Before Radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling, a topical anesthetic is applied to numb the area and enhance comfort during the procedure.
Recovery after RF Microneedling treatment is relatively fast. Some redness and mild swelling, indicative of the treatment’s stimulation of collagen production, might be experienced right after.
Radiofrequency Microneedling treatment (RF Microneedling) is a cosmetic procedure that combines the benefits of traditional microneedling with the use of radiofrequency energy.
Microneedling involves the use of tiny, sterile needles to create controlled micro-channels on the skin’s surface. These micro-channels stimulate the body’s natural healing response, leading to increased collagen. In an RF Microneedling treatment, radiofrequency energy is simultaneously delivered into the deeper layers of the skin. Radiofrequency energy heats the skin, promoting additional collagen and elastin production. This combination of microneedling and radiofrequency energy helps to tighten and rejuvenate the skin. It can be particularly effective in addressing concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars, and skin laxity.
The process of getting RF Microneedling treatment typically involves the following steps:
Consultation: A consultation with one of our skincare experts is essential! During the consult, our Medical Aesthetician will assess your skin, discuss your goals, and determine if Radiofrequency Microneedling is the right solution for your skin needs. Our comprehensive aesthetic evaluation is your skin’s new best friend!
Medical History Review: We will ask you to provide a comprehensive medical history, including information about current medications, allergies, and any previous cosmetic procedures. This is important to ensure the safety and efficacy of your RF microneedling treatment.
Preparation Instructions: You may receive specific instructions regarding how to prepare for the procedure. This could include avoiding certain skincare products, medications, or activities in the days leading up to the treatment.
Discussion of Expectations and Post-Treatment Skincare Advice: The skincare professional will discuss what to expect during and after the procedure, including potential side effects and post-treatment care. For about a week, you would need to use only gentle skincare products to let your skin recover before coming back to your regular skincare routine. Our plastic surgery office does offer post-treatment recovery skincare.
Topical Anesthetic: On the day of the treatment, a topical anesthetic will be applied for about 1 hour to numb the skin and enhance comfort during the procedure. The kind of topical anesthetic solution will be chosen based on your health history and allergy review.
Treatment: After cleaning your face thoroughly, the treatment will start. The Secret RF device is used to create micro-channels in the skin’s surface while simultaneously delivering RF energy. The treatment typically takes around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the area being treated. You may experience a ‘tingling’ sensation during the treatment. Some of our patients describe the sensation as “spicy”. However, your RF microneedling treatment should be comfortable. Believe it or not, we even had somebody fall asleep during the treatment. From the start with the topical numbing solution, to the finish of treatment, you should designate about 2 hours. After the treatment, you may experience some redness and mild swelling, but these side effects are temporary. Our skincare professional will advise you on how many treatments you may need to achieve optimal results.
Post-treatment care: Right after the treatment, a recovery solution will be applied to the treated areas to calm down the skin and reduce redness. The recovery oil and cream will be applied to keep your skin hydrated. Specific aftercare detailed instructions, such as avoiding pressure on the treated areas, refraining from strenuous activities for a specified period, and any other relevant guidelines regarding skincare, will also be provided.
Follow-up and maintenance: Depending on your goals, you may schedule a follow-up appointment to assess the results and discuss any further treatments or adjustments. Your provider will share with you recommendations on how to maintain your results.
Radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling is a non-invasive treatment that enhances collagen production, tightens skin, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. In general, it revitalizes your skin and gives you a smoother and more radiant complexion.
Common benefits of RF microneedling treatment include:
Collagen and Elastin Stimulation: The RF energy generated during treatment not only triggers the skin’s natural healing response but also encourages the production of collagen and elastin, leading to improved skin firmness and elasticity.
Wrinkle Reduction: Collagen and elastin created during the healing process help minimize fine lines and wrinkles, contributing to a smoother complexion.
Skin Tightening Microneedling: The RF energy delivers controlled heat deep into the dermal layers, leading to skin tightening, particularly in areas prone to sagging. As the skin contracts, it can become firmer.
Scar Improvement: May reduce the appearance of scars, including acne scars and surgical scars.
Texture Enhancement: Improves overall skin texture, making it smoother and more radiant.
Minimized Pore Size: Can contribute to the reduction of enlarged pores.
Long-lasting Results: The combination of microneedling and radiofrequency often provides more enduring effects compared to individual treatments.
Versatility: Suitable for various skin types and concerns, offering a versatile solution for skin rejuvenation. Our Secret RF microneedling allows for precise control over the depth of needle penetration and RF energy delivery.
Minimal Downtime: Typically has minimal downtime compared to more aggressive treatments like laser resurfacing.
RF microneedling is an excellent choice for individuals seeking non-surgical skin rejuvenation.
If you experience some of the below skin conditions, then RF microneedling is for you:
Fine lines & wrinkles: Aging skin often presents challenges such as fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity, impacting one’s overall complexion. Microneedling with radiofrequency (RF) stimulates collagen production, in effect reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
Mild to moderate skin laxity: RF microneedling works wonders for mild to moderate skin laxity by employing tiny needles that penetrate the skin’s surface, delivering controlled radiofrequency energy to the deeper layers. This dual-action approach triggers collagen production, enhancing skin elasticity and firmness.
Uneven skin texture: If you deal with skin irregularities characterized by roughness, bumps, and overall do not like the feel of your skin, then microneedling with radiofrequency (RF) is for you. It is a transformative solution that helps smooth out uneven texture by promoting skin renewal.
Acne scars: The severity of the scarring can vary, ranging from mild to severe, and may impact an individual’s self-esteem. Uneven texture, discoloration, and skin depressions left by acne can be distressing, but RF microneedling for acne scars offers a promising solution.
Enlarged pores: This is a common skin concern that occurs when the openings of hair follicles on the skin’s surface become dilated. Multiple reasons contribute to enlarged pores. Among them are genetic predisposition, aging-related changes in collagen and elasticity, increased oil production by sebaceous glands, sun damage leading to diminished skin elasticity, clogging of pores due to dirt and dead skin cells, and suboptimal skincare habits. Radio frequency microneedling can help minimize the appearance of enlarged pores.
Scars and stretch marks (to some extent): The controlled micro-injuries from the microneedles trigger the body’s natural healing response, while the radiofrequency energy enhances collagen synthesis, resulting in smoother and more rejuvenated skin over time.
Recovering from RF microneedling treatment is a gradual and transformative process. The full benefits of microneedling will unfold over several weeks as collagen continues to regenerate. Below are recommendations that help you in your RF microneedling recovery process:
Immediately post-treatment: You may experience some redness and mild swelling, indicative of the treatment’s stimulation of collagen production. These effects typically subside within a few days. You’ll notice a gradual improvement in skin tone, firmness, and a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.
Follow Post-Treatment Instructions: Adhere to the specific post-treatment guidelines provided by your skincare professional or dermatologist.
Protect Your Skin: Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to shield your skin from harmful UV rays. This is crucial to prevent pigmentation issues and support the healing process.
Avoid Sun Exposure: Minimize sun exposure, and if you must be outdoors, wear a wide-brimmed hat and protective clothing to shield your treated skin.
Hydrate Your Skin: Keep your skin well-hydrated by using a gentle, non-irritating moisturizer. This helps maintain skin suppleness and supports the healing process.
Skip harsh products: Avoid using harsh skincare regimens, such as those containing retinoids or acids, for a specified period as recommended by your skincare professional.
Patience is key: Understand that visible results may take time. Be patient and allow your skin to go through the natural healing and collagen-building process.
No touching or picking: Resist the urge to touch, pick, or scratch the treated areas. Let the skin heal without interference to avoid infection and scarring.
Stay hydrated and maintain a healthy diet: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and consider incorporating a balanced diet rich in vitamins and antioxidants to support overall skin health.
Attend follow-up appointments: Schedule and attend any recommended follow-up appointments with your skincare professional to monitor your skin’s progress and address any concerns.
With over 70 plastic surgeons in the Northern Virginia area, patients choose Dr. Domanski because they trust him. We believe you will not find a more honest surgeon than Dr. Domanski.
Traditional Microneedling uses fine needles to create micro-injuries that boost collagen for smoother, healthier skin, while RF microneedling adds radiofrequency energy to also tighten deeper tissues—making it more effective for wrinkles, scars, and skin laxity.
The price of RF microneedling varies between $400-1200. The difference in the cost depends on the device (handheld vs industry standard), whether the procedure is performed at a hair salon or plastic surgeon office, and the experience of the provider. Many people undergo 2-3 treatments to invest in optimal results.
The discomfort during the RF microneedling procedure varies by your personal sensitivity level and the device used. With the application of topical numbing cream, the discomfort is limited. We personally tested several RF microneedling devices and chose our device because it had a minimal amount of pain. We believe this is because our device uses bipolar rather than monopolar technology to deliver energy to the skin and dermis. Bipolar technology is more focused and minimizes current spread to places where it is not needed–allowing the energy used to be focused on maximizing aesthetic outcome.
A popular option is for clients to undergo 2-3 RF microneedling treatments initially. Frequently, clients will opt to undergo a once yearly maintenance session. We think of the initial sessions as turning back the conveyor belt of time. The maintenance sessions slow the conveyor belt down.
RF microneedling is suitable for all Fitzpatrick skin types. This means that clients with darker skin are still candidates. For patients with sensitive skin, we can test a small area such as behind the ear, to see how the skin reacts. If there is no reaction, we can safely consider a full face treatment.
RF microneedling delivers electrical current in the frequency range of radio waves energy directly into the dermis of the skin. This is why many practices referer to RF as radiofrequency. The dermis is the deeper layer of skin. Our RF microneedling device uses bipolar technique which bypasses the epidermis, the skin’s outermost layer.
Aging is due to stretch and loss of volume. Like an old sofa that may show signs of wear and reduced cushion, our skin undergoes similar changes. Our facial fat distribution changes, resulting in a more hollowed appearance with the passing decades. The protein content of our skin changes, resulting in less elasticity.
Aging can be accelerated by smoking, sun exposure, and poor diet. While we can’t stop the aging process, we can slow it down by sunscreen on a daily basis. Dr. Domanski himself uses a SPF 15 light sunscreen as an aftershave on most days. Some people believe that exercise and a plant-based diet can also contribute to skin longevity.
If you are looking to improve the signs of skin aging such as line and wrinkles, uneven skin tone & texture and are looking to tighten your skin by stimulating collagen production, then RF microneedling may be for you.
Right after the procedure you may experience some redness and mild swelling. Redness should subside within 24 hours. Some clients will experience mild swelling that generally resolves within 1-2 days. We provide our patients with a complete after-treatment kit that soothes the skin and speeds up the recovery process.
After two to three weeks, you should notice more radiant skin. This is part of a process where your skin generates new collagen which is the goal of treatment.
“Be Yourself,
Everyone Else Is Taken.”
– Oscar Wilde
