Radiofrequency Microneedling

Radiofrequency (RF) microneedling is a skin thickening and tightening treatment. RF microneedling uses miniscule needles to puncture at various depths into the dermis and administer RF energy. The controlled trauma caused by the microneedling plus the heat cause by radiofrequency combine to stimulate neocollagenesis and elastin production which helps thicken, tighten and lift to help treat skin laxity.

Medical microneedling which is the penetration by needles to various depths in the skin is a highly effective treatment on its own, but by adding in radiofrequency as well as the microneedling we double the efficacy of each treatment with regards to collagen production.

We lose collagen as we age, the loss starts at the age of 25 and we lose 10% of our collagen every decade, which speeds up around the menopause. Many women will notice once they reach their forties that the texture of their skin has changed with more laxity, larger pores, uneven skin tone and become thinner, this is mainly due to the loss of collagen. Collagen is produced by cells called fibroblasts which live in the dermis. The controlled microinjuries of RF microneedling stimulate the fibroblasts in the dermis to produce more collagen.

Controlled micro-injuries cause a release of cytokines and growth factors into the dermis. This controlled skin injury causes remodelling of the dermis and scars if present.

RF microneedling improves your skin tone and texture, improving fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, acne scarring and pore size.

Growth factor solution, platelet rich fibrin therapy or exosomes can be added to your treatment to further boost its effects, (an extra fee will apply).

In addition to its skin-firming capabilities, RF microneedling can improve the appearance of skin texture and scars, including acne scarring. Formed when the deeper layers of the skin are damaged, scars develop due to the body fighting to quickly heal the skin, resulting in a different quality and structure of collagen being produced. RF microneedling treatments break down old scar tissue, replacing it with new, healthy collagen structures.

Usually, a course of 3 to 4 treatments a month apart yield best results.

The skin tightening effect will take 3 months to show, and the smoothing and evening of pigment effect should become apparent in 2 to 4 weeks.

Some RF microneedling devices have been reported as painful, however the Focus Dual that we use at our clinic is a very tolerable treatment due to a number of factors:

• The Focus Dual has the option of non-insulated needles for less discomfort, bleeding and less downtime.
• The Focus Dual has the finest needles on the market at 0.16 mm again leading to less discomfort, bleeding and less downtime.
• No local anaesthetic injections are required unlike some other RF microneedling devices.
• The Focus Dual has vacuum suction to pull the needles into the skin rather than the operator having to push the needles down into the skin. This offers a more precise treatment depth with less risk of slipping.

Treatments are minimally invasive with patients reporting low levels of discomfort. The target area may feel warm and appear slightly red for about 4 hours after treatment, but this quickly subsides.

Generally, for treatments of the face or neck we will not go beyond the depth of the epidermis and dermis, unless the aim of the treatment is to reduce some fat volume from the lower face or chin as well as to tighten the skin. In these cases, the Focus Dual needles are capable of going to a depth of 3.5 mm. Normally we are treating at a depth of up to 1.5 mm for collagen generation on the face and neck.