INTRAcel

INTRAcel is a treatment that uses a combination of radiofrequency and microneedling to tighten your skin. INTRAcel is a noninvasive procedure – it involves no surgery – and typically requires no downtime, or only minimal downtime, afterwards.

Radiofrequency energy helps tighten the deeper layers of skin. Microneedling, which is also called medical needling, uses small sharp spikes to create thousands of tiny perforations in your skin. Microneedling is a method of stimulating the production of collagen, the protein that gives our skin its structure and firmness and that forms the scaffolding of our skin.

INTRAcel creates controlled trauma in your skin, which causes collagen to be produced, renewing and tightening the skin. INTRAcel can also reduce oil and bacteria in the skin, which makes it useful for treating conditions such as acne.

The INTRAcel machine has a treatment head which incorporates heated needles as well as electrodes that dispense radiofrequency. The needles can be adjusted between 0.5mm and 2.5mm, depending on which bit of the face is being treated – areas such as the cheeks and the chin can take longer needles than the forehead. The needles are insulated, so they can deliver radiofrequency energy, which generates heat, into the deeper levels of skin without heating up the outer layers of skin. This technology is sometimes referred to as fractional radiofrequency.

The INTRAcel treatment head has a squarish end, which the practitioner carefully stamps across the treatment area, with each ‘pulse’ or ‘zap’ delivering radiofrequency and needling together.

Yes, INTRAcel is an effective treatment for tightening the skin, especially on the face and neck but also on other parts of the body. INTRAcel also improves the texture of your skin, which increases the visual benefit of the tightening.

INTRAcel is also an effective treatment for acne scars, pock marks, enlarged pores, and chronic redness of the skin.

INTRAcel and ULTRAcel both use radiofrequency and microneedling to stimulate collagen production in the skin, and ULTRAcel also uses high intensity focused ultrasound for extra skin lifting:

• INTRAcel uses deep radiofrequency with microneedling to improve your skin’s texture. The needles on the treatment head pass through the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) and then deliver the radiofrequency to the deeper layers of the dermis. By contrast, other radiofrequency treatments typically send the radiofrequency through the epidermis to get it to the dermis, so the epidermis gets a blast of radiofrequency.
• ULTRAcel uses radiofrequency and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to tighten your skin. The radiofrequency heats the top layer of the skin to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. The HIFU strikes below the skin to heat deeper layers of tissue, causing the tissue to contract and also stimulating the production of collagen. Some practitioners leave the treatment at that, though there is the option to add in fractional microneedling for an even greater result. 

INTRAcel is widely used on the face, neck, décolletage, and hands, but it can also be used on other areas of skin whose texture and appearance you want to improve. For example, INTRAcel can soften stretch marks and make scars less noticeable.

INTRAcel is one of the few treatments that can be used on active acne. INTRAcel reduces oil production, which helps ameliorate acne.

You can use the Find a Practitioner tool on this website to find a practitioner who offers INTRAcel.

When looking for a practitioner for INTRAcel, be aware that the UK is considered the ‘Wild West’ when it comes to tweakments: the regulations around cosmetic medicine in the UK are lax to the point of invisibility, and there are no legal restrictions on who can use this type of equipment. So you must make sure that the practitioner you choose has extensive experience with INTRAcel and has demonstrated the ability to use the device to produce the results you’re looking for.

INTRAcel costs vary depending on the clinic and which area or areas you’re having treated. Here are examples of INTRAcel costs:

• INTRAcel treatment of a single area costs from £400 upward.
• INTRAcel treatment of the full face costs from £600 upward.
• INTRAcel treatment of the full face and neck costs from £1,000 upward.

An INTRAcel treatment session itself takes between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the area you’re having treated.

Before the INTRAcel session, you will need to have anaesthetic cream applied to the treatment area. You will need to wait 30 to 60 minutes for the cream to take effect.

Most clinics recommend three to five treatments at one-month intervals to get optimal results. Some clinics suggest longer intervals, such as six to eight weeks, between treatments.

For treating acne scarring or deep lines in the skin, your practitioner may recommend an INTRAcel treatment every three months until you get the result you want.

The effects of INTRAcel treatment last for eight to 10 months. When you find the effects wearing off, you can repeat the treatment.

Some clinics recommend one to two INTRAcel treatments per year to maintain your existing collagen levels, or two to four treatments per year to increase your collagen levels.

INTRAcel is considered a safe treatment, but it can have some side effects.

These are typical side effects of INTRAcel:

• Pinpoint bleeding. The treated area will likely have pinpoint bleeding from the microneedling. This bleeding will stop quickly.
• Redness. The treated area may be red immediately after the treatment.
• Swelling. The treated area may be somewhat swollen the day after INTRAcel treatment.
• Dry and flaky skin. The skin of the treated area is likely to become dry and flaky for a few days as your skin heals from the microneedling. 

The following side effect occurs less frequently:

• Bruising. You may get bruising after treatment around the eye area, because the skin around the eyes is thin.

The specifics of INTRAcel treatment vary depending on which area you’re having treated, but here’s an example of what you might experience for INTRAcel treatment on your face and neck:

• You meet the practitioner, who discusses your goals, examines you, and works out a treatment plan with you.
• On the day of the appointment, if you’re having your face treated, it will need to be free of makeup – so if you’re wearing makeup, you’ll need to remove it. 
• You have a topical anaesthetic cream applied to the area about 30–60 minutes before the treatment. Once this cream has done its work, the practitioner removes it. 
• The practitioner moves the treatment head of the INTRAcel device across your face. You’ll feel each blast of radiofrequency as a tingling sensation. You’ll also feel the microneedling, which may cause minor bleeding.
• The practitioner may need to make up to three passes of the treatment head across the treatment area. You may find that the tingling sensation becomes more intense with each pass over the area.
• After finishing the treatment, the practitioner places a cooling mask on your skin for a short time. After removing the mask, the practitioner may apply an SPF and, if you want it, surgical makeup to cover up any redness.

After the treatment, your face may immediately look somewhat tighter. The microneedling should also reduce the look of the pores on your face. After two weeks, you should see noticeable improvements in the tone and texture of your skin.

Your practitioner will likely recommend that you:

• Do not apply makeup for at least 24 hours after the treatment.
• Use high-strength retinol and vitamin C for two weeks after the treatment to reinforce the rejuvenating effects.
• Avoid exposure to ultraviolet light. Stay out of the sun where possible, and apply SPF 30 or higher for any sun exposure.