed accounts. These reviewers said they had Thermage, without mentioning another cosmetic treatment on the same day. We haven't verified procedures they didn't mention. Click a quote to read it again with its source.
3 sources · 77 reviews by section · 8 featured quotes