Whats The Difference Between RF Microneedling and HIFU
RF microneedling and HIFU for skin tightening, what’s the difference?
One of the things my patients most complain about is sagging skin, particularly around the jowls. As we age, we lose our collagen and elastin, and our skin starts to become more crepey and sag.
As such, device-based skin tightening and lifting treatments have become hugely popular in recent years.
Two of the most effective and most talked about treatments on the market today are High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound – HIFU – and radiofrequency (RF) microneedling.
Both treatments are non-surgical and use heat energy to stimulate new collagen, the building block of our skin, but what’s the difference?
HIFU
I am a huge fan of HIFU and currently use this technology in the clinic.
Great for targeting saggy jowls, drooping brows and loose skin on the face, neck and body, HIFU can lift, sculpt and tighten the skin without the need for surgery, needles or downtime.
The treatment works by using ultrasound energy to create heat in lower levels of the skin. This triggers your body’s own natural healing response, causing you to make new collagen. This is known as “collagen remodelling” and can give dramatic yet natural-looking results.
The other thing about HIFU that makes it stand out from other treatments is that it can reach the really deep layers of the skin known as the SMAS layer. You may have heard of the SMAS face-lift. This is because this is the layer of musculature in the face that is often manipulated during facial cosmetic surgery. While it is not going to replicate surgery, the great thing about HIFU is, it has no downtime.
One of the other things I love about HIFU is that, like everything we do here at The Secret Garden Clinic, it can be a bespoke treatment that can be tweaked just for you.
Ultrasound allows us to see the underlying layers of skin so we can deliver the energy to exactly where you need it. Because there is no damage to the upper layers of the skin, there are also no visible signs of you having had the treatment and no recovery time.
Results are visible after the first treatment, but collagen regeneration improves over subsequent months with maximal effects at a year.
RF microneedling
Radiofrequency microneedling or RF microneedling is a treatment that has become really popular at the moment, particularly since Judy Murray unveiled her incredible new look and announced she had had it.
*link to other blog https://thesecretgardenwinchester.co.uk/blog/2021/6/30/the-secret-to-judy-murrays-non-surgical-face-lift
As the name suggests, it brings together the benefits of two powerhouse treatments, microneedling (which I am a massive fan of) and radiofrequency. These two treatments have traditionally been used individually and actually do very similar things, mainly boosting collagen and elastin, but together they have added benefits.
The treatment works by using tiny needles to deliver radiofrequency energy into the skin. This helps to regenerate and tighten the skin by boosting collagen production.
RF microneedling doesn’t target the deep layers of the skin like HIFU does. However, the addition of microneedling means that it gives a degree of tightening at the same time as bringing about textural changes on the skin’s surface, and that’s what makes it a killer combination.
The radiofrequency stimulates our body’s cellular responses using heat, while the microneedling instigates a wound healing response by making lots of tiny little holes in the skin. This kick starts fibroblast activity and results in not just boosting of collagen and elastin, but skin surface changes too, targeting wrinkles, acne scars, lax skin, large pores and photo-ageing all at the same time.
While RF can’t go as deep as HIFU, it does have depth control, delivering energy precisely into the target area, making it safer for all skin types.
You need a course of treatments to see results.
HIFU and RF microneedling at The Secret Garden
Both HIFU and RF microneedling are safe and effective, with extensive R&D and behind them, and can deliver fantastic results, depending on your needs.
Our HIFU packages involve two treatments carried out over six weeks. HIFU is a deep treatment that is healing focussed with results reaching full effect and continually improving for up to a year (although you will notice a difference after the first treatment).
I am super excited to be introducing RF microneedling to our offering. This treatment is perfect for textural improvements with some tightening effects too. Multiple treatments will be needed to get the end result.
To find out more about how HIFU and RF microneedling can help you target the signs of ageing naturally, contact us to book a consultation on 01962 277 007 or book online at https://thesecretgardenwinchester.co.uk/book-now
Sharron x
