In the beauty industry, we love combination treatments. Who wouldn’t want to double the benefits in a fraction of the time? Cutera is a champion of fast, effective, and safe multi-beneficial, multi-platform technologies with options for both face and body. Secret PROTM is a two-in-one RF (radio frequency) microneedling and CO2 laser, while truBody® promotes noninvasive fat reduction and muscle toning for the ultimate body sculpting experience. These treatments have proved to be a huge hit. Patients love an advanced treatment offering and are excited to see results with a layered combination approach.
What is Secret PRO?
Secret PRO combines radiofrequency microneedling with a fractional CO2 ablative laser to treat a myriad of skin concerns at once. While the laser works on superficial skin, the radiofrequency dives deeper, improving the dermal layers. “Secret PRO is a great combination. It’s a phenomenal use of two technologies,” says Clearwater, FL integrative medical specialist Deepa Verma, MD. She says it’s especially great for those that want non-surgical treatments or would like to maintain surgery results.
What are the benefits of Secret PRO?
If you’re looking for a way to keep your skin looking young and healthy, or if you’re hoping to reverse the of the signs of aging, Secret PRO offers clinically proven aesthetic procedures that can be customized to fit your needs. Secret PRO addresses sun damage, skin quality, texture and brightness—as well as general signs of aging and more.1,2“It helps to minimize pore size, skin texture, and helps to treat scarring and stretch marks, which is why it’s so useful anywhere on the body,” says Dr. Verma.1-4 So, while it’s a two-in-one technology, it really offers so many benefits in just one treatment session.
The two treatment modalities amplify each other to create more significant results. “When you combine these two different modalities, which work in different ways to help bolster the skin, you’re getting more of the result you’re looking for,” says Dr. Verma.
How does the treatment feel? What is the downtime like?
One of our first inquiries when it comes to in-office treatments is always, “Will it hurt?”. Dr. Verma assures us that her patients report that Secret PRO is tolerable for most patients. She offers topical numbing, and some physicians provide nitric oxide. If a patient is really nervous about the appointment, Dr. Verma says they can take a mild sedative. Another way to alleviate discomfort is keeping the area cold with machines that blow chilled air or ice packs.
There’s typically little to no downtime which can be customized to the patient’s schedules and downtime needs. It will depend on the level of intensity of the treatment—there’s light, moderate, and aggressive. Patients typically experience redness and flushing following the treatments, and are generally able to return to normal activities quickly.
Who is a good candidate for Secret PRO?
Dr. Verma says people of any skin tone and gender, ages 35 to 40 and up are great candidates for Secret PRO. She notes that it’s especially great for people with a lot of sun damage from spending time outdoors, which is common at her practice in Florida. Additionally, for more mature women who have “had children and have stretch marks or have lost skin elasticity, this is a great way to help treat those concerns,” says Dr. Verma.
How does truBody work?
truBody is a combination of truSculpt® and truFlexTM. Both treatments allow you to target the areas you want to improve and can be completed in as little as 15-minutes individually. For best results, physicians recommend the Trim & Tone Protocol – one truSculpt treatment followed by four-six truFlex treatments. Together, the two can result in a more toned tummy and beyond.
So how does each treatment work?
truSculpt focuses on slimming your waistline using radiofrequency to damage fat cells, says Dr. Verma.5“Radiofrequency heat penetrates the skin and targets the adipose cells,” she says. “There are ultrasound studies that show after one treatment of truSculpt, there is an average of 24% permanent reduction in fat.”6
truFlex employs multi-directional electrical stimulation to stimulate and tone, strengthen and sculpt the muscles, explains Dr. Verma. This unique technology mimics five different workouts and targets areas like the abdomen, obliques, thighs, and glutes.7 Patients report seeing up to a 30% increase in muscle mass after their truFlex treatment series.8
Who is a good candidate for truBody?
Dr. Verma says almost anybody could benefit from truBody but consult your doctor to see if it’s right for you. She finds that truBody is especially popular among the older crowd trying to rehab their muscles. “I’ve actually treated some of the elderly, and they’ve been able to get back to the gym and work with a personal trainer because their muscles are stronger,” says Dr. Verma. “I’ve even treated amputees because they’re favoring one side. When you help strengthen that other side, you’re giving them extra muscle mass, which is also great for longevity.” She says this treatment, while cosmetically beneficial, is also a great way to boost youthfulness. “If you increase your muscle mass and reduce fat, you tend to add years to your life.”
How does the treatment feel? What is the downtime like?
We’re told the truSculpt treatment is surprisingly quite comfortable, with Dr. Verma going so far as to say, “It feels like a hot stone massage.” The truFlex treatment can take 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the patient’s schedule. “In that time, you will have achieved 54,000 crunches if you’re treating the abdominal area. It’s pretty phenomenal,” says Dr. Verma. Since the treatments are non-invasive with zero downtime, patients can go back to work or get on with their day immediately following their treatment sessions
How long does it take to see results?
“Typically, with the truSculpt, the fat cells have to expel through the lymphatic system and this can take up to eight to 12 weeks, but I’ve seen results as early as four to six weeks,” says Dr. Verma. “We don’t want people to repeat a treatment too soon because the process of adipocyte destruction actually takes about eight to 12 weeks, so you don’t want to rush that.”
truFlex results appear sooner, within about two weeks. “People do say even within a week, they feel stronger. I had one patient say they had to carry groceries up two flights of stairs, and they felt like, after one or two truFlex treatments, they did it effortlessly,” says Dr. Verma. “You can feel it, but the actual visual results might take a couple of weeks.”
Explore Cutera’s skin and body solutions to look and feel your best. Find a provider near you!
References:
- Tierney, Emily, and William Hanke. “Fractionated Carbon Dioxide Laser Treatment of Photoaging: Prospective Study in 45 Patients and Review of the Literature.” Dermatologic Surgery, vol. 37, no. 9, 2011, pp. 1279– 1290., https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02082.x.
- Yadav, Savita, and Aashim Singh. “Microneedling: Advances and Widening Horizons.” Indian Dermatology Online Journal, vol. 7, no. 4, 2016, p. 244.,
- Ryu, Han-Won, et al. “Clinical Improvement of Striae Distensae in Korean Patients Using a Combination of Fractionated Microneedle Radiofrequency and Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser.” Dermatologic Surgery, vol. 39, no. 10, 2013, pp. 1452–1458., https://doi.org/10.1111/dsu.12268. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5178.185468.
- Cho, Soo Ick, et al. “Evaluation of the Clinical Efficacy of Fractional Radiofrequency Microneedle Treatment in Acne Scars and Large Facial Pores.” Dermatologic Surgery, vol. 38, no. 7, 2012, pp. 1017–1024., https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2012.02402.x.
- Napekoski KM, Ronan SJ, Pocock GM. Inflammatory and adipocyte cell death response following a single 15-minute monopolar radiofrequency treatment [white paper, Cutera Inc.]. 2018.
- Somenek MT, Ronan SJ, Pittman TA. Lasers Surg Med. 2021;53(3):337-343.
- truFlex Clinical Guidelines, Cutera, Inc.
- Ronan SJ. A Novel Bio-Electric Current Stimulation Device For Improvement Of Muscle Tone [white paper, Cutera Inc.]. 7/2019.
