Thermage

Body Thermage in Seoul: Planning Your Visit by Area

A planning guide for Body Thermage at RESUM in Gangnam: which areas it covers, how the time changes with the number of areas, and what to expect in the weeks after.

Plan a consultation

Published: 2026-10-15

Updated: 2026-10-15

At a glance

A session takes 40 minutes to 2 hours depending on the area, with 30-40 minutes of numbing added.
It is for skin firmness and contour on the abdomen, upper arms, thighs and buttocks. It is not a weight-loss or fat-reduction treatment.
Large areas are treated in divided sessions, and Dr. Jin-Young Kim sets a different intensity for each area.

What is Body Thermage?

Body Thermage applies Thermage FLX, a monopolar radiofrequency device at about 6.78MHz, to the abdomen, upper arms, thighs and buttocks. It uses the Body Tip of about 16cm², roughly 4 times the area of the facial tip, to warm the dermis across a wide surface without incisions.

The aim is firmer skin and a tidier contour where skin has loosened, for example after childbirth or a change in weight. Its role is supportive and gradual. Skin thickness and fat differ so much from one body area to the next that each area gets its own settings.

How long does Body Thermage take?

Body Thermage takes from 40 minutes to 2 hours, and the figure depends on how many areas are treated and how wide they are. One area sits at the short end, several areas in one visit at the long end, and numbing cream needs a further 30-40 minutes. For a large area such as the buttocks, doing everything at once makes the session long and adds to pain and strain, so divided sessions are recommended. Allow for that when you fix your dates.

Session	40 minutes to 2 hours (one area is shorter, several are longer)
Numbing	Numbing cream (30-40 minutes, added separately)
Back to daily activities	Right after the session
How long it lasts	About 12 months

What can Body Thermage not do?

Body Thermage does not reduce weight, remove fat or remove cellulite. It works on the firmness of the skin surface, and you will be told this before any plan is made.

Separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti), severe skin laxity and marked sagging are hard to address with this treatment alone. Surgical correction, exercise or a combination with other devices may suit those situations better.

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Purpose & suitability

Skin on the abdomen or upper arms has lost firmness and the contour looks less defined.

Skin stretched after childbirth or a change in weight, and you want to firm it in steps.

Your goal is contour and firmness, not weight loss, and you want to avoid surgery.

The line above the knee or the lower buttock contour has started to sag.

Treatment process

Consultation. Dermal thickness, fat distribution and the pattern of sagging are checked area by area, together with any past surgery, to decide where treatment makes sense.
Area plan. Intensity and shot count are set one area at a time. Thin, soft skin such as the inner upper arm and inner thigh is planned conservatively.
Numbing and treatment. Once the numbing cream has worked, the Body Tip heats each area in broad passes, with lower intensity wherever the fat layer is thin.
Before you leave. You are told when to assess the contour, what to limit during the first week, and how a repeat on a 1-2 year cycle or a combination could fit.

Time & recovery

Expect the treated skin to be a little swollen and red for about 1-3 days. Rarely, a mild version of this lingers for up to 1-2 weeks, and you do not have to set days aside to rest.

For about 1 week, cut back on saunas, hot compresses and strenuous exercise that involves the treated area. If a sauna visit or hard training is part of your trip, place it before the treatment.

Body results are slow to read. Some change is visible right away and new collagen builds over 4-6 months. Because the area is large the change looks more spread out, so assess it over a longer period.

Limitations & precautions

Treatment may be restricted if you have an implanted electrical device or a metal implant near the treatment area.

Burns, and depressions from loss of fat under the skin, are possible in rare cases when intensity is excessive, which is why settings are kept conservative. Contact the clinic if pain persists or swelling appears on one side only.

After childbirth, treatment is recommended only once an adequate recovery period has passed. How much changes depends on the tissue in each area and on your daily habits. Dr. Jin-Young Kim decides which areas to treat during the consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Can several body areas be treated during one trip?

Several areas can be treated in the same session, which makes it longer: up to about 2 hours, plus 30-40 minutes of numbing. Large areas such as the buttocks are better divided into separate sessions, so share your travel dates and the doctor will propose what fits.

Will Body Thermage make me slimmer?

No. Body Thermage is not a weight-loss, fat-reduction or cellulite-removal treatment. It is performed to firm the dermis and refine the contour of an area.

Can it tighten the abdomen after pregnancy?

Body Thermage can work on gradual firmness changes in abdominal skin that loosened after childbirth, once an adequate recovery period has passed. Separation of the abdominal muscles and severe skin laxity are assessed separately, because surgical correction may suit them better.

Is the body treated with the same settings as the face?

No. The body is treated with the 16cm² Body Tip instead of the 4.0cm² facial tip, and facial settings are not carried over. The abdomen, upper arms, thighs and buttocks each get their own intensity and shot distribution, because their skin thickness, fat and movement differ.

When should I judge the result after I return home?

Judge the result over 4-6 months, not in the first weeks. Some firming shows right after Body Thermage, new collagen then builds gradually, and the effect is described as lasting about 12 months.