Whether you see a facelift as part of your future or not, you can delay surgery for years or perhaps decades if you rebuild your skin now with new collagen and elastin. Unfortunately, you can’t take a pill to remodel your skin. You can turn, instead, to radio-frequency (RF) microneedling.
Last year, plastic surgeons and aestheticians performed 3 million nonsurgical, minimally invasive facial resurfacing procedures, including RF microneedling. These treatments don’t just improve the look of your skin, they improve its health.
Connie Hiers, MD, is an expert plastic surgeon in San Antonio, Texas. At her clinic, Dr. Connie Hiers Plastic Surgery & Med Spa, she and our aestheticians also offer nonsurgical rejuvenations. One of the most effective and dramatic ways to lift and tone your face is with RF microneedling.
Are you curious about how RF microneedling works and why its results can be so spectacular? The answers are below.
What is microneedling?
Microneedling is a simple, minimally invasive way to improve the texture, tone, and health of your skin. A microneedling device is fitted with dozens of super-thin, sterile, single-use needles that create vertical wound channels in the skin.
The wound channels reach into the skin’s deepest layers. As a response to these controlled wounds, your immune system kicks into high gear, flooding the area with blood to whisk away toxins and debris, such as old strands of collagen and dead skin cells.
In addition, the immune response includes a collagen remodeling process to repair the wound channels. This prompts your body to produce plentiful amounts of collagen, a protein matrix, and elastin, a protein that helps your skin stay pliable.
Over time, the microwounds heal and your skin rebuilds itself due to the production of new collagen and elastin. The resulting skin is thicker, smoother, stronger, and healthier. You can use microneedling to resolve skin issues, such as:
- Sagging skin
- Thin skin
- Mottled skin
- Age spots
- Large pores
- Lusterless skin
- Acne
- Acne scars
- Other scars
You may need a series of treatments to obtain your desired results. We discuss your timeline at your consultation.
How does RF energy bolster microneedling?
In RF microneedling, the procedure is much the same. The difference, however, is in the needles. Not only are the needles hollow, they transmit the power of RF energy deep into your skin.
The addition of heat from RF energy creates an accelerated, boosted healing process. The heat also contracts the skin, so that it’s immediately tighter and more lifted. Your benefits continue to accumulate as your skin remodels itself with new collagen and elastin.
Can I add anything else to RF microneedling?
Yes! If desired, you can add platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to your RF microneedling. A PRP treatment starts with a simple blood draw from your arm. We then centrifuge the blood to separate and concentrate the platelets.
After creating a serum filled with platelets, we brush it on your face before, during, or after your microneedling session. The platelets are filled with growth factors and proteins that give your body the ingredients it needs to heal better and fast, building up your skin to be as strong and youthful as possible.
Can I microneedle my body, too?
You can use microneedling to improve the skin on your face or body. Some of the most popular areas include:
- Face
- Neck
- Stretch marks
- Hair loss on scalp
- Hands
- Legs
Just let us know which areas you want to improve, and we help you decide if RF microneedling is the best choice, or if you’d benefit from other modalities.
How long before results and how long do they last?
With RF microneedling, you may notice that your face is slightly tighter and more lifted immediately after treatment, due to the contractile force of the RF energy. However, your body takes time to remodel your skin after microneedling. Your optimal results are visible about three to six months after your last treatment.
Unlike many other noninvasive treatments, your microneedling results are long-lasting. You probably won’t need a touch up for at least a year.
If you’re eager to help your skin be healthy, strong, and firm again, contact us by phone or request an appointment online today for an RF microneedling session.