There’s no doubt we have seen an incredible boom in patients seeking out aesthetic procedures due to what’s being called the “Zoom Boom!” Last year in 2020 most, if not all, had to rely on virtual communication to host meetings, events, and even socialize with family and friends.
As a result, this virtual communication forced many to see what we look like to other people when our faces are in motion and fully expressed. Meaning all the lines, the tiredness, the dullness, the folds, the wrinkles, etc. we typically don’t pay attention to when we look at our own faces at rest.
Therefore, we have seen an uptick in patients seeking out effective procedures with little to no downtime that will help smooth, tighten, and contour their skin for an overall younger-looking appearance.
Sounds too much to ask for, right?
Nope. Wrong!
Radiofrequency treatments like Secret RF and Thermage have been my go-to for my “Zoom Boom” patients seeking effective results with that little to zero downtime timeline!
THERMAGE AND SECRET RF: RADIOFREQUENCY DEVICES
As we age, the collagen that keeps skin firm breaks down, resulting in sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. Thermage and Secret RF are noninvasive procedures that use radiofrequency technology to heat the deep, collagen-rich layers of the skin. This helps with the contraction of collagen fibers which helps with laxity and new collagen production which helps with wrinkles, pores, and overall texture of the skin.
Thermage uses a cooling tip that is placed directly on top of the skin to help safely deliver radiofrequency energy deep into the dermis of the skin. The applied heat separates the water molecules from the fibrous collagen, causing an immediate contraction, resulting in skin tightening. Over the next few months, the secondary healing response continues as collagen is deposited and remodeled. After just one treatment we typically see improvements in skin laxity and overall skin tone improvement in about 3-6 months, when we have patients come in for follow-up photos!
Secret RF combines microneedling with radiofrequency energy to help stimulate new collagen cells for improvement in skin laxity, wrinkles, pores, and ACNE SCARS! Secret RF induces dermal remodeling by applying precisely controlled radiofrequency energy directly into various depths of skin with minimally invasive micro-needles to spare the epidermis and reduce patient downtime. Secret RF requires a series of 3 treatments spread a month apart and the best results are seen 3 months after a patient’s last treatment.
CONCLUSION
Both treatments have lasting results, but we always continue to age so coming for maintenance every 1-2 years is also important. These treatments work best for patients who have mild to moderate skin laxity, aging, or acne scars.
We encourage all patients who are interested to see if they would be a good candidate for one of these treatments to come in for a consultation with one of our experienced cosmetic dermatology practitioners.
Marcela is a nurse practitioner at SBA Dermatology. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, Marcela had been a practicing nurse specializing in cosmetic dermatology at our office since 2003. Marcela obtained her nurse practitioner degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston in March of 2015, where she also received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing with high honors in May 2003. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Health in 1999. Marcela is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Dermatology Nurses Association.