“TL;DR: There are hundreds of RF machines on the market and tens of thousands of RF operators around the world, all different in terms of training, knowledge and experience and all using even the exact same machine differently.
So stop looking for RF machines - this leads nowhere - and start assessing people/clinics. This article explains everything and shows you haw to find the right clinic in your area.”
What is the best RF treatment for cellulite near me?
Deep tissue radiofrequency: the ultimate technology for skin tightening and cellulite reduction
Not all radio frequency cellulite treatments are the same: how to choose a radiofrequency cellulite treatment
If aesthetic practitioners and doctors don't know, then how are consumers supposed to know?
If even the people who sell the machines to doctors and clinics don’t know, then how are consumers supposed to know?
If clinics and doctors don’t ask any technical questions, why should salespeople bother to know?
How radiofrequency machines are sold
12 technical factors that affect radiofrequency cellulite treatment quality
Can you help me choose a radiofrequency treatment in my area?
13 common sense tips on how to choose a radiofrequency treatment for cellulite / skin tightening
Extra advice for our American readers
Get the best possible radiofrequency cellulite treatment by asking the right questions
11 crucial questions to ask when you interview a clinic (yes, you need to interview them):
Swipe left ☹️
Swipe right 😀
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts
Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound
Deep tissue radiofrequency: the ultimate technology for skin tightening and cellulite reduction
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency - together with deep-acting, high-power ultrasound - is widely accepted as being the most effective cellulite reduction and skin tightening technology available today, for both face and body.
It is far superior to lasers, which do not penetrate anywhere near as deep as radiofrequency does, or any other therapeutic modality, including HIFU, RF microneedling, acoustic wave therapy or mechanical massage.
By applying intensive heat on collagen cells and fat cells, radiofrequency helps increase skin tightness, reduce fat and boost circulation.
These physiological changes, in turn, improve the contour and texture of body and face for applications such as cellulite removal, skin tightening and lifting and facial rejuvenation.
Not all radio frequency cellulite/skin tightening treatments are the same: how to choose a radiofrequency treatment
There are hundreds of RF machines on the market today and they all vary in power and in a number of different specifications.
There are also tens of thousands of RF operators around the world and they are all different in terms of their training, knowledge, experience and the technique/protocols they utilise.
Even with the same equipment, each operator provides a different treatment, according to their knowledge, experience and limitations of the equipment:
A knowledgable therapist can make the most of average equipment and produce good results
A poorly trained therapist can produce paltry results out of excellent equipment
A therapist who works at a clinic where profit is the main priority, instead of the client being the main priority, can also produce paltry results out of excellent equipment, by cutting corners and by rushing treatments
And finally, a knowledgable, client-focused therapist can produce excellent results if they also use excellent equipment - and profits will come automatically as a by-product of excellent treatments and excellent service
Therefore it can be said that there are tens of thousands of different radiofrequency treatments available today.
Just like the word ‘massage’, the words ‘radio frequency treatment’ can mean anything and nothing. Just like massage, all radiofrequency treatments are the same: effectiveness can range from almost zero to impressive.
The best RF treatment is the one applied with the highest specification equipment, provided by the best trained therapist and with the best protocols.
With such variability in technology and experience, the following question arises: how can a customer know which treatment is the best?
This is a very common question we hear from prospective clients, as they are confused by conflicting information and hype from the press, influencers, celebrities and clinics/salons.
Predictably, everyone claims their treatment or equipment is the best.
If aesthetic practitioners and doctors don't know, then how are consumers supposed to know?
Unfortunately, as a simple member of the public you cannot possibly know what is the best equipment - not at least without technical knowledge.
And without asking specific questions, you cannot know if a clinic uses their equipment to its full capacity and with you as the priority (as opposed to crazy profits - more on that later).
In fact, even most therapists, including most doctors, haven’t got a clue about how to choose a good machine. Choosing a good machine is all about understanding technical specifications (and of course reliability / after-service) by the supplier.
Unfortunately, most practitioners go according to:
The unrealistic sales pitch: “revolutionary technology”, “miracle results”, “amazing” etc, i.e. “best thing since the beginning of civilisation” kinda talk
Unrealistic profit projections: i.e. “how to rip your clients off in 20 minutes to make a quarter of a million £/$/€ out of the machine in one year” kinda talk
Ridiculously fake “before and after pictures”: 95% of before and after pictures you see ANYWHERE are fake
How widely marketed the equipment is: marketing is what sells machines - especially deceptive/shallow marketing - not specifications - that’s the truth
But marketing, fake before and after pics, profit projections and sales blurb are not accurate ways to judge a piece of equipment.
You first want the best for your client and then everything else will fall in place and profitability will naturally follow. If you choose with dollar signs flashing in your eyes, you will do a disservice to your clients.
For example, the most famous cellulite equipment on the market simply doesn't do much for cellulite, yet it still keeps selling like hot cakes for more than 25 years now - both in terms of machine sales and treatment sales.
If even the people who sell the machines to doctors and clinics don’t know, then how are consumers supposed to know?
I go to professional exhibitions and I see that 95% of salespeople at manufacturer and distributor booths cannot even give me any technical specs on the equipment they themselves manufacture, sell and charge £50k-£120k for.
I ask them about RF frequency and they give me the machine’s power output
I ask them about power output and they give me power input
For even the most basic questions they have to ask the technical guys back at the factory
If clinics and doctors don’t ask any technical questions, why should salespeople bother to know?
And the reason that equipment salespersons and distributors do not have a clue, is because they don’t need to. Nobody ever asks them. 95% of buyers (including doctors and plastic surgeons) do not ask any technical questions, because they do not have much technical knowledge. So they don’t even know what questions to ask in the first place.
That says everything you need to know about how cellulite machines are purchased.
Most salon and clinic buyers cannot even understand the specifications. They depend on:
Marketing/PR campaigns
What the competition does
Dodgy "evidence”: research can be, AND IS, routinely faked (I have seen fake peer-reviewed papers for amazing machines, that are good and do not even need to fake anything. Imagine what’s happening with the manufacturers that need to “cook” the research…
So called “reviews” in trade magazines: good luck with that…
So called “before and after photos”: 95% of them are fake - this is obvious to anyone with basic knowledge of photography, lighting and Photoshop
How radiofrequency machines are sold
I was once shown some blatantly fake “before and after” photos by a sales rep from one of the top selling and most famous RF machines (let’s not name names) and I could not hide my anger for his attempt to con me - and subsequently you, my clients.
At the end of the day, if the consumer makes a decision based on fake ’before and after’ photos they can lose £1,000, £2,000 or £3,000. But when a professional is misled, they can lose £30,000, £70,000 or even £120,000.
In my case, if I was to believe the marketing BS I would buy a worthless piece of equipment for £60,000 (£80,000 in today’s money), and then I would try to make that wasted money off my customers, which in turn would waste their £1,000-£3,000. Of course I wouldn’t do it, but that’s what happens every day all around the world: people buy low-spec machines and then they sell low-quality treatments to their clients.
On another occasion a famous equipment company tried to sell me an £100,000+ machine (let’s not name names) that was an utter gimmick. It sells like hot cakes and clinics make lots of money from it by luring unsuspecting clients to pay £800 per session each for a course of 4 sessions. Yes, £3,200 for zero results.
(They say that you cannot fool all the people all of the time, so about a decade later, and after billions of £/$/€ changed hands, the public have wised up to the marketing BS and now pay a more reasonable £200-300 per session for that treatment.)
Of course, I didn’t buy it. But the marketing blurb is strong and the temptation to offer the latest highly marketed equipment is big. Who doesn’t want to offer the best to their clients (or get rich quick)?
And another manufacturer of an objectively good, top-spec machine (let’s not name names) also showed me some pathetically fake “before and after” pictures, instead of selling the machine on its technical merits.
Why? Because no-one KNOWS and no-one CARES about technical specs - it’s all about marketing, hype and profit. And the honest, hard working practitioners who do CARE and want the best for their clients, get conned all the time, because they don’t KNOW.
So, if most therapists / doctors do not know how to choose, how are you expected to know how to choose?
Well, you may not become an expert in radiofrequency, but by reading the guide below you will equip yourself with some basic knowledge which, with some common sense, can help you choose the best treatment in your area.
12 technical factors that affect radiofrequency cellulite treatment quality
In summary we could say that radiofrequency treatment effectiveness depends on the following important factors:
Monopolar vs bipolar/tripolar vs unipolar radiofrequency technology: Monopolar and unipolar are best, bipolar/tripolar are a waste of time.
Low power vs high power equipment: Low power will be a waste of time (most machines on the market, unfortunately).
Cooling vs no cooling function: Cooling is generally preferred, as it protects the epidermis and allows deep treatment.
Adjustable settings for custom RF treatment vs fully automatic function: Fully automatic functions are OK for poorly trained therapists but very limiting. Manual is always better.
RF combined with other modalities, such as ultrasound, infrared or mechanical massage vs stand-alone RF: Combined treatments are usually - but not always better
Treatment depth: Generally deeper is better, but not too deep, as in that case energy is wasted on deep fat (subcutaneous fat), which is irrelevant
Fractional vs normal radiofrequency: Fractional radiofrequency (microneedling with RF at depths up to 8mm) the latest super-expensive, ultra-painful gimmick, is ineffective, limiting and inherently unsafe. Great for those providing it, not that great for you. Good luck with that. Literally.
Destructive vs stimulating radiofrequency: As the name suggests “destructive” RF works by literally burning tissues at 60-90ºC. Stimulating RF works by stimulating collagen/fat release at a generally safe 43-47ºC. Destructive RF is very expensive, very unsafe, ineffective and limited, great for those providing, not that great for you. Again, good luck with that, literally.
RF treatment protocols: RF treatment protocol can “make or break” a cellulite / skin tightening treatment
Operator experience and specialisation: Obviously the more the better, both for effectiveness and safety
Instant miracles vs down to earth approach: Steer clear from “instant miracles” and “amazing body transformations”. There is no long-term cellulite reduction with less than 6 sessions.
Reasonably priced vs extremely expensive vs cheap: Usually cheap doesn’t work, but also extremely expensive doesn’t make sense, as you cannot afford the 6-12 treatments typically needed (you NEVER need 1-4 treatments). That’s why the super-expensive treatments are presented as 1-4 session miracles by unscrupulous companies.
Can you help me choose a radiofrequency treatment in my area?
We get this question all the time.
Unfortunately we cannot give advice about the best clinics / treatments in your area, as even if we knew what equipment each clinic uses, we couldn’t know what protocols they use, how they maintain it (very important) and how much they value/care about you, the client.
Different clinics use and maintain the exact same equipment in vastly different ways, according to skill, profit projections and time constraints, so just advertising a machine here does not make sense.
The 15 tips below are the best practical advice we could give you, as we do not know the clinics in your area.
12 common sense tips on how to choose a radiofrequency treatment for cellulite / skin tightening
Obviously, choosing a radiofrequency machine without wasting £30-£120k on the wrong machine is a nightmare even for aesthetic professionals, such as doctors and aesthetic therapists.
But also choosing a treatment that may cost you thousands of £/$/€ as a client is also difficult.
My best advice when choosing a treatment is to:
Never go for an RF body treatment with less than 250 Watt power
Never go for bipolar RF (or tripolar, tetrapolar, octipolar) - only monopolar/unipolar
Never go for extremely expensive treatments - they are NEVER, EVER worth it
Never go for one-session miracles - you will regret it
Never go for treatments that require anaesthesia and/or downtime - it’s never worth it and you may have to deal with serious adverse reactions. Radiofrequency should NOT be painful.
Putting tips 3, 4 and 5 together, never go for radiofrequency microneedling - too small area, too high cost, too high chance of adverse effects, too little benefit
Never go for the cheap treatments either - there is a reason they are cheap (cheap equipment and cheap labour is used) and there is no such thing as a free lunch
Take into account but don’t just follow the customer reviews - they can be faked
Take into account but don’t just follow the “before and after” pictures - they are almost always fake
Take into account but don’t just follow the “research” - it can be faked
Don’t care much about press articles - in most cases they are just copy-paste press release BS
Don’t care much about influencer reviews or celebrity endorsements - they usually haven’t got the slightest clue and their reviews are often paid / disingenuous
Extra advice for our American readers
Overall, aesthetic treatments in the US are overpriced and overhyped, so take everything with a (huge) pinch of salt. America is a great nation, but it has a big problem with unbridled consumerism and hype.
Perhaps choose a clinic with a more nuanced and down-to-earth approach, instead of those who promise eternal youth in 20’ and for $10,000 (yes, they exist).
Having said that we, here in the UK, are gradually following on America’s steps in this regard.
Not good…
Get the best possible radiofrequency cellulite treatment by asking the right questions
To make the right decision it is important to quiz the person who is providing/selling you the treatment a few questions, based on the above information.
This will offer you important clues about the quality of the treatment you are about to receive and help you decide by the answers you get whether you would like to invest your head-earned cash in them or not.
11 crucial questions to ask when you interview a clinic (yes, you need to interview them):
What frequency does your RF equipment use? Most don’t have a clue. Quite often they will confuse frequency, with power. If they don’t have a clue, that’s a bad sign. Conversely, if they do know this bit of information, this is an excellent sign :)
What is the maximum output power of your equipment? Same as above. And if it is 250 Watts or higher, bingo!
Is this treatment resistive or capacitive RF? Give kudos to those who know it :)
Is the treatment bipolar, monopolar, tripolar etc? This question is a bit easier, but still useful…
How does the treatment work? If they start talking about “toxins”, “liquefying the fat which is then naturally removed by your kidneys” and “breaking down the cellulite”, run for the hills…
How many sessions do I need and how often? Normally 6-12 weekly/fortnightly/twice-weekly sessions are needed. If they promise results with 1-4 sessions or with monthly sessions, then you know they are trying to take you for a ride.
How much does the treatment cost? A £90/area treatment probably won’t be good. But then again a £750/area treatment is a clear sign they are trying to rip you off. Of course, if you fall for the £3,000/area, “you only need one” treatments, it’s your fault for living in the clouds, not theirs.
Is it so painful that I will I need a numbing cream or numbing injections? If the answer is yes, then you are having what we call “destructive radiofrequency”, very unsafe and ineffective too. Good luck with that…
Is it fractional radiofrequency? Is it RF microneedling? Again, good luck with that…
Do you combine RF with ultrasound? If yes, this will cost more (more time per session) but may be better overall.
How many sessions have you already provided? Obviously the more experience, the better.
Now put all the above together and using your COMMON SENSE to decide if the clinic is right for you.
If you have many options, ask the same questions to 4-5 clinics in your area and have treatment in a couple of those places. See how treatment feels, how customer service is, how knowledgeable your therapist is. Real life feedback is the best feedback
Swipe left ☹️
If nobody at the clinic/salon has a clue what you are talking about or how to answer those questions, then you know that the clinic or salon you visited are not worth spending thousands of £££ / $$$ / €€€ money on.
And the same applies if they make promises of a “body transformation” in one session or similarly worded miracle promises.
Swipe right 😀
On the other hand, if your therapist can answer those questions confidently and propose a reasonable treatment which feels “strong” but not painful, then it is most probably worth committing to a course of treatments.
Always combine it with lifestyle changes (healthy eating, exercise, smoking cessation, reduced alcohol consumption etc) and a good cellulite cream in order to achieve maximum results.
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)
Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 240mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.
We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.
Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.
On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.
Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy 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.
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