In a world full of countless aesthetic treatment options, it’s rare to come across one procedure that most experts consider a top choice. With so many choices claiming to improve the quality of your skin, how can you favor one over the others? Well, in the realm of microneedling with radiofrequency—a popular procedure that works well to treat a variety of skin concerns—there’s one pick that easily stands out from the rest: VirtueRF.
For those of you who are curious about microneedling but haven’t been introduced to VirtueRF yet, fear not—we tapped Plymouth Meeting, PA board-certified dermatologist Nazanin Saedi, MD for everything you need to know about this popular treatment.
First, what is VirtueRF?
VirtueRF is a noninvasive skin-rejuvenation procedure that merges two stellar modalities: microneedling and radiofrequency energy (RF). “It combines radiofrequency energy—which heats up collagen in the skin to cause tightening and toning—with microneedling, which creates a physical injury in the skin to trigger a healing response that stimulates new collagen and new elastin,” Dr. Saedi explains.
What’s different about VirtueRF is that it has three unique handpieces that allows your provider to treat various areas of the face and body with precise depths and settings, making it a fully customizable treatment. According to Dr. Saedi, there’s a traditional handpiece called SmartRF which has 36 needles and is intended to treat the face, hands, and décolleté. Then, DeepRF has needles that penetrate deeper into the skin and covers a bigger area for more intense tightening, smoothing and is intended for advanced body treatments (it boasts a cooling plate for added comfort). Finally, ExactRF is a single needle handpiece that’s best for targeting areas around the eyes, mouth, and jawline with extreme precision.
Courtesy of: Leithauser Skin Institute
What kind of skin concerns can VirtueRF treat?
VirtueRF is the first RF microneedling platform of its kind, meaning it has multiple handpieces in a single system so it can treat a range of skin concerns. VirtueRF is used to tighten, tone and smooth areas of the face and body and is effective on fine lines, wrinkles, appearance of scars and textural concerns. ExactRF specifically treats the delicate under eye area to erase eyebags and festoons.
Courtesy of: Aura Wellness Spa
Alli Phillips, RN and Dr. Sonya Reddy
“It’s safe to use on all skin types, even those with acne scars or patients who are darker skinned, too,” says Dr. Saedi. She added that her VirtueRF does not get a break over the summer months.
Typically, patients only need about three treatments, which last about a half hour each, to see optimal results. The controlled microneedle delivery and ways to customize the energy means treatments have little to no downtime. Therefore, it’s a great treatment for those who want results without a lengthy recovery period.
What is the best feature of VirtueRF?
Dr. Saedi reminds patients that RF microneedling treatments are not all the same – “They don’t all feel the same, and their results are not all equal,” she says. “I like that VirtueRF breaks up the energy with sub-pulses, which is one of the reasons why VirtueRF is more tolerable and more pleasant than other treatments.” This Sub-Pulse Technology helps improve patient comfort without losing energy delivered to the skin. Translation: You get great results with less discomfort. The robotically controlled handpiece distinguishes VirtueRF from other popular devices that have spring loaded handpieces that are not smooth or controlled. These unique features make VirtueRF stand out from the rest.
Are there any treatments that pair well with VirtueRF?
“We love doing combo treatments with VirtueRF,” says Dr. Saedi. “One that we love is to pair it with CoolPeel, which is a unique no-downtime CO2 laser treatment that gives you textural improvement.” Patients can use VirtueRF to tighten and stimulate collagen at a deeper level, and then get CoolPeel on top to improve skin texture at a more superficial level.
Patients also love pairing this treatment with injectables like Botox Cosmetic or lasers like IPL to optimize their outcomes. The elegance of the VirtueRF treatment gives it the unique ability to be paired with other modalities. Ultimately, your provider can customize your overall aesthetic treatment plan in order to minimize your skin concerns in the best way possible.
Courtesy of Bare Element Laser Salon
The bottom line
From its impressive skin benefits to the unmatched comfort to the lack of downtime post-procedure, it’s easy to understand why devoted patients and experts alike swear by this treatment. After all, the three VirtueRF handpieces each deliver tailor-made procedures to match each patient’s unique needs. And, considering it works well for pretty much anyone (this level of versatility is unmatched! ), it’s certainly worth asking your provider about.
