Genius RF RadioFrequency Therapy

1. Tightens skin, minimises pores, reduces scarring, softens/plumps lines and lightens pigmentation.
2. Ideal for treating loose skin and wrinkles on the face, around the eyes, the cheek, jowls, neck, decolletage, abdomen. It is also used for local areas of scarring and is effective for both stretch marks and acne scars.
3. Safe on all skin types (unlike many lasers that can’t be used on darker skin)
4. Very low risk of side effects, including post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
5. Well tolerated and requires only topical numbing cream
6. Short down time after the treatment (generally 6 to 24 hrs of redness similar to sunburn and 24-72 hours of very mild swelling). Most patients will return to work the next day without any obvious effects.

Genius RF micro-needling combines both a skin needling treatment plus RF energy, producing a synergistic effect greater than the sum of each treatment individually.

There is a big difference in the way that RF energy is delivered into the dermis between traditional RF devices and Genius RF Micro-needling.

Traditional RF therapy transmits RF energy through a handpiece sitting on the skin surface. The RF energy needs to penetrate through the surface layers of the skin before diffusing into the dermis where it produces its effect. This traditional method delivers RF at a lower energy level producing less collagen stimulation. Traditional RF is an entry level form of skin rejuvenation.

Genius RF Needling on the other hand uses the micro-needles to deliver the fractionated RF energy directly and precisely into the dermis for more effective and deeper penetration. The RF energy administered this way has a greater heating and denaturing effect on the dermal collagen resulting in greater stimulation of new collagen and more effective re-modelling, making the results better and more consistent. Its effect is closer to fractionated laser than traditional RF.

In addition to this, the micro-injuries induced by the physical needling also produce collagen stimulation and can help in reducing skin pigmentation which traditional RF cannot do.

This is a technologically more advanced level of rejuvenation therapy than traditional RF or skin needling alone.

Prior to your treatment, your clinician (Dr Csilla, Nr Fay or Nr Keren) will have a consultation with you to determine your skin goals and how best to achieve them. This will involve an examination and assessment of your skin and facial features, developing a treatment plan specifically tailored to you.

You will be asked to arrive 45-60 mins prior to your treatment appointment to have baseline photos taken of the area to be treated and to finalise any paperwork, like consent forms.

Numbing cream is applied to the skin 45 minutes prior to the procedure and you will be offered oral painkillers. Elysium™ Skin Centre offers Nitrous Oxide gas (known as “laughing gas”) if more analgesia is needed.

During the procedure the handpiece is progressively moved over the treatment area, stamping the skin with the fine microneedles and delivering the RF energy at multiple layers in the skin. Each time the skin is stamped you will feel pressure and a warm prickling sensation which only lasts a second. This indicates that the treatment is working effectively. The higher the energy setting and the deeper the needles penetrate into the skin the more intense this feeling is (and the greater the potential collagen remodelling and benefit!). This can be altered during the procedure to produce a more comfortable or a more intense treatment.

Discomfort is minimised with anaesthetic cream, analgesia and throughout the procedure the skin will be cooled with cold air.

Some areas (around the jawline, mouth and eyes) may be a little more sensitive, but even here the discomfort is brief and usually well tolerated.

The treatment can take from as little as 15 minutes or up to 60 minutes depending on the size of the area, or areas, being treated.

Your skin will be pink to red, warm, and tingling immediately after the treatment (similar to a sunburn) and sensitive to extreme temperatures and sunlight, but there will be no significant pain. Redness will settle over the next 6-48 hours.

RF Micro-needling does break the skin surface, so minor pinpoint bleeding may be seen, but significant bruising is very rare.

Mild swelling occurs immediately after the procedure, but this generally settles within 1-3 days.

The skin may feel ‘rough’ to the touch which is the fine scabs that develop due to the needling, and they may take up to a week to flake off. This is expected but please do not pick or try to rub the scabs off – they will lift in their own time.

Most patients can return to work the next day without any obvious effects.

It is important to follow any post-care instructions. After the procedure, it is recommended that a moisturizing cream is applied frequently so that the skin can be sufficiently soothed and hydrated. In addition, getting enough fluids helps your skin regenerate, so you should drink water frequently in your daily routine. Keeping the skin cool and clean is important for faster and less eventful recovery. Daily sun protection is strongly recommended.

At Elysium™ Skin Centre we strongly recommend a minimum of three Genius Micro-needling RF treatment sessions for the area of concern to see noticeable results. But of course, more treatments result in better effects! The course of Genius RF treatments is done every 3-4 weeks. And it is helpful to chart your progress and see the gradual improvement with regular photography of the treated area. Regular treatments can be done every 6-12 months to maintain the desired effects of Genius MicroNeedling RF therapy.

Collagen production and remodelling takes time and results will vary. The beneficial effects of the Genius RF Needling are seen after 4-6 weeks (usually after the 2nd treatment) but gradual improvements continue over the next 4 – 6 months, as subsequent treatments are done. The full effect of collagen stimulation can be seen for up to 12 months.

Each patient’s treatment protocol will vary depending on individual factors such as the degree of wrinkling and loss of skin tone, skin type (colour) and the area to be treated.

We recommend at least three treatments, each spaced 4 weeks apart. Most patients will see significant improvement after 4-6 treatments. The more treatment sessions you have and the greater the intensity of the treatment (ie. energy provided), the more improvement you will see.

This is a safe cosmetic procedure with few side effects and little down time.
Complications can always occur but are very rare and we do our best to minimise them.

Side effects can include:

• Prolonged redness lasting more than a few days
• Noticeable swelling lasting more than a few days
• Minor bruising
• Skin colour changes, most notably hyperpigmentation (more likely in olive or dark skin patients)
• Patterning and roughness of treated skin (which is temporary and reversible)
• Infection, both bacterial and viral (“cold sores”)

Genius RF Needling costs per vary depending on the area to be treated and prices start at $440.

Packages of three or more treatments can be purchased to reduce the cost.