You’ve probably heard of radiofrequency (RF) microneedling. You may even know it’s supposed to tighten skin. But what, exactly, is it? As the name says, the treatment combines microneedling— which studies have shown can help alleviate the appearance of acne scars, fine lines, and uneven texture—with heat. To what end? "It can effectively reduce the prominence of fine lines, improve the evenness of skin tone, and offer some skin tightening,” says Darren Smith, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.

Ahead, Dr. Smith and other skin experts explain everything you need to know about the treatment, including how it works, where you should set expectations, and how much it hurts.

In this story:

• What is RF microneedling and what are its benefits?
• What can I expect at an RF microneedling appointment?
• RF Microneedling Before and After
• What are the risks associated with RF microneedling?
• What is recovery like for RF microneedling?
• How much does RF microneedling cost?

What is RF microneedling and what are its benefits?

Age, sun exposure, and habits like smoking can cause the breakdown of collagen and elastin, but board-certified dermatologist Arianne Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH, says treatments like RF microneedling can help restore some firmness to the skin.

Regular microneedling involves making micro-injuries to the skin to trigger a wound-healing response that promotes collagen production. RF microneedling combines this treatment with radiofrequency energy, “to heat the underlying tissue, stimulating even more collagen production, as well as elastin and hyaluronic acid,” Kourosh says. “It also has a tightening effect on the skin.”

Your skin tone or skin type don’t impact whether or not you’re a candidate for the treatment. Dr. Smith says that those with mild to moderate skin tone and texture concerns (such as slight sagging or minor discoloration) that don't need the power of deeper laser treatments (like Fraxel) are great candidates. RF microneedling won't address significant skin laxity or severe sun damage. Dr. Smith says that those with mild to moderate skin tone and texture concerns (such as slight sagging or minor discoloration) that don't need the power of deeper laser treatments (like Fraxel) are great candidates. RF microneedling is not going to address more significant skin laxity or serious sun damage.

RF Microneedling Has Many Names

There are a number of different RF microneedling devices out there, and the differences between them are in part just differences in their marketing budgets and ad campaigns. They all use the same core technology, but “they are slightly nuanced in how deeply the needles penetrate the skin,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology of Physicians of Connecticut. She goes on to explain that deeper penetration can result in increased collagen production. These are some of the most popular brands:

Secret RF

Shereene Idriss, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, offers Secret RF in her office to patients with darker skin tones who are especially susceptible to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from the microneedling component of the treatment. Secret RF “has been shown in studies to have less risk of post-procedure hyperpigmentation when compared to other RF microneedling devices,” she says.

Morpheus8

Idriss also offers Morpheus8 at her practice. Morpheus8 is an RF microneedling device that “can treat up to 8mm deep into the skin, while other RF microneedling devices typically can only treat up to 3mm deep which makes it ideal for melting fat,” says Dr. Idriss.

Genius

Genius. The device has 49 needles per tip, compared to 24 needles per tip on other devices. “The primary benefit of more needles is that the practitioner can treat a larger surface area with each pulse, thereby increasing the speed of treatment (particularly in larger areas) and decreasing the duration of each treatment session,” says Jina Kim, senior vice president of global marketing of Lutronic, the aesthetic device company behind Genius.