Loose skin is a cosmetic issue that can make a person look much older than they feel. Sagging in the face and neck can exacerbate the effects of aging, while loose skin on the body may hide attractive and youthful contours. Fortunately, new minimally-invasive cosmetic treatments like Renuvion can improve the contours of the lower face, neck, and body by tightening and rejuvenating the skin. Renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Leonard Miller, MD, FACS, FRCS of Boston, MA, offers Renuvion to all patients seeking a less-invasive solution to these signs of aging.
About Renuvion
In the past, the only reliable method of tightening the skin was to perform invasive plastic surgery. Through advancements in cosmetic medicine, however, a new solution is now available that smooths unwanted bulk while simultaneously tightening the skin: Renuvion.
Renuvion is a minimally-invasive, skin-tightening treatment that restores elasticity and firmness to the skin.
How Does Renuvion Work?
The Renuvion treatment uses radiofrequency waves, also known as RF energy or radio waves, in combination with helium gas to tighten the skin. To begin, the tip of the wand delivers heat in the form of radiofrequency to the fat, collagen, and tissues below the skin. The heat tightens the tissues, which helps compress and condense the fat. The cold helium then produces plasma, which is a type of gas that provides increased energy. Through the Renuvion J-Plasma device, the doctor can penetrate further into the skin without burning the area.
Though thermal injuries are used to create these changes by prompting the body’s natural healing responses, patient safety is assured by the cooled plasma gas that regulates temperatures below the skin. This is achieved by allowing the helium gas to dissipate below the skin, causing the tip of the device, treatment site, and surroundings to remain temperature-controlled. Because most of the helium remains a gas, it expands the area and helps to moderate the thermal RF energy.
The Renuvion skin treatment differs from other types of plastic surgery procedures because it does not require any trimming of skin and fat, and it uses a different type of thermal energy. Lasers are generally used for skin resurfacing in the upper layers of tissue, while ultrasound is aimed at the deeper tissues. Renuvion’s RF technology is delivered at fewer wavelengths per second and is considered a safer treatment option with a lower chance of causing burns.
In addition to dermal resurfacing, the Renuvion/J-Plasma system can also be used to change underlying tissues during open surgical procedures. Renuvion can cut, ablate, and coagulate tissues as needed.
Why Choose Renuvion?
Over time, the skin can be stretched to its limit from weight gain and pregnancy, making it unable to retract on its own and ultimately leading to saggy skin. Normal aging and lifestyle habits like excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and sun exposure also causes the breakdown of collagen and elastin, the essential structural components of the skin.
Through RF energy delivered below the skin, Renuvion directly addresses lax tissues without causing harm to the surrounding areas. Men and women alike can benefit from Renuvion treatments, which are considered safer than many other options in cosmetic medicine.
Renuvion is also effective for improving the tone and the texture of the skin. Sunspots, visible blood vessels, and other irregularities can be improved with this thermal treatment plan. To determine if Renuvion is the best option for their needs, new patients are encouraged to schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller at his Boston practice.
Renuvion is safe enough to use on the thin skin of the eyelids and around the mouth, two areas that have previously required facial plastic surgery or an ablative procedure like dermabrasion or laser resurfacing for safe rejuvenation. Patients with early signs of aging can restore a youthful appearance while postponing the need for more invasive procedures. Healing time is also often shorter and less painful using RF treatments.
Good Candidates
Interested individuals should schedule an in-office consultation with Dr. Miller at the Boston Center for Facial Rejuvenation to determine if Renuvion is the best treatment for their needs. Most candidates meet the following criteria:
- displaying mild to moderate excess skin
- favor a non-surgical procedure
- no history of bleeding disorders
- no history of allergies to the medications or materials used in the procedure
Renuvion Treatment Areas
Because of its safety ratings and effectiveness, the Renuvion J-Plasty can be performed on nearly any area of the face, neck, and body that experiences skin laxity. These areas typically include the lower third of the face, neck, abdomen, upper arms, butt, and legs (thighs and knees).
When patients request only mild to moderate improvement in sagging skin, Renuvion can often replace plastic surgeries like a lower facelift and neck lift, tummy tuck and belt lipectomy, or arm and thigh lift. Renuvion is often performed alongside liposuction, which effectively removes unwanted fat but can leave loose skin that appears saggy.
How Renuvion is Performed
In some cases, Dr. Miller’s patients can undergo a Renuvion J-Plasty under local anesthesia. A small incision is cut in the skin to allow a probe to deliver RF energy and cooling helium gas below the skin. The device travels in a backward motion, heating and constricting collagen fibers, and is then removed through the incision site.
When Renuvion is combined with liposuction, the procedure is typically performed under local anesthesia with or without IV sedation. An incision is created in the skin and a metal cannula (suction tube) is inserted into the soft tissue to suction out excess fat.
After this step is completed, the Renuvion wand can be inserted under the skin through the same surgical cut. Once the doctor has completed the treatment, the incision site is closed with sutures or a medical-grade skin adhesive.
Renuvion: An Innovative Treatment
Other thermal treatments use heat energy to create controlled injuries in the skin, prompting a healing response that results in healthier tissue growth, but Renuvion has some unique characteristics. Rather than using laser or ultrasound energy, Renuvion harnesses the power of radiofrequency energy.
The precision wand treats the tissue from below the skin, and the deeper access promotes greater improvement. While other devices are paired with cooling air or surface mechanisms, Renuvion uses cool helium plasma to reduce the heat produced by the treatment, while the remaining gas expands the treatment site for better results. The risk of burns is low thanks to these controls.
Renuvion has proven both safe and effective to perform on the face and body and can be combined with other treatment plans. Renuvion results may rival surgical outcomes in some cases, without many of the unwanted side effects of traditional procedures.
In addition to acting on collagen much like “shrinkwrap” and tightening the skin, Renuvion successfully evens out the skin tone and reduces visible imperfections like large and broken capillaries. Rather than undergoing an invasive facelift and laser skin resurfacing treatment, the J-Plasty provides similar results of this popular combination without causing the same degree of tissue trauma and downtime.
Dr Miller changed my look and gave me my confidence back. I was so embarrassed to go out and be with people. He is the best!!!! Thank you Dr Miller for your help! Victoria Kouyoumdjian
After the Treatment
Following an outpatient session with Dr. Miller, patients may notice some swelling and redness at the site of the procedure. Swelling typically subsides within days, while the discoloration might be present for weeks to months.
Some results may be visible right away, but because the process stimulates deep tissue rejuvenation within the patient’s own body, it can be several months before the full results are noticed. Pain medications may be prescribed for the patient’s recovery.
FAQs About Renuvion
Dr. Miller usually suggests 1-2 treatments to obtain the best possible results. This has been reduced from older treatments, which generally required 3-6 treatments. It can take several months for the results to be fully visible, so some patients opt to have their treatments spaced out according to this schedule.
Most patients will notice that their skin appears tighter directly following a session with Dr. Miller, though improvements will continue in the months to come. New collagen formation over time will make the skin tighter and firmer for long-lasting rejuvenation.
Patients should notice that their improvements last between 3-5 years. Similar procedures used to provide changes for 6 months before re-treatment was needed, but Renuvion has been shown to result in longer-lasting improvements. Many patients use this treatment to delay the need for more invasive procedures.
Many patients choose to add complementary procedures to their Renuvion treatment to achieve optimal results. Surgeries that may be combined with Renuvion include liposuction of the neck and body, neck lift, and dermal injections.
When patients notice skin laxity, there is often unevenly distributed, too much, or too little fat in the area. When extra fatty tissue is suctioned from the skin, Renuvion is often performed to contract the skin by treating the area at a similar depth. When fat is displaced and removed, the lost volume can be restored to the area synthetically through cosmetic injections.
Renuvion is an excellent option for those who seek to improve and contour their face and body, but it might not be the best procedure for men and women who are expecting more significant changes.
Following weight loss surgery, it is not unusual for a person to lose 100 or more pounds. This can result in several pounds of extra skin that must be surgically removed during a series of body contouring surgeries. These changes are beyond the scope of radiofrequency technology and require surgical lifting techniques for good results.
Dr. Leonard Miller, MD, FACS, FRCS of the Boston Center for Facial Rejuvenation
Dr. Miller is a renowned medical expert in Boston, MA who specializes in aesthetic medicine. He performs facial plastic surgeries like facelift, eyelid surgery, and neck lift that restore youth and vitality to the face. The doctor also provides several minimally and non-invasive treatments from advanced collagen remodeling treatments, like laser skin rejuvenation, microdermabrasion, Botox and filler injections. Patients come to see Dr. Miller when they seek a naturally rejuvenated look.
Dr. Miller is now accepting new patients interested in Renuvion or other cosmetic treatment options. To contact Dr. Miller at the Boston Center for Facial Rejuvenation, call (617) 735-8735 or fill out our Contact Form to schedule a consultation at our Brookline location.
