What is the difference between traditional Microneedling and Radio Frequency (RF) Microneedling?

What is the difference between traditional Microneedling and Radio Frequency (RF) Microneedling?

Broadway Plastic Surgery has offered traditional Microneedling for many years, but we have just acquired two new pieces of state-of- the-art equipment for providing non-surgical skin lifting and smoothing treatments: Agnes Precision RF (a Radio Frequency Macroneedling device) and Scarlet RF (a Radio Frequency Microneedling device). We will discuss Agnes in a separate blog post, but want to point out that we always follow an Agnes Treatment with a Scarlet Treatment. While traditional Microneedling remains one of our favorite treatments in providing significant results for nearly every single patient treated, RF Microneedling goes one step further and we’re pretty excited about it.

Treatment

For both treatments, nearly all of our patients use a topical numbing cream, which is applied by one of our clinicians approximately 45 minutes to an hour, prior to the treatment. With the traditional Microneedling device, an oscillating head of sterile micro-needles can create as many as 1,300 micro-channels in the skin per second, at a depth that is controlled by the clinician. The controlled “injury” to the skin causes the patient’s own body to jump start the creation collagen and elastin to repair and heal the skin, making it smoother, tighter, and younger looking. With the Scarlet RF Microneedling device, a short pulse of RF energy is delivered beneath the superficial layers of the skin and at a much deeper level than just the microneedling alone, and channels are created with the sterile micro-needles at the same time.. This device does not oscillate, but penetrates straight in and out of the skin at a highly controlled and precise rate, angle, and depth. Because of the way the channels are created, this device is safe to use on the delicate skin under the eyes and on the lips, increasing the number of areas that can be treated and further enhancing benefits of the treatment.

Downtime

With traditional Microneedling, skin can be red along with some minor swelling for 12-48 hours after the treatment. With Scarlet RF Microneedling, there is even less downtime. Most patients experience some redness for only a few hours. We have found that applying a topical healing treatment such as PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), Exosomes, or Stem Cells, the healing process begins even more quickly, downtime can be further reduced, and benefits are enhanced exponentially. The channels created by the micro-needles allow the active topicals to be absorbed at a more effective rate and level and allow them to be utilized by the patient’s own body for healing and generating new healthy cells.

Results

Traditional Microneedling improves skin tone and skin texture. It helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles and also helps reduce the appearance of scars, such as acne and it has even been used to treat and reduce stretch marks. It is a safe and effective treatment, from which nearly every person treated will benefit. The added advantage of Radio Frequency energy further accellerates results because the energy waves penetrate at a deeper level in the skin. It can smooth out even the deepest lines, wrinkles, and acne scars. Because scars contain tissue that is normally thicker or tougher than regular skin, the Radio Frequency waves are able to break up that tissue more effectively than traditional Microneedling. The Scarlet RF device is more precise in terms of the angle and depth of the needles, making it safe for areas that are difficult or too delicate for regular Microneedling such as around the eyes, along the hairline, eyebrow area (as long as there is no microblading on the eyebrows or permanent makeup) and even on the lips. Both treatments yield benefits after the first treatment, but several treatments are recommended to maximize the results over time.

Schedule your consultation with one of our Registered Nurses or Licensed Aestheticians to find out how these treatments can help you achieve your smoothest, youngest, and most beautiful skin.