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How radio frequency microneedling works to youth boost your skin

All you need to know about the high-tech celebrity skincare favourite

Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock over the last month you can’t fail to have seen the recent facial transformation of Judy Murray, the mother of Wimbledon tennis champion Sir Andy Murray.
 
61-year-old Judy has been completely honest about having undergone a minimally invasive face-lifting and rejuvenating treatment called Morpheus8, which combines high-tech radio frequency (RF) and microneedling. But what is it, how does it work and should you consider it?

As we age, collagen fibres in our skin break down, becoming less structured and more elastic. Our body becomes less efficient at repairing them, resulting in skin that's lax and wrinkled.

RF microneedling – or fractional radio frequency as it's sometimes called – brings together two highly effective salon treatments by injecting RF energy deep into the skin with a series of needles. This stimulates collagen and elastin production by creating tiny controlled micro-traumas in the skin, causing a healing response.

While Judy Murray's machine of choice was the Morpheus8, one of the best known brands of radio frequency microneedling, other brands you may come across include Endymed Intensif, Secret RF and Intracel.

The beauty of this tweakment is the multitude and variety of issues it can treat often with minimal downtime, depending on the intensity of the treatment: it shows good to excellent results on the face, neck and body for signs of ageing such as skin laxity, wrinkles, lip lines and hooded eyelids.

Etre Vous Editorial Panel member and Morpheus8 user Dr Ali Ghanem says, “I engaged with radio frequency microneedling for many of my surgical and non surgical patients, because of its unique position among aesthetic treatments to address both the face and neck from the hairline to the chest.”

Another great advantage is that it can be used on all skin colours and ages. Nurse Prescriber and Etre Vous expert Julie Scott from Facial Aesthetics, who uses the Endymed Intensif, says: “It is suitable for all skin types – no matter how light or dark your skin is, you can have RF microneedling to treat more challenging skin issues without the risk that there would be with a laser for example – as well as slightly younger patients to plump and boost the skin," she says.

Treatment usually involves the application of a numbing cream depending on the depth and intensity of the treatment, which the practitioner adjusts according to the results desired and the amount of downtime the patient is able to endure.

As such, downtime can vary from a few hours of redness, to more pronounced redness and swelling for a couple of weeks after a stronger session. Dr Ghanem likes "the ability to control the depth of treatment and its energy level to customise treatments to our patients' condition and their professional and social downtime preferences.”

Treatment time is approximately 30-45 minutes for the face, and between one and six sessions are usually recommended with the norm being about three. These are spaced between four and six weeks apart to allow for healing in-between.

Ready to book radio frequency microneedling? Use our Expert Finder below for a practitioner near you!

Julie Scott, Owner & Clinical Director

Julie Scott has over 25 years experience in the field of plastics and skin rejuvenation and is a member of the BACN...

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