We have some unfortunate—but rather obvious—news for you: Years of healthy living and all the anti-aging beauty products in the world won’t halt the hands of time. Your skin will still develop some laxity one day, no matter how good your beauty routine is. And at that point, the best solution for sagging skin is likely in the doctor’s office.
If you’ve reached this point, there’s an in-office treatment for treating your loose skin that’s recently caught our attention: Renuvion. For those unfamiliar with this game-changing treatment, we reached out to two top experts to break down exactly what this procedure does, any safety concerns to be aware of, and the results you can expect post-treatment.
First, what is Renuvion?
To put it simply, Renuvion is an FDA-cleared device intended to treat skin laxity on the neck and underneath the chin. It delivers helium plasma and radiofrequency energy through a thin probe that’s inserted through tiny entry points in the skin. The RF energy and plasma is then delivered directly to the collagen-rich tissue that’s a key source of loose skin.
“Renuvion is the most powerful tissue contraction device available,” says cosmetic surgeon in New York City, Tabasum Mir, MD, adding that most only need one treatment to see results.
What makes this different from other skin tightening treatments?
The most notable difference between the use of this device and others is that Renuvion works under the skin. “This procedure works internally, whereas typical devices just work on the surface of the skin,” explains Dr. Mir.
To help her patients understand the procedure better, she uses an analogy for clarity: “Imagine a sandwich where the bread is the top layers of your skin and the meat is the internal part that loses elasticity as we age. Other treatments work on the bread, while Renuvion goes in where that meat is and contracts it internally, pulling that skin inward towards your muscle.”
Because of the way that Renuvion works, it creates both immediate effect from the unique heating, and it stimulates new collagen production (and contraction) in the months following your treatment.
Is Renuvion painful?
Some patients are fully asleep for this procedure, while others are administered a local anesthetic before undergoing Renuvion. “You may feel a little pinch here or there, but for the most part it’s pretty painless once that anesthetic’s been administered,” confirms Beverly Hills, California, plastic surgeon Charles Galanis, MD.
When it comes to downtime post-procedure, Dr. Galanis says it’s usually well tolerated. “There is really no post-op pain,” he says. “You may have a day or two with some minor discomfort that
you could usually address with just an over-the-counter pain control medicine. “After wearing a compression garment for a few days to help with the swelling, they’re pretty much good to go.”
What kind of results can you expect?
“No procedure provides full results immediately, and Renuvion is no different,” says Dr. Mir. “You can usually see some result right after your treatment, but it definitely continues to give better results over the course of six months.”
Results continue to improve as the body heals and new collagen forms. While outcomes can be impressive and long-lasting, as with any treatment they’re not necessarily permanent—the natural aging process will continue as it did before you underwent the procedure.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking to get amazing results on your neck and chin without having excisional surgery, it’s worth inquiring about Renuvion. “Renuvion has been a game changer in my office,” says Dr. Mir. “I’ve been able to get a lot of really great surgical- like results without cutting out the skin.” Dr. Galanis agrees: “With a treatment of Renuvion, you’ll know that you’re getting the best possible amount of contraction that you can get, short of making larger incisions and doing complex surgery.” Ultimately, only you and your provider will be able to determine if Renuvion is best to address your aesthetic goals, but with such a strong backing from experts, it’s definitely worth asking about.
