How many RF treatments are needed to see results?

How many RF treatments are needed for good results, realistically?

• Radiofrequency results: immediate skin contraction after an RF treatment

• Radiofrequency results: long-term collagen contraction, and collagen synthesis, with a series of treatments

• Not to be confused with collagen denaturation by destructive RF treatments

• Immediate lymphatic drainage after a radiofrequency treatment

• No immediate fat reduction with radiofrequency or any other treatment of any kind - except actual liposuction

• When will I see the first long-term results after deep tissue radiofrequency treatment?

• Check our professional consultancy in radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening

Radiofrequency results: immediate skin contraction after even one RF treatment

With proper radiofrequency treatment (i.e. deep-acting, high-power RF, provided by a well trained therapist, under the pain threshold), clients quite often experience some immediate skin contraction.

This contraction is brought on by the effect of heat on fibroblasts (collagen cells), which contract the skin’s collagen network.

Sometimes this contraction is quite impressive and occurs even during treatment, while in other cases it is more subtle or materialises minutes, hours or 3-4 days after treatment.

Younger skin (30-year old or younger) exhibits more pronounced and/or faster collagen contraction.

Radiofrequency results: long-term collagen contraction, and collagen synthesis, with a series of treatments

However, the skin contraction produced by just one session is to some extent temporary, so at the clinic we don’t make much of the one-session collagen contraction.

A series of 6-12 treatments will produce a much more permanent skin contraction, and that is what both client and therapist should focus on.

Furthermore, a series of 6-12 treatments will gradually lead to the production (synthesis) of more collagen and elastin and reduce cellulite fat, which are also important long-terms goals.

Not to be confused with collagen denaturation by destructive RF treatments

All the above refer to natural collagen contraction brought on by a stimulating RF treatment, i.e. one that:

• Is provided under the pain threshold and without the use of anaesthetic cream

• Leads to 43-47ºC temperature in the hypodermis (deep skin layer)

On the other hand, destructive RF treatments cause unnatural collagen denaturation (basically deep skin burning). These:

• Are provided over the pain threshold with the aid of an anaesthetic cream

• Lead to 60-90ºC temperature in the hypodermis (deep skin layer)

Naturally, destructive RF treatments have a very high rate of adverse reactions and they lead to skin hardening/scar tissue-ing (not skin tightening), so we do not recommend them.

This article refers only to proper, safe, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency.

Radiofrequency results: immediate lymphatic drainage after a radiofrequency treatment

In some cases, excess water may also quickly be drained from the thighs, due to the action of the treatment on circulation / lymphatic drainage, leading to some “inch loss”.

Again, this can be impressive but not very long lasting.

Don’t get me wrong, some impressive - albeit temporary - water retention reduction is always nice when it occurs, but this is not the main goal.

The main goal is long-term skin tightening and cellulite fat reduction, and those things take days, weeks and months - not the minutes, hours and days that some people imagine.

Radiofrequency results: no instant fat/cellulite reduction with radiofrequency or any other treatment of any kind (except actual liposuction)

Most women will think that the - quite often impressive - temporary lymph drainage is fat reduction, when it is actually NOT.

Cellulite fat or deep fat can NOT be reduced in minutes or hours, with any treatment or method: it takes weeks to reduce. Nobody loses 5 pounds of fat, 2 inches of volume or any cellulite bumps in one day - this is delusion territory.

Fake “before and after” photos showing immediate cellulite reduction or fat reduction after a radiofrequency treatment are plain fraud.

Again, cellulite fat reduction does occur after a proper radiofrequency treatment (that’s how the cellulite bumps get softer and smoother), but it takes days, weeks and months, not minutes, hours and days that some people imagine.

That’s regarding cellulite fat (hypodermal adipose tissue).

Deep fat (subcutaneous adipose tissue) is not reliably and efficiently reduced by any non-surgical method. For deep fat reduction liposuction is the only guaranteed choice.

Cryolipolysis reduces stomach fat in 50% of the cases, ONLY on the stomach - hardly a reliable fat reduction method - plus it quite often causes adverse reactions.

And deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency does reduce a little bit of fat but it is not efficient for major fat loss - so we don’t make any such claims at the clinic.

Radiofrequency results: When will I see the first long-term results?

Some people we see at the clinic start raving about the treatment from the second session already, while some may need as many as 4-5 sessions to start seeing the first long-term results. Everyone is different.

By the 6th session some people are happy with the results of their course of treatments (fast responders), while some may need to have another 6 sessions (slow responders). In very bad cases, up to 24 sessions may be needed for good results.

The job of a radiofrequency practitioner is to provide maximum-strength, safe treatment just below the pain threshold, to all clients, in order to stimulate maximum collagen synthesis/contraction and maximum cellulite fat release by the body.

This requires the best possible equipment, good training and lots of experience. Then it’s up to each body to respond accordingly to the maximum stimulation provided.

Going over the pain threshold in order to impress the client with “fast results” is stupid, unsafe and irresponsible, as effectiveness increases by something like 10-20%, while the chance of irritation increases by 100-200%. Just not worth it.

Even worse, applying a numbing cream to go way over the pain threshold is downright irresponsible and does not increase effectiveness either. Some irresponsible people do it, but we don’t.

Each body has its own limits and it doesn’t make sense to go over those limits.

And each body responds differently to radiofrequency - or any other treatment, for that matter - hence the wide variation of suggested treatments.

Check our professional consultancy in radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening

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.