RF treatment is like massage: each therapist does it differently

“TL;DR: Radiofrequency treatment is like massage: each individual therapist does it differently, even when the exact same machine is used - even at the same clinic.

So stop “researching” machines and start researching clinics and practitioners and ask some key questions.”

Radiofrequency treatment quality can range from amazing to poor, even with the same RF machine

• RF treatment is like massage: everyone does it differently, even when the exact same machine is used

• How RF treatments differ between different machines, clinics and individual therapists

• Stop “researching” machines and start researching clinics and practitioners. What questions to ask.

• 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

Radiofrequency treatment is like massage: everyone does it differently, even when the exact same machine is used

Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency is the best and safest non-surgical skin tightening treatment and the joint best/safest cellulite reduction treatment (together with deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation) and far more effective and safe than the undeservedly hyped-up HIFU or RF microneedling.

Because radiofrequency treatment is provided with a machine, most people think that all treatments with a specific machine are provided identically and as a result they embark on “researching” what is the best RF machine on the web (as well as on instagram and tiktok 😂).

However, given that 99% of practitioners (including cosmetic surgeons) do not know how to choose an RF machine based on specifications and do not understand (or misunderstand) RF science, such research by members of the public is doomed to fail - especially among the rampant misinformation of shallow social media, such as instagram and tiktok.

(Furthermore, there is so much marketing disinformation regarding different machines, unless you are very specialised and highly trained it is impossible to know which of this information is real and which is not.)

But most importantly, even if one discovers the ideal RF machine for their needs - and find a clinic that offers it - this still means nothing.

Contrary to popular belief, RF, cavitation, HIFU and other technology-based treatments are not McDonalds sandwiches - i.e. the same everywhere they are offered. Instead, they vary wildly between clinics that have the exact same machine and even between individual therapists at the same clinic with the same machine *.

So looking for the best machine in the swamp of online misinformation and then comparing prices between clinics that offer the same machine means nothing. Treatment times, treatment settings, treatment protocols, treatment application technique and safety procedures for the same body area vary wildly between clinics.

* How do I know that? I talk to clients who have been to other clinics that use the exact same machines that we use and the differences are wild. I talk to machine manufacturers, distributors, trainers, colleagues and fellow practitioners all the time. And I know how basic the training provided by RF distributors is, because I had it from four - no less - different RF equipment companies over the years (in addition, of course, to advanced training elsewhere, my intensive, 13-year long personal study of radiofrequency and my Physics background).

How RF treatments differ between different machines, clinics and individual therapists

In that respect, we can say that radiofrequency treatment is like massage, in that each therapist provides a different treatment in relation to another one (massage is a highly individualised treatment). In fact, with RF you have four variables, not just one: machine, clinic, training and therapist:

• Different RF machines vary wildly in terms of treatment depth, treatment strength and safety

• According to their business model, different clinics may offer a proper treatment at a reasonable price while others may cut corners, pay a ton of money on marketing and then inflate prices for a short, stripped down treatment

• Training in RF is either provided by the equipment manufacturer in 4-8 hours and it’s pretty basic or by specialist training schools and it’s also pretty basic (no difference here). It is very rare to almost impossible to find a training school that goes deep into RF science and cellulite/skin tightening science.

• Individual therapists also provide a different treatment, depending on training, machine, clinic business model and, of course, their experience and personal knowledge they may have accumulated over the days, weeks, months or years of practising radiofrequency treatment.

Other factors also come into play in regard to RF treatment quality, such as the clinic properly and regularly servicing their equipment (more important than you think) or a clinic’s/therapist’s attitude to safety, which ranges all the way from lackadaisical to responsible.

Stop “researching” machines and start researching clinics and practitioners. What questions to ask.

If researching for machines is only 25% of the picture, how can a member of the public find what is the best RF treatment? It’s simple, by researching clinics/therapists, not just machines.

And how can one do that? Again, it’s simple: use your common sense and ask some key questions:

• Does a clinic promise miracle results with 1-4 sessions, as opposed to realistic claims for results over 6-12 sessions?

• Do they charge an arm and a leg for a small area, as opposed to moderate prices?

• Do they display difficult to believe before and after pictures?

• Is their website filled with marketing blurb, as opposed to serious articles?

• Do they spend a lot of money on influencers, search ads and social media advertising? Remember, you pay for all that waste of money.

• Do they post selfie tiktok videos with trashy music and sing and dance while performing treatments? That’s a serious red flag.

• When you call them and ask questions, do they talk about toxins, “bringing the cellulite to the surface”, “breaking down the fat which is then removed by the kidneys” and other such nonsense? No matter what machine they have treatment will be bad there.

• Do they do hard sales, pushing you to sign away your life there and then? Not a good sign.

• For a given body area, do they offer really short treatments (cutting corners to maximise profit) or really long treatments (the machine is so weak it needs forever to do the job)?

• Ask them if they use monopolar (and unipolar) or bipolar (and tripolar, tertapolar, octipolar) RF (the former is almost always better than latter)

• Ask them what is the RF frequency they use and why they use it (silence or the opposite - endless blurb - will almost certainly mean ignorance; BTW, different frequencies can work equally well)

• Ask them what is the output power of their monopolar machine (silence or the opposite - endless blurb - will almost certainly mean ignorance; BTW, anything below 250W for the body and 150W for the face is probably pointless)

• And finally, check out their customer service and, if possible talk, to the therapist who will provide your treatments (if an army of different therapists provide your course of treatments, avoid that clinic)

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.

And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED 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 cellulite / skin tightening 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.

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