Review: Radio Frequency

Following on from last July, I have now had 7 Radio Frequency Treatments in total with Rebecca Treston at Euromed clinic; these have been spaced out over the last five months, the first were fairly intensive and took place every fortnight, but since then I have reduced down to once a month, to maintain the work thus far achieved.

So, the proof is in the pudding, I am hoping that in the view of everyone looking in I have managed to hold back the years, if only a little!

And, it would seem there is good news, as I have had lots of people telling me how well I look, how good my skin looks and what am I doing/using or having done? My favourite comment came from my oldest friend (a male) who told me “sometimes you look scrawny and other times you look plumper and currently you look plumper!!!!” This apparently applied to my face rather than my butt.

The deeper lines around my eyes have most certainly reduced and my skin texture is much smoother, looking at the before photos is a bit of a shock as I didn’t realise I Iooked that bad….. My jaw line is good and generally the overall picture if much better.

I have always had a monthly facial and my therapist who doesn’t know I have been doing RFT tells me skin is in fantastic shape and has never been better.  I would really recommend RFT if you want your skin to look brighter and plumper, the pain is, in this case most definitely worth the pain.

But, I will let you see the photos and make up your own mind.

Before	After

The Science

The skin has two layers—the outer layer (epidermis) and the underlying layer (dermis). The main foundation of the dermis is a protein called collagen, which holds up the skin. Over time, the body produces less collagen, resulting in wrinkling and skin slackening.  Collagen turnover is not as fast or efficient as when we are younger. When we are younger it takes around 28 days. It then becomes 45 days as we get older. We want to stimulate and wake up the cells again. This is where radiofrequency comes in. It blasts your cells to produce more collagen.

Since the ‘70s, radiofrequency energy has been used in medical procedures requiring tissue heating; it’s proven to be safe and effective. Radiofrequency current in the tissue is produced when charged particles move through a closed circuit. Passing through the skin layers, it heats up each level.

In this technology, heat is transmitted into the skin’s deep and shallow layers without harming the outer skin or causing burns. When comparing non-ablative (procedures that do not involve the destruction of the outer layer of the skin) techniques, RF energy differs from laser (light) energy in that light energy tends to scatter or absorb into the upper layers of the skin, making it difficult to deliver sufficient heat into the deeper layers without damaging the skin's surface.

Lasers therefore affect collagen in the upper dermis, improving fine lines, wrinkles and skin texture, while RF energy is able to penetrate deeper into the skin and affect the deeper dermis and subcutaneous layers, causing tightening and improvements to the underlying tissue structures.

What can radiofrequency (RF) energy treat?

Pure RF energy alone is primarily used to treat skin laxity by facial tightening, and is best suited to patients with mild to moderate sagging of facial tissues, usually those in their mid thirties to fifties, with any skin colour.

It is commonly used to treat the forehead (lift brows and tightens forehead skin), under the eyes (thickens skin and tightens and lifts the upper cheek skin), cheeks (lifts slightly and diminishes enlarged pores), mid-face, jaw line (diminishes jowling and sagging along the jaw line), and the neck (tightens skin and diminishes wrinkling of the neck).
 

Before	After

However, if there is a significant amount of redundant or sagging skin, often seen in older patients over sixty, this procedure may not show a significant enough improvement and a traditional mid-face, face or brow lift operation may be recommended in order to remove the excess skin, therefore achieving a better result.

In combination with other modalities, as we have discussed above, RF can be used to enhance a variety of treatments including hair removal, photo rejuvenation, pigmented and vascular problems, acne treatment and cellulite treatment.

What should you do before treatment?

You should try to avoid doing anything that will irritate your skin immediately before treatment. This includes sunbathing (natural or artificial). Practitioners are unlikely to treat someone who has sun burn for example, as they would be more likely to suffer pain from the addition of heat to the already damaged skin; however an established tan would be fine.

Some women find that their skin is more sensitive right before and during their menstrual cycle so if you are a woman, you might want to take this effect on pain threshold into consideration when scheduling your treatment appointment(s).

Before	After

Repeat Procedures

Immediately following the treatment, your skin will feel tighter, with more tightening improvements appearing gradually over the months after treatment.

Results can last up to a couple of years, and a single initial treatment can be enough to produce results in some people , depending on skin thickness; however a course of treatments gives the best results your practitioner will be able to determine a course of treatments specific to you and your needs.

Recovery time

Some people experience mild redness immediately following treatment (similar to a sunburnt look), but this usually disappears quickly. Most people find that they can return to work and normal activities immediately after treatment.