Can cavitation or radiofrequency make cellulite and skin firmness worse?

“TL;DR: When applied properly, cavitation, and RF, are both safe and effective and cannot make skin worse or cause damage.

In the wrong hands, any treatment, including RF and cavitation can make skin worse or cause damage. RF microneedling and HIFU are especially unsafe and not that effective for all the drama.”

“Radiofrequency ruined my face/body”: is it possible?

• Proper radiofrequency or ultrasound cavitation can not make cellulite or skin looseness worse

• Low-power RF / cavitation: it just doesn’t work

• Superficial RF does not work and may cause damage

• Extremely high intensity RF/HIFU ultrasound can make everything worse

• Unprofessionally applied RF/ultrasound cavitation can make things worse too

• Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

• Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Proper radiofrequency or ultrasound cavitation can not make cellulite or skin looseness worse

From time to time we hear from people who’s face, thighs or other body areas were ruined after RF / cavitation treatment":

• either because it was burned

• because too much fat was lost

• or because skin became thinner and looser after treatment

However, these are examples of treatments provided either by unprofessional providers or treatments that are by their design too extreme.

Properly applied, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, can NOT make skin worse - it will always lead to skin tightening and cellulite reduction.

(And the same applies to properly applied strong, deep-acting ultrasound cavitation.)

After 12,000+ sessions we have never seen a single client’s skin get worse.

This type of radiofrequency (and/or ultrasound cavitation) is super-safe, if applied professionally by an experienced, well-trained, well-educated therapist (we have a constant 99.5%+ safety rate at our clinic in the last 13+ years).

Properly applied, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency works by stimulating cellulite fat release and the synthesis of functional collagen tissue and:

• is focused at the exact layer that needs treatment - not too deep, not too superficial

• is applied at the exact intensity needed for each individual / body area - not too strong, not too light

• is always provided below the pain threshold

• does not need anaesthetic cream

• involves continuous movement of the applicator

• needs 6-12 sessions for best results (please note that claims about skin tightening/cellulite removal with 1-3 super expensive, unsafe, painful, invasive sessions is, well, how shall we put it, pure fraud - don’t fall for them)

Low-power RF / cavitation: it just doesn’t work

Deep-acting but low-power RF (as well as low-power ultrasonic cavitation) does not work, unless it is applied on tiny areas.

Low-power RF, if professionally applied, cannot make things worse, but does not work either. I is safe but a waste of time and money.

The vast majority of RF/cavitation machines on the market are of low power. And of course ALL home machines are of extremely low power and totally useless.

That does not automatically make them safe, because there is always the human stupidity factor: I have heard of people being burned with pathetically low-power ultrasound / radiofrequency machines. But - if professionally - applied low-power RF or low-power cavitation are safe, albeit usually ineffective or inefficient.

Superficial RF does not work and may cause damage

Superficial RF (e.g. bipolar or tripolar RF) does not work for cellulite and body skin tightening and in the wrong hands can even cause damage, even when it is of low-power.

The vast majority of RF machines in the market are bipolar/tripolar. Some are of high-ish power (recipe of disaster), most are of medium or low power and safe-ish (if used professionally) but generally not very effective or efficient.

Extremely high intensity RF/HIFU ultrasound can make everything worse

Extremely high intensity HIFU ultrasound, extremely high intensity radiofrequency and extremely high intensity RF microneedling are both provided statically (i.e. with the applicator not continuously moving) and with the aid of anaesthetic (pain numbing) cream, in an attempt to provide results with 1-3, usually very expensive, sessions.

This type of radiofrequency/ultrasound is inherently dangerous, as it is not based on stimulating tissue at 43-47ºC, but on LITERALLY BURNING tissues at 60-90ºC.

The idea behind such “one-off” treatments (there is nothing “one-off” about skin tightening or cellulite) is that the burned tissue will in theory regenerate. However, quite often it doesn’t, leaving behind looser, and sometimes paper-thin, skin. It may also cause scars, fibrosis, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and all sorts of other adverse reactions.

After all this drama, pain, risk and expense, the results are usually less than with deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, but at 3-10x times the cost and 10-20x times the risk.

We would NEVER offer these technologies, as they are both ineffective and dangerous: 2-3 people out of 10 are happy(ish), in 5-6 cases nothing special happens and in 1-2 cases people get burns, scars, fibrosis, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and other reactions (example, example, example), with some of them having to spend thousands of £££ to repair the damage.

Unprofessionally applied RF / cavitation can make things worse too

Having said all that, even the plain, vanilla, generally safe radiofrequency (and cavitation) can cause injury, and thereby make cellulite/skin laxity worse, when:

• Provided by untrained / inexperienced / poorly educated staff (it’s not the staff’s fault, it’s the clinic’s fault)

• Provided with unserviced equipment (you would be surprised how many machines, even at high-end clinics, are held together by tape and are not seen by a technician for years…)

• Provided with unsafe equipment (you would be surprised how many machines do not meet safety standards and are Alibaba imports off the internet)

• Or just provided irresponsibly, by taking too many risks for “faster” results (Cowboy attitude)

This are the only instances where phrases like “radiofrequency ruined my face” or “cavitation damaged my thighs” are heard.

On the other hand, RF microneedling, extreme intensity static RF and HIFU are inherently unsafe, as they aim to literally burn skin tissue - deep or superficial. It is impossible to achieve a 99.5%+ safety rate with RF microneedling, extreme intensity static RF or HIFU.

So choose very carefully and don’t fall for exaggerated claims.

Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.

As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.

Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.

We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)

Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening?

Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day professional consultancy / one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.

Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.