A treatment that takes less than an hour, gives your face an instant lift and a glow*, and offers the potential for lasting improvement, all without any downtime, sounds too good to be true. But a gentle radio frequency facial treatment ticks all those boxes even if it sounds worrying high-tech.
The treatment falls into a category that I call “facials-plus,” and it’s the “plus” bit that makes all the difference.
Radio frequency treatments work by heating up the collagen within the skin to 39 or 40ºC, which makes the collagen fibers contract. That’s handy because it gives you a small instant lift* in the face as the shrink-wrapped collagen tightens up. Then there’s the secondary effect, in that the heated collagen thinks that it has been injured, so the body produces more collagen to repair the perceived damage.
In a clinical treatment, when radio frequency energy is used at a high intensity, this can create a noticeable tightening of the skin* after just a couple of treatments.
For a radio frequency facial treatment, the energy intensity is much lower (and more comfortable). You still get an instant lift and glow*, but you need to do a course of around six treatments (depending on your individual skin concerns) in order to see lasting results.
To catch up on the latest type of radio frequency facial, I went to visit celebrity facialist Teresa Tarmey, who is an expert at boosting the complexions of celebrities and red-carpet stars, to find out how she works with radio frequency energy.
Teresa has always keen on incorporating beauty technology in her facials. She has lasers, she has LED light canopies, and she’s an ace with her Venus Versa™ radio frequency machine, which she used on me with a DiamondPolar™ applicator.
Why does she like radio frequency as a treatment? “It’s really good for skin tightening** especially around the eye area. It’s not a laser [which uses light energy] so it’s good and safe to use on all skin types. It’s a good option for people who don’t want anything invasive, or to have any injectables. Also, you can focus treatment on the areas of the face where it is needed,” said Teresa. “It’s a great treatment for men, too. It doesn’t feel like they’re having something too pampering because it’s done with a machine.”
The treatment itself is very easy from the patient’s point of view—I just lie there and relax while Teresa first covers my face with a gel, which helps conduct the radio frequency energy into the skin. She then begins moving the DiamondPolar™ treatment applicator around my face in smooth, sweeping movements. The treatment applicator has four rounded metal tips, which pass the RF energy between each other, into and back out of my skin. The Venus Versa™ also delivers Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields (PEMF) into the skin, which help activate and energize the skin cells for healthier skin.
At first it feels warm, then the heat starts to build, but before I start to squeak, Teresa turns the energy down to a level where I feel comfortable. It won’t prevent the treatment from working, she explains; it will just take a fraction longer to raise the temperature to the required therapeutic temperature.
Teresa concentrates on the lines around my eyes, the sweep of my cheekbones, and my jawline to give my face a sculpting boost.
When she sits me up at the end of the treatment, I can see the lift that she has managed to generate in just half an hour. My cheekbones look better defined, as does my jawline. My face is a bit pink immediately after the treatment from the heat, but that calms down within an hour, leaving me with a healthy glow.
Please note that this content was sponsored by Venus Concept (original Tweak of the Week article found here), and the treatment, indications, and Venus Versa™ treatment device may not be available in your area. Please consult our Venus Treatments clinic finder to see if the treatment is available near you. Learn more about Alice Hart-Davis and her book, The Tweakments Guide.
*Sensations described by the author, not actual indications.
**Skin tightening is an indication approved outside of the U.S..
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Venus Versa™ has CE Mark as a multi-application device intended to be used in aesthetic and cosmetic procedures. The SR515 and SR580 applicators have CE Mark for the treatment of benign pigmented epidermal and cutaneous lesions and treatment of benign cutaneous vascular lesions. The HR650/HR650XL and HR690/HR690XL applicators have CE Mark for the removal of unwanted hair and to effect stable long-term or permanent hair reduction for Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The AC Dual applicator has CE Mark for the treatment of acne vulgaris. The DiamondPolar™ applicator has CE Mark for non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides on females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The OctiPolar™ applicator on the Venus Versa™ system has CE Mark for temporary body contouring via skin tightening, circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction. The NanoFractional RF™ (Viva) applicator has CE Mark for dermatological procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin.
NeoGraft® 2.0 has CE Mark with indication for use in suction-assisted follicular extraction and re-implantation for males and females.
ARTAS iX™ has CE Mark with indication for use for harvesting hair follicles from the scalp in men diagnosed with androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) who have black or brown straight hair. ARTAS iX™ is intended to assist physicians in identifying and extracting hair follicular units from the scalp during hair transplantation; creating recipient sites; and implanting harvested hair follicles.
Venus Epileve™ has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types. Venus Epileve™ is also CE-Marked for hirsutism.
Venus Legacy™ has CE Mark for the temporary increase of skin tightening, circumferential reduction, cellulite reduction, and wrinkle reduction.
Venus Velocity™ has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types.
Venus Viva™ has CE Mark for the use in dermatologic and general surgical procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin, and the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV with the DiamondPolar™ applicator.
Venus Freeze Plus™ has CE Mark for treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides using the DiamondPolar™ applicator, and CE Mark for the treatment of cellulite reduction, increase of skin tightening, and temporary circumferential reduction on the OctiPolar™ applicator.
Venus Freeze™ has CE Mark for treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides using the DiamondPolar™ applicator, and CE Mark for the treatment of cellulite reduction, increase of skin tightening, and temporary circumferential reduction on the OctiPolar™ applicator.
Venus Glow™ provides a dermal rejuvenation treatment that works to open up and deep-clean pores. Venus Concept is the exclusive distributor for Venus Glow™.
Venus Bliss™ has CE Mark for addressing aspects related to body contouring, such as fat reduction and circumferential reduction, temporary increase of skin tightening and temporary cellulite reduction.
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