You may think of the Mommy Makeover as a purely surgical package. The truth is that as irreplaceable as surgery often is, there are just some things it can’t fix. While procedures like liposuction and abdominoplasties can get you most of the way to your ideal body, the loose skin left behind, prominent scars and lack of muscle definition have been common complaints for many. That’s where treatments like VirtueRF microneedling come in to tighten the skin and even correct unsightly scarring.
For Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Behrooz Torkian, MD, VirtueRF is an indispensable way to reach a patient’s final goal body. “Many of our previous methods, like radiofrequency only devices that go beneath the skin, got us part of the way there,” Dr. Torkian explains. “But they left a lot of things on the table. They couldn’t address fine lines, stretch marks or crinkly skin, which were all serious issues patients wanted to solve. VirtueRF, which combines radiofrequency with microneedling and delivers energy at precise depths, has become that finalizing step to tighten and improve skin texture and laxity.
Surgery’s Comfortable Complement
The decision to do surgery vs. a noninvasive procedure depends on the patient. Drastic weight loss or fat removal can impact skin’s elasticity, even leave excess skin behind. In those individuals with extreme laxity, VirtueRF may not be enough so surgery may be needed. For crepiness and other textural issues, VirtueRF may be all that is needed improve the way the skin looks without the downtime and risk associated with surgery. Recently, with the rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, many Mommy Makeovers are offsetting the side effects of rapid weight loss with sessions of DeepRF to promote collagen and skin’s elasticity.
Surgical options like tummy tucks as well as breast reductions and implants can create new problem areas like scars.
“My colleagues do amazing work with their procedures, but the surgeries they perform can leave behind a long scar,” Dr. Torkian explains. “Many patients experience some disfigurement of the navel and changes in the appearance of the navel as well.” Using the VirtueRF DeepRF handpiece, Dr. Torkian is able to help remodel those scars.
“The tummy tuck procedure has a lot of tension on the wound,” Dr. Torkian says. “But once it’s healed and we apply VirtueRF, we reinitiate the healing process without all that tension and stretch stress, which lets the scar heal again into a better model and condition.”
RF microneedling works by applying microneedles deep into the dermis of the skin. These needles create micro-wounds that stimulate the body’s natural collagen production while radiofrequency (RF) heat energy, delivered at desired depths, promote remodeling of collagen and elastin that tightens and lifts the skin. VirtueRF has three unique handpieces—SmartRF, ExactRF and DeepRF—to treat the face, delicate areas like around the eyes, and the body. DeepRF is specifically designed for the body.
The DeepRF handpiece has 36 gold-plated needles that penetrate deeper into the skin and it covers a bigger area than the standard SmartRF for more intense tightening and smoothing. Only VirtueRF has Robotic Precision Delivery technology that delivers the needles smoothly into the skin so there is no trauma as with other “staple gun-like” RF microneedling. There is also a cooling plate for added comfort. In short, treatments are highly customizable, comfortable and effective. This is crucial as no Mom-bod is the same and downtime is often not an option.
A Combined Approach
Just as a good workout is made up of a variety of exercises, a Mommy makeover should involve a combination of solutions that target different concerns: the bulk, the muscle and the skin. Dr. Torkian targets body tissue and muscle using the PHYSIQ device.
“Using a combination of VirtueRF’s DeepRF handpiece and the PHYSIQ treatment, we can treat loose and crepey skin and then tone and tighten up the muscle with the energy stimulation on the PHYSIQ,” Dr. Torkian explains. “We call this combination therapy, the ‘BodyRight’ treatment.”
For Dr. Torkian’s Los Angeles patients, these treatments are perfect ways to achieve that finishing touch of definition that traditional methods like surgery just won’t get you to.
“After a surgical Mommy Makeover, you may be at the point where you have moderate skin laxity, muscle laxity and a small amount of fat,” Dr. Torkian explains. “In those cases, treatments like PHYSIQ can work well because it’s actually two modalities in one. PHYSIQ stimulates muscle with Electro Magnetic Stimulation (EMS) and debulks and tightens by programming deep heating in between the EMS cycles.”
What Is the VirtueRF Treatment Like? And When Can You Get Started?
Dr. Torkian uses a topical numbing cream to ensure patients are fully numb to mitigate any discomfort. Sessions usually last between a half hour to an hour depending on the area being treated, and 3-4 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart are recommended to maximize your results.
“I was even able to perform these treatments on myself, to get an exact idea of what my patients are going through,” Dr. Torkian says. “These treatments are very tolerable with a topical numbing cream.”
“You may not see immediate results with VirtueRF because you are building collagen” Dr. Torkian explains. “But by the time we have you in for your second treatment, we are already seeing the benefits. People with an eye for subtlety will see those changes faster, but within three or four months, we’re seeing clear improvement.”
In terms of timing, it’s recommended that you wait a few months after you’re done nursing to begin these treatments.
“We do insist that you’re done nursing for a few months,” Dr. Torkian explains. “There’s a lot of hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and nursing, and as they return to their previous levels, issues like hyperpigmentation can be more difficult to manage. Additionally, your weight may fluctuate during this time, and we want to make sure that we’re actually starting from your base line.”
