Dermatologists examine the treatment that promises firmer, brighter skin — and keeps getting celebrity shoutouts.
You’ve probably heard of radiofrequency (RF) microneedling. You may even know it’s supposed to tighten skin. But what, exactly, is it? As the name says, the treatment combines microneedling — which studies have shown can help alleviate the appearance of acne scars, fine lines, and uneven texture — with heat. To what end? "It can effectively reduce the prominence of fine lines, improve the evenness of skin tone, and offer some skin tightening,” says Darren Smith, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.
Ahead, Dr. Smith and other skin experts explain everything you need to know about the treatment, including how it works, where you should set expectations, and how much it hurts.
Meet the experts:
Darren Smith, MD, FACS, is a New York City-based board-certified plastic surgeon.
Arianne Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH, is a board-certified dermatologist at Sadick Dermatology, Skin of Color Society member, and assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School
Shereene Idriss, MD, is a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist and founder of Idriss Dermatology and PillowtalkDerm.
Mona Gohara, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology of Physicians of Connecticut.
Jessica Weiser, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Columbia University.
What is RF microneedling and what are its benefits?
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Age, sun exposure, and habits like smoking can cause the breakdown of collagen and elastin, but board-certified dermatologist Arianne Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH, says treatments like RF microneedling can help restore some firmness to the skin.
Regular microneedling involves making micro-injuries to the skin to trigger a wound-healing response that promotes collagen production. RF microneedling combines this treatment with radiofrequency energy, “to heat the underlying tissue, stimulating even more collagen production, as well as elastin and hyaluronic acid,” Kourosh says. “It also has a tightening effecton the skin.”
Most adults are able to safely get RF microneedling, regardless of skin tone or skin type. Dr. Smith says that those with mild to moderate skin tone and texture concerns (such as slight sagging or minor discoloration) that don't need the power of deeper laser treatments (like Fraxel) are great candidates. RF microneedling is not going to address more significant skin laxity or serious sun damage.
RF Microneedling Has Many Names
There are a number of different RF microneedling devices out there, and the differences between them are in part just differences in their marketing budgets and ad campaigns. They all use the same core technology, but “they are slightly nuanced in how deeply the needles penetrate the skin,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology of Physicians of Connecticut. She goes on to explain that deeper penetration can result in increased collagen production. These are some of the most popular brands:
Secret RF
Shereene Idriss, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, offers Secret RF in her office to patients with darker skin tones who are especially susceptible to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from the microneedling component of the treatment. Secret RF “has been shown in studies to have less risk of post-procedure hyperpigmentation when compared to other RF microneedling devices,” she says.
Morpheus8
Idriss also offers Morpheus8 at her practice. Morpheus8 is an RF microneedling device that “can treat up to 8mm deep into the skin, while other RF microneedling devices typically can only treat up to 3mm deep which makes it ideal for melting fat,” says Dr. Idriss.
Genius
Genius. The device has 49 needles per tip, compared to 24 needles per tip on other devices. “The primary benefit of more needles is that the practitioner can treat a larger surface area with each pulse, thereby increasing the speed of treatment (particularly in larger areas) and decreasing the duration of each treatment session,” says Jina Kim, senior vice president of global marketing of Lutronic, the aesthetic device company behind Genius.
In Idriss’ opinion, having more needles on your applicator “isn’t always a good thing, due to over-delivery of energy which poses a risk of hyperpigmentation.” Kim explains that Genius’s technology ensures the delivery of a precise dosage of RF energy with each pulse, as it is measured and modulated in real-time with a proprietary monitoring feature. “The high-torque motor in the Genius handpiece ensures that each needle is consistently inserted to the proper depth, maximizing consistency and outstanding outcomes.”
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