Does Rf Microneedling Cause Fat Loss
Does Rf Microneedling Cause Fat Loss? Yes, you can use radio frequency device to lose fat on the face or elsewhere. In fact, during the treatment, heat is produced in nearby cells and this cell death leads to collagen production. Collagen is what keeps our skin tight and smooth; so when you damage some of it by RF Microneedling Session your face may look more youthful and natural. This also leads to new collagen production which means there is more elasticity in your skin.
In this guide, we find out: Does Rf Microneedling Cause Fat Loss, volume loss after microneedling, does rf melt fat on face, and what to expect after rf microneedling.
Does Rf Microneedling Cause Fat Loss
Rf microneedling is a popular cosmetic procedure that uses a handheld device with multiple tiny needles to puncture the skin. The needles are controlled by a computer, which helps ensure uniformity and accuracy. Rf microneedling is usually used on the face, neck and chest area to reduce pore size, tighten sagging skin and reduce scarring or acne marks. Dermatologists don’t believe this type of treatment causes fat loss because it doesn’t result in weight loss—you’ll still weigh the same after treatment as before it began.
What is Rf Microneedling?
RF microneedling is a procedure that uses a small device to create tiny holes in the skin. The device creates controlled wounds, which are then filled with collagen and elastin to reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of scarring.
It’s important to note that RF microneedling is only available through medical professionals; it’s not something you can do at home on your own!
How Radiofrequency Energy Works in the Skin
To understand how RF energy works in the skin, it’s important to know that RF energy is used to heat the skin and not absorbed by fat cells. This means that while you can use ultrasound to burn fat, radiofrequency (RF) will not do this. Instead, RF devices use electromagnetic waves that penetrate deep into the dermis of your skin to increase collagen production and tighten lax tissue.
In addition to tightening loose skin and improving texture/tone/pigmentation issues on your face or body area treated with an RF device like a CoolMini® Microneedling System or Venus LegacyTM 3D Treatment System™ (which also uses infrared light), there are other benefits including:
How Rf Microneedling Fat Loss Works
RF microneedling is not a weight loss treatment. It’s a cosmetic procedure that can help improve the appearance of fat loss, but it does not cause fat loss.
So why do people think RF microneedling causes fat loss? The answer lies in how RF microneedling works. When you get an RF treatment, your skin becomes red and inflamed because the needles puncture your dermis (the deeper layer of skin) and create tiny wounds which heal over time as new collagen grows in their place. The inflammation caused by these wounds triggers an increase in metabolism and enzymes responsible for breaking down fats so they can be removed from the body through sweating or urination–and this is what causes people to lose inches around their waistline without actually losing any pounds!
Dermatologists do not believe that RF microneedling can cause fat loss. Learn more about this procedure, how it works and why it isn’t linked to fat loss here.
RF microneedling is a procedure that uses a device with small needles to create microscopic channels in the skin. The channels are believed to help with healing and collagen production, but they do not have any effect on fat loss.
If you’re looking for ways to lose weight, we recommend checking out our guide on how diets work and our list of diet myths that need debunking.
volume loss after microneedling
A natural part of the aging process is the deterioration of fat, tissue, and collagen in the face, resulting in loss of facial volume treatment and skin laxity. aging, genetics, and personal lifestyle are the causes of this problem, and the severity can vary widely from person to person. Loss of elasticity and loss of collagen results in the emergence of lines and wrinkles in the face along with loss of definition. This typically begins during your 20’s, with slow but evident volume loss.
Thankfully, there are a number of treatments such as PDO Threads that can effectively restore a more youthful appearance. Remember, it is never too early to start, and Dr. Pameal Kulback’s conservative approach will ensure natural looking, beautiful results.
Dark under eye-circles and crepey skin in the delicate eye area is easily improved with PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections. There are no known side-effects because PRP is derived from the patient’s own blood and re-injected after separating the blood platelets from the rest of the blood. Recent modalities include Virtue RF, CoolPeel Laser & combination therapy using a variety of therapies to treat facial volume loss and a variety of other common skin conditions.
does rf melt fat on face
There are many positive reviews of radiofrequency facial treatments. They are considered safe and effective for tightening skin, improving the appearance of wrinkles, and reducing pore size. However, a number of people have reported facial fat loss after radiofrequency treatments leaving them with skin that appears older than before the treatment. For this reason, it is important to understand the risk of side-effects from radiofrequency treatments. After all, you don’t want to spend a small fortune on a treatment that may make your skin condition worse!
Now, no anti-aging or cosmetic treatment comes without the risk of side-effects. Whether they are common side effects (e.g. redness and swelling), or rarer side effects, (e.g. facial fat loss), some people will experience them. Therefore, you need to take these risks into consideration before going forward with a treatment.
Radiofrequency treatments are widely advertised as safe ‘non-surgical facelifts’ and promise tighter, younger-looking skin. They are a non-invasive anti-aging treatment marketed towards people who want minimal recovery time. Often, radiofrequency treatments can be performed during a ‘lunch-break’, making them more appealing to people with busy lifestyles.
So, why do some people experience facial fat loss after radiofrequency treatments? To answer this question, we first need to know how radiofrequency treatments work.
How is Radiofrequency Used as an Anti-Aging Treatment?
Radiofrequency is often used as a non-ablative skin rejuvenation treatment. Non-ablative treatments improve the appearance of skin by causing a dermal injury response without injuring the epidermis. More specifically, they cause a low-level thermal injury to the dermis and/or blood vessels that encourages a wound repair response and boosts collagen .
In other words, the treatment heats up the lower levels of the skin, causing some minor damage and leading the body to try to ‘heal’ that damage. This process is known as thermolysis which is the term given to the breaking down of a substance by heat.
Although radiofrequency energy has been used for a long time for various medical purposes, its use as a skin tightening treatment is much more recent . Radiofrequency energy has been used successfully to tighten skin on the face and abdomen, as well as other bodily areas .
How Does It Work?
Radiofrequency treatments heat the deeper dermis in a controlled manner to between 65°C and 75° without heating the epidermis enough to cause damage . This temperature alters the natural qualities of collagen in the dermis, allowing collagen production and remodelling, as well as an immediate skin tightening .
Do Radiofrequency Treatments Tighten Skin?
One radiofrequency treatment that was approved by the FDA to treat eye wrinkles in 2002, and for full-face treatment in 2004, is Thermage . FDA approval was based on a large study that evaluated the treatments ability to reduce eye wrinkles in 79 women and 7 men.
In this study, a single Thermage radiofrequency treatment reduced wrinkles in the eye area and provided a lift to the brow area without damaging the epidermis . This indicated a heat-induced tightening effect that became more pronounced with time – which is consistent with a thermal wound-healing response .
However, it has been argued that the study’s measurement of the brow-lifting effect was subjective and unstandardized .
Other studies support the brow-lifting benefits of radiofrequency treatments. For example, in a study of 24 patients treated with Thermage, there was a noticeable brow-lift effect. However, when asked, the majority of the patients did not feel they had any improvement from the treatment .
Thermage radiofrequency rejuvenation is often claimed to be a ‘nonsurgical face-lift’ by practitioners who offer the treatment (although the manufacturing company strongly oppose this claim) . These claims are misleading and patients expecting results similar to those from surgery will end up disappointed .
Misleading claims aside, non-ablative radiofrequency rejuvenation treatments show promise in their ability to tighten skin and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Although, in order to establish solid evidence for the effectiveness of radiofrequency treatments more research is needed .
What are the Risks of Radiofrequency Treatment?
While radiofrequency is widely considered to be safe and an effective skin tightening treatment . Some patients may still experience adverse reactions or unwanted side-effects, such as second-degree burns, headaches, scarring, swelling, and facial fat loss. Although these adverse reactions are uncommon .
Facial Fat Loss After Radiofrequency
Of these, the facial fat loss is possibly the most worrisome. This is because facial fat volume naturally decreases with age and is one of the internal reasons we appear to age . Therefore, it seems counterproductive for a rejuvenating treatment to reduce tissue that provides a more youthful appearance.
In one instance, a 47-year-old man underwent a radiofrequency facial treatment and noticed that the skin on his left temple was left indented two-months after his treatment. This led researchers to try, and successfully, replicate this fat loss in pigs .
In another case, a 57-year-old woman received a radiofrequency facial treatment to treat mild skin sagging that was particularly focussed on her ‘jowl’ area. One month after the treatment, the patient developed facial fat loss with visible skin depressions on her cheeks. It is theorised that this facial fat loss was due to the selective heating of the subcutaneous fat layer by radiofrequency energy. The patient’s skin indentations were treated with pulsed-dye laser (PDL) and skin massage which led to an 80% improvement in the appearance of the facial fat loss after one year .
A further case of facial fat loss after radiofrequency was seen in a 56-year-old woman who experienced skin depressions to both temples that developed two months after treatment. This occurred as a result of excessive heating by radiofrequency energy .
How Does Heat Cause Fat Loss?
Fat tissue has a high electrical resistance and may be heated more freely than the dermis. In fact, it is estimated that the temperature of fat can increase at seven times the rate of the dermis when heated through radiofrequency .
Heat from radiofrequency devices is generated due to Ohm’s law – where the natural resistance of tissue to the movement of electrons within a radiofrequency field creates heat relative to the amount of current and time . Skin structures with higher resistance are more vulnerable to heating and thus to damage/wounding .
In addition to radiofrequency treatments, other laser treatments that work by thermolysis have demonstrated facial fat loss as an undesired side-effect. In fact, often the laser parameters that are used for facial rejuvenation are very close to those used in fat reduction treatments . In some cases, these adverse reactions may be avoided by using lower treatment settings. However, facial fat loss can still occur when the appropriate treatment parameters are used .
One group of researchers refers to this process as the active thermal bystander effect (ATBE) and highlights how heat exposure can cause an increase in cell death in the heated target cells as well as non-heated ‘bystander’ cells .
It should be noted that there are few documented cases of facial fat loss from radiofrequency and laser treatments in the currently available literature. However, there are a number of support groups online with people who have experienced facial fat loss after radiofrequency or laser treatments. Often, the affected individuals explain how their concerns were dismissed by the practitioners who performed their treatments. This may explain why this side-effect is rarely acknowledged or discussed in the medical literature.
In addition, multiple plastic surgeons have reported an increasing number of patients coming to them for procedures to correct facial fat loss from previous laser and radiofrequency treatments.
Correcting Facial Fat Loss After Radiofrequency
One plastic surgeon who has highlighted the increase in patients with facial fat loss caused by radiofrequency and laser is Dr Ricardo L Rodriguez, MD. Due to the risk of facial fat loss, Dr. Rodriguez rarely uses these methods, instead opting for fat grafting – where the stem-cells in fat tissue help regenerate the skin.
“Anytime you introduce an energy source into the body, whether it be radiofrequency, or laser, or even CoolSculpting – which is specifically designed to injure fat cells – the cells that are damaged release what’s called DAMPs (Damage Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules, aka Danger Associated Mollecular Pattern Molecules) and those DAMPs signal other cells. If the signals are severe enough, or a particular kind, the DAMPs can trigger a process called apoptosis, which is programmed cell death, and that keeps on going for weeks or months after the original injury so that patients that have had laser, or patients that have had radiofrequency, or patients that have had CoolSculpt, will continue to have subcutaneous fat tissue loss as a result of that radiofrequency.”
So What’s the Verdict?
To sum up, radiofrequency rejuvenation treatments are a relatively new and promising treatment with multiple studies supporting their use in tightening skin and improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, results are variable and often patients do not see the stated benefits. Furthermore, the treatment is not free from side effects or possible adverse reactions.
One particular adverse-reaction is facial fat loss after radiofrequency treatment, which can worsen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles due to loss of volume. There is little report of this in the available literature, but many plastic surgeons have reported an increase in patients with facial fat loss after radiofrequency or laser treatments.
It is, perhaps, not the best treatment for older skin that is already lacking facial fat volume. People considering radiofrequency treatment should be aware of this potential side-effect and adjust their expectations accordingly.
what to expect after rf microneedling
Radiofrequency microneedling is an effective technique that rejuvenates the skin by creating micro-injuries. Tiny, short needles momentarily penetrate the skin, and as they heal, the body boosts its production of collagen and elastin to create fresh, new skin cells. This can help with everything from discoloration to fine lines and wrinkles.
At Bodian Dermatology and Medical Day Spa in Great Neck, NY, Dr. Adam B. Bodian offers the Vivace™ Experience. Vivace is a form of radiofrequency microneedling (or RF microneedling) that combines the benefits of microneedling with the power of radiofrequency pulses.
Below, we’ll look at what you can expect after the Vivace RF microneedling procedure.
Is RF microneedling painful?
Patients at Bodian Dermatology and Medical Da Spa’s facility in Great Neck, NY get the benefits of the Vivace RF microneedling device, consisting of 36 gold tips guided by a robotically controlled handpiece for maximum precision. Dr. Bodian will apply a numbing cream to minimize any discomfort you anticipate.
The procedure is relatively short but will depend on how much area patients want to cover and what’s being treated. Some patients report a warm sensation from the radiofrequency pulses during the treatment and some report feeling prickling, but it is not typically considered painful.
How can RF microneedling help give me great skin?
Our bodies produce less collagen as we age, and elastin and skin cell turnover are less frequent. That can leave skin looking dull and doesn’t do much to cover the signs of aging that we accumulate over the decades.
RF microneedling can target many issues, including:
– Fine lines and wrinkles
How will my skin feel after RF microneedling treatment?
Almost immediately following your RF microneedling treatment, it is normal to experience some redness. You can typically resume your daily activities right away, but you will get specific aftercare instructions from Dr. Bodian.
Patients may experience side effects, such as minor swelling, irritation, and tightness after the treatment, but these typically resolve within 24 hours.
What should patients avoid after RF microneedling?
It’s important to be gentle with your skin as the micro-injuries heal so your body can concentrate on the healing process as much as possible. Patients should avoid vigorous exercise, saunas, and anything that causes sweating or further swelling for at least 24 hours to reduce the risk of infection and delayed healing. Dr. Bodian will provide you with soothing cream to use for the week after treatment, and patients should avoid other skin care products for the first 24 hours.
While it’s always wise to avoid direct sun, it’s crucial to protect treated skin from sunlight for ten days after RF microneedling. After 24 hours, sunscreen can be applied if you are outdoors.
Patients should avoid any physical or chemical exfoliants while their skin heals, but gentle moisturizers are generally tolerated after 48 hours, and you can resume wearing makeup after 2 – 3 days. Tiny scabs may appear and flake off during this time, but skin heals most effectively if you refrain from touching your face during this time.
Get RF microneedling treatment in Great Neck, NY
If you’re interested in tighter, brighter, and smoother skin with just a few treatments, radiofrequency microneedling using Vivace may be right for you. While many patients choose to have 3-6 treatments spaced about 4 weeks apart to see optimal results, your skin may differ. To find out, schedule a consultation with Adam B. Bodian, M.D. at Bodian Dermatology and Medical Day Spa in Great Neck, NY.