Radiofrequency (RF) energy is one of the fastest-growing types of treatment for tightening and rejuvenation of the skin. While RF has been used for many years, it has only recently been developed for the purposes of skin tightening and rejuvenation. Simply put, RF works by introducing electrical energy to the targeted treatment area of the skin, usually wherever there is some loose or sagging skin. The energy penetrates the skin to reach the underlying structures of collagen and elastin in the dermis that support the outer skin in the epidermis. As this happens, the collagen and elastin are heated, which causes them to contract. This contraction causes an immediate effect of tightening and often results in a noticeable improvement in the skin’s appearance.
In addition to this immediate contraction and tightening, the heating of the collagen in the dermis also stimulates the production of new collagen, giving a smoother, more youthful look to the overlaying skin in the epidermis. This secondary action of RF treatment is not immediate and requires multiple applications to achieve the desired effect, with the full benefit not being realized for several months over a course of treatments.
The first RF treatments approved for skin tightening and rejuvenation were monopolar, meaning they used a handpiece with one electrode. The patient being treated was grounded in another part of the body with a strap, so that effectively the energy was flowing through the body in a circuit, completed at the grounding strap. The electrical resistance at the site of application caused the desired heating, contraction, eventual new collagen production and their related tightening and rejuvenating effects. While this configuration showed results, a relatively high level of energy was needed to create enough heat resistance at the application site to induce the proper level of effects. This meant more discomfort for the patient and a higher potential for burns.
Recent improvements in RF skin treatment technology have introduced bi-polar and even tri-polar handpieces to apply the RF energy to a patient’s skin. What this means is that instead of the energy flowing throughout the patient’s body from the handpiece to a grounding strap, the energy simply flows between the multiple poles on the handpiece, staying localized to the treatment area. As a net result, less energy is need to achieve the same heating and contraction effects, so that there is less risk, less potential for burns and less discomfort for the patient.
One advantage of RF technologies over laser, IPL, LED, or other light-based technologies, is that people of all skin types can receive RF energy-based treatments. Since some darker skin types may be more prone to complications with light-based treatments, RF devices provide a safe alternative.
However, RF treatments are unable to address some of the skin issues that laser and IPL technologies excel at, especially the treatment of pigmentation in the skin such as age spots.