Solta Medical FAQ: Thermage, Fraxel, and What You Need to Know Before Buying

I review marketing and clinical documentation for a medical device company. When our team prepares materials about Solta Medical technologies—things like Thermage or Fraxel—there are a handful of questions that come up every single time. Not from us internally, but from the clinics and practices evaluating these systems.

Here are the ones I get asked most often, answered as directly as I can.

What exactly is Solta Medical?

Solta Medical is the division of Bausch Health (formerly Valeant) that manufactures aesthetic laser and radiofrequency devices. Their flagship products include Thermage (radiofrequency skin tightening) and Fraxel (non-ablative and ablative fractional laser resurfacing). They also produce Clear+Brilliant, a milder laser system often used for maintenance.

When I first started reviewing their product claims (this was back in 2019), I assumed these were just brand names for what were essentially similar devices from other manufacturers. That initial judgment was wrong. The differentiation is real—Thermage uses monopolar RF, which has a significant body of clinical data, and Fraxel has a specific optical design that affects recovery time.

How many Thermage treatments are needed to see results?

One. That's the FDA-cleared indication—but people tend to under-interpret what that means. Most patients see visible tightening after a single treatment, but the result develops over 3-6 months. I've seen literature that claims 85% of patients report improvement at 6 months (source: peer-reviewed study, citation available).

The caveat: the longevity of results varies. Some clinics I've audited recommend a touch-up at 12-18 months. That said, (and I should note this is based on my review of case studies, not a formal clinical trial) repeated treatments within the same year are not the norm.

What is the cost of skin resurfacing with Fraxel vs. ablative laser resurfacing?

Skin resurfacing cost depends heavily on the device type, treatment area, and geographic region. I'll give you a rough range I've seen in North American pricing documentation (as of late 2024, at least):

• Fraxel (non-ablative): $800–$1,500 per session
• Ablative laser resurfacing (like CO2 or Erbium): $2,000–$4,000 per session

The big difference is downtime. Ablative resurfacing removes the outer layer of skin—so recovery can be 5–14 days. Fraxel (non-ablative) has minimal downtime, maybe 1–3 days of redness. In my experience reviewing patient satisfaction surveys, the non-ablative route has higher satisfaction due to lower risk of complications—but it also requires more sessions.

Is Solta Medical a publicly traded company? What about Solta Medical stock?

Solta Medical is a brand, not a publicly traded entity. It's owned by Bausch Health Companies (ticker: BHC on the TSX and NYSE). So when you see people searching for "Solta Medical stock," they're likely looking for Bausch Health.

That said, I've seen a fair amount of confusion online about this (circa 2021–2023). Analysts sometimes track Solta Medical as a separate segment within Bausch Health's earnings reports. In Q1 2024, Bausch Health reported that Solta Medical's revenue was up year-over-year, driven by demand for Thermage and Fraxel systems—but I don't have the exact figure in front of me, and I'd recommend checking their official investor relations page for the latest.

Which is more expensive: Fraxel or ablative laser resurfacing?

Ablative is more expensive. Typically 2–3x the per-session cost of Fraxel. But you need to factor in the number of sessions.

I've seen patients who opt for a single ablative session (cost: $3,000) and are done. Others do three Fraxel sessions (cost: $3,600 total). Which is "more expensive" depends on the outcome goal—but from a procurement perspective, I'd argue the total cost of treatment (including downtime, pain management, and potential complications) usually favors Fraxel for moderate concerns.

But I'm not a dermatologist. I can only speak to what I see in the cost analyses we review internally.

Does Solta Medical have any recent news I should know about?

That's a bit of a moving target. As of early 2025, the main news cycles around Solta Medical involve new product launches—specifically the XL versions of their Thermage handpieces with larger treatment tips—and ongoing regulatory updates in Europe regarding the MDR reclassification of older devices.

There was also a notable item in Q3 2024: Bausch Health issued a recall for a specific lot of Fraxel tips due to a packaging defect that could affect sterility. (We learned about this through our own supply chain audit.) That's the kind of news that doesn't always make the mainstream press but matters to clinics buying consumables.

For real-time updates, I recommend following Bausch Health's press releases and the FDA's medical device recall database—though that's not my specific area of expertise.

I think that covers the main questions I get asked about Solta Medical product lines. If you're evaluating one of these systems for your clinic, I'd suggest checking a few things: verify the specific model's FDA clearance, ask about compatibility with your existing laser platform, and request a copy of the most recent clinical study data—not a marketing summary.