By Shannon Campbell

If you’ve heard of radiofrequency (RF) therapy or radiofrequency skin-tightening, you’ve probably heard of it in the context of facial tightening. It’s becoming a more common non-invasive treatment to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and overall make your face look smoother and younger.

But it’s also true that RF skin-tightening can work on the body. It can boost collagen in almost any area and is most commonly used on the neck, abdomen, arms, thighs, knees, and buttocks. After all, just because other people don’t see parts of the body as much as they do the face, it doesn’t mean you don’t get wrinkles and sagging there too.

What Is Radiofrequency Therapy?

RF therapy uses thermal heating to heat beneath your skin. It transfers heat to the dermis and subcutaneous layers without affecting the top layer of your skin (the epidermis). This heat stimulates the fibroblast cells in your skin tissue, which stimulates the growth of both collagen and elastin.

Essentially, RF therapy causes minor thermal injury to your skin. During the period following your RF treatment, the tissue of the treated area will begin healing and remodeling itself with the help of renewed collage, resulting in smooth, tight, and youthful-looking skin.

But What About Body Contouring?

Over the last decade, body contouring treatments have become incredibly popular for people of all ages, as a means of slimming the figure and reducing fat in places that aren’t as affected by regular weight loss methods like a calorie deficit, healthy diet, and exercise.

Popular non-invasive treatments include fat freezing, laser lipolysis, and injections. But RF is sometimes overlooked by people and can be hard to find in the average med spa or beauty clinic. The truth is it can definitely be used as a body-contouring treatment, and it frequently is. Multiple studies have been done to prove the safety and efficacy of RF therapy as a body-contouring treatment.

RF therapy is mainly used for skin-tightening, which also plays a part in body contouring. Tighter, lifted skin can contribute to an overall slimmer look. But radiofrequency can also contribute to body contouring by destroying fat cells. 

Studies have shown that RF devices can be used to selectively heat subcutaneous fat to high enough levels that it will trigger apoptosis or programmed cell death. This means that fat cells in targeted areas will die off and be absorbed back into the body. This can be done safely and without damaging the top layers of the skin and will decrease the fat volume in these areas over the following weeks.

Final Thoughts

There is a body of scientific evidence to prove that radiofrequency technology is much more than just a skin-tightening treatment for the face. These FDA-approved devices can effectively target and reduce overall fat in the body, giving fantastic body-contouring results for people all over the world.

So if you’ve got some extra pounds that are particularly hard to lose, RF therapy might be the right choice for you. If you find a reliable clinic with up-to-date technology and qualified practitioners, consider booking an appointment.

References:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24049924/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25598274/
3. https://orlandodermatologyinc.com/how-does-radiofrequency-body-contouring-work/
4. https://orlandodermatologyinc.com/how-does-radiofrequency-body-contouring-work/
5. https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/35/3/279/200894
6. https://www.venusconcept.com/en-gl/news/advances-in-radio-frequency-body-contouring-and-skin-tightening
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079633/