Are there any side effects to radiofrequency?
Radiofrequency treatment can have various side effects:
- Redness and heat. The treated area will be red and will feel hot for several hours after the treatment. This is because it has been blasted with heat energy.
- Swelling. The treated area will be swollen for up to two days after the treatment. The swelling will gradually go down.
The following side effects can occur but should never occur if the practitioner is using the radiofrequency device correctly:
- Thermal burns. The radiofrequency device delivers a considerable amount of heat energy, and the practitioner must make sure no part of the treatment area receives too much heat.
- Subcutaneous fat loss. Monopolar radiofrequency treatments can reach deep enough into the body to hit the fat beneath the skin, and the radiofrequency can kill the fat cells it reaches. This can be great in a bottom-shrinking treatment, but it’s far from great in a face that is already losing its fat pads.
Is radiofrequency painful?
Radiofrequency treatments aren’t usually described as painful — more like a gentle, warm tingling of your skin. Some people say it’s like tiny little zaps, but nothing unbearable. Modern devices often have built-in cooling features too, and sometimes a numbing cream is added just in case you’re extra sensitive. After the session, your skin might look a bit rosy or feel slightly tender, but it’s normally short-lived. RF microneedling, however, can be much more uncomfortable…
Is radiofrequency safe?
Radiofrequency aesthetic treatments are generally considered safe provided that the practitioner administering them is skilled and experienced with the radiofrequency device. In the hands of an unskilled practitioner, however, radiofrequency devices can cause thermal burns – no surprise, given that radiofrequency treatments routinely heat tissue to temperatures of 42 degrees C or higher – and can melt subcutaneous fat. So your practitioner needs to be both well-trained and well-experienced in the use of any radiofrequency device.
Also, you should bear in mind that the UK has almost no restrictions on who can operate machinery for aesthetic procedures, such as radiofrequency devices, lasers, and ultrasound machines. Anyone can use these devices and offer treatment with them.
Is radiofrequency safe for dark skin?
Yes, unlike laser and IPL treatment, radiofrequency is almost always safe to use on all skin types. Laser and IPL both use light energy to target melanin, the brown pigment in the skin, which makes them tricky to use on skin types IV, V and VI – that is, light brown, darker brown and black skin — without causing damage and either hyperpigmentation (extra pigmentation) or hypopigmentation (a lack of pigmentation, or de-pigmenting of the skin).
But if you use radiofrequency energy (rather than light energy) to heat up the collagen in the skin, it can do this without harming or provoking the melanin.
Which is a long-winded way of saying that yes, radiofrequency is a great choice of treatment for tightening darker skin.
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