Can You Have Thermage If You Have a Pacemaker?

If you have an implanted pacemaker, you should not receive Thermage. Solta Medical’s official US safety information lists pacemakers as a contraindication for Thermage CPT and FLX. At UH CELL Newsroom, we distinguish whether a treatment is appropriate from whether you can tolerate its discomfort.

A pacemaker is a contraindication, not just a precaution

Solta Medical’s US information for healthcare professionals lists implanted pacemakers, automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (AICDs), and other implanted electrical devices as contraindications. Here, a contraindication means the treatment must not be used in patients with these devices. It does not mean proceeding with extra caution.

This guidance comes from the manufacturer’s official US safety information, not Korean labeling. It specifically concerns implanted electrical devices. Do not extend that statement to mean that every other implant, such as a dental implant, has the same contraindication. Equally, an implant’s absence from this list does not establish that treatment is safe for someone who has it.

The concern is the implanted device, not pain tolerance

Solta Medical explains that radiofrequency electrical fields or currents may adversely affect implanted electrical devices. The discomfort you feel in your skin and the potential effect on your device are separate issues.

Being able to tolerate pain is therefore not a basis for deciding whether you can receive Thermage. The manufacturer’s contraindication does not provide an exception for lower treatment intensity or treatment limited to the face. Do not interpret either adjustment as a safe workaround.

Disclose your implanted device before considering treatment

Solta Medical’s US patient information also instructs people with electrical implants not to undergo Thermage and to tell their physician about the implant. When discussing your skin concerns, disclose that you have a pacemaker or another implanted electrical device first.

If you are considering a different lifting treatment, Thermage’s contraindication does not establish whether that alternative is appropriate. Discuss the alternative separately with a medical professional, using information about your implanted device.