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Another chapter turned means another year older! We suspect many people feel as our team does: as adults we start worrying about our skin and facial condition, and can no longer skip skincare as carelessly as we did as kids. Problems that skincare alone cannot fully improve include wrinkles, sagging, and hollowing, and that is where we need a helping hand from aesthetic medicine! Today we introduce "RF skin tightening," a hot keyword at the end of 2023.
What Is RF Skin Tightening?
In short: make skin younger!
RF skin tightening uses a high-frequency electrical current to create three-dimensional heating between the skin and fat tissue, which in turn stimulates collagen growth and remodeling and tissue contraction, tightening the skin and smoothing folds.
Two Common Principles of RF Skin Tightening:
1. Monopolar RF: uses non-invasive three-dimensional heating. It has strong penetration and activates collagen growth at an appropriate temperature, reaching about 65-72°C, with a treatment depth of about 4.3 mm below the skin, at the fascia layer.
2. Bipolar RF: a minimally invasive aesthetic medicine treatment, in which tiny microneedles penetrate the skin and electrical current then heats the skin tissue. The microneedles effectively loosen and disrupt subcutaneous tissue, which helps repair scars such as acne scars.
Although RF skin tightening is divided into non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments, both require no surgery and leave no wounds, and share the following four features: short treatment time, no downtime, makeup possible the next day, and stimulation of your own collagen growth.
Is There a Budget Alternative to Thermage FLX? Learn What Morpheus8 Microneedling RF Is!
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What RF Skin-Tightening Options Are There? How Long Do Results Last? How Often Should You Repeat?
(1) Thermage FLX
4th-generation Thermage FLX combines the strengths of RF skin-tightening devices on the market, using the electromagnetic volumetric heating principle to deliver high-energy monopolar radiofrequency into the deep skin for precise, uniform heating, causing collagen in the dermis to contract and regenerate and stimulating your own collagen to remodel, and it can also mildly dissolve subcutaneous fat, improving laxity and removing a small amount of fat. Thermage FLX is suitable for: facial aging and laxity, drooping eyelids, loose skin, and more. Thermage FLX comes with four probes aimed at different areas and skin depths, so it is not limited to the eyes and can treat the whole body!
3 Major Performance Upgrades of Thermage FLX
1. Exclusive patented AccuREP™ for more precise delivery
AccuREP™ is a smart patented technology that tests the electrical resistance of every inch of skin before each shot and fine-tunes the output energy, which effectively lowers the risk of skin burns and greatly improves safety.
2. New-generation Purple Diamond tip shortens treatment time
The face tip is 33% larger, up from 3 cm² to 4 cm², and the larger treatment area also makes the overall treatment nearly 25% faster.
3. Circulating vibration mode improves comfort and reduces pain
An improved circulating vibration mode makes treatment more comfortable and less painful.
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(2) Morpheus8 RF
Morpheus8 RF is hailed as the budget alternative to Thermage FLX, using volumetric heating to safely release higher energy into the tissue, whereas the energy delivery of ordinary RF is limited, released only between the needles. It can therefore improve a variety of skin concerns, delivering the effects of lifting, tightening, and wrinkle reduction while also treating loose skin, cellulite, stretch marks, and hollows and other signs of skin aging.
Morpheus8 RF combines microneedling and RF: the microneedles disrupt epidermal and dermal tissue to stimulate the skin's regenerative response, while RF heats deeper tissue to induce new collagen production.
Microneedling: Fine needles penetrate the outer layer of skin to create controlled skin injury. This slight stimulation prompts the body to produce collagen and elastin.
RF: Uses radiofrequency (RF) to generate an oscillating frequency in a specific area; the heat produced by the electrical oscillation stimulates the growth and remodeling of collagen and elastin.
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(3) Votiva RF (InMode Radiofrequency System Handpiece)
The InMode radiofrequency system handpiece, the "intimate-care lifesaver," is commonly known as Votiva RF. Using large-area "RF" coverage to heat deep into the tissue, it stimulates and activates the entire pelvic floor muscles and the vagina. The treatment is mildly warm and painless, with no wounds and "immediate results", and after treatment you will notice continued improvement, and for intimate concerns such as vaginal dryness, itching, laxity, frequent urination, urinary incontinence, increased discharge, and recurrent infections, it provides partial relief.
Votiva RF (InMode radiofrequency system handpiece) uses "bipolar RF" heating technology together with "A.C.E. temperature control technology" to safely strengthen vaginal protection and make the tissue structure firmer, heating the subcutaneous tissue and promoting blood circulation, and promoting collagen growth and remodeling.
4 Key Features of Votiva RF:
1. No surgery or anesthesia
2. Safe, comfortable treatment
3. No downtime, no disruption to daily life
4. Single-use probes for safety and hygiene
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(4) EXILIS ELITE Facial RF
EXILIS ELITE Facial RF is a non-invasive treatment that uses monopolar RF + high-speed ultrasound conduction technology to deliver energy deep into the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, causing collagen fibers to contract and remodel and producing new collagen, thereby achieving skin firming and a sculpting lift effect.
EXILIS ELITE facial RF suits people who want to improve the following:
1. Drooping eyelids
2. Tired, lackluster eyes
3. Loose neck skin
4. Double chin and jowls
5. Fine lines on the face such as nasolabial folds and mouth-corner lines
2 Key Features of EXILIS ELITE Facial RF:
1. Patented CRT technology: CRT (Collagen Refill Technology) uses ultrasonic mechanical vibration energy to greatly increase the penetration and efficacy of RF, delivering energy precisely to the deep subcutaneous layer, so that RF penetrates deeper and wider into the skin for a tightening effect.
2. i-tip temperature-control probe: EXILIS ELITE has a built-in smart impedance system that continuously measures skin impedance during treatment and adjusts the current energy, working together with a surface cooling system to automatically regulate temperature and energy, avoiding burns or thermal injury during the procedure and improving overall comfort and safety.
| Thermage FLX | Morpheus8 | Votiva | EXILIS ELITE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration of results | 1.5-2 years | Immediate results; duration varies with the individual | 6 months-1 year | 1-2 years |
| Treatment frequency | Once every two years; once a year if used as maintenance | A physician will assess and create a personalized maintenance plan | Once every six months to one year | Once every two years |
RF Aftercare Q&A
Q: How long does swelling last after RF skin tightening?
A: After treatment, mild redness or redness and swelling are normal effects of the skin being heated by the RF, which gradually fade in as little as 1-3 hours after treatment and improve by the next day at the latest. If it does not fade after more than a day, we recommend returning to the clinic right away for help from a physician.
Q: How long is the recovery period after RF skin tightening?
A: An advantage of RF lifting is that there is no downtime. For example, Thermage FLX is a non-invasive treatment with no surgery and therefore no wounds.
Q: What is the best way to care for skin after RF skin tightening?
A: The one rule of post-treatment care is "the simpler, the better." After treatment the skin will be dry and sensitive, so we recommend using a moisturizer with a simple ingredient list and nothing more. Besides that, be careful about sun protection both indoors and outdoors; if sunlight comes in through the windows indoors, wear sunscreen to protect against UV damage.
Q: Precautions after RF skin tightening
A: Contraindications and precautions differ slightly between devices. For example, within two weeks after Thermage FLX, avoid anything that could cause infection or skin irritation (such as saunas, outdoor activities, and hot spring soaks), and step up sun protection, avoiding excessive exposure to direct sunlight.
This article is for general information only. Results vary from person to person; please consult a doctor in person before deciding on any treatment.
