Working in medical Aesthetics I have noticed that one of our top concerns across ages 30+ is skin tightening. Patients often call seeking information on how to best treat lower face laxity and enhance neck, sub-mental and jawline tightening. Typically we treat lost volume or deficient structure with fillers, but what if you already have filler and still feel like you are facing loose or sagging skin?
I’m in my mid 30’s, I’m treated regularly with filler, my structure is well defined but I’m still noticing some lower face laxity and an increase in superficial fat in my lower face creating some early signs of jowling. I'm not even close to being a candidate for a face lift, but I want to try my best to maintain that tight collagen and elastin filled tissues for my younger years. So what are my options?? If I’m not at the point of needing or may just not be ready to undergo surgery? Well collagen remodelling has always been a tried and true method— deep heating or injury of tissue to contract and encourage new collagen production. Laser therapies, radio frequency, microneedling, ultrasound are amongst the most popular methods, but unfortunately are often either too uncomfortable or require too many treatments to see results. It was these concerns that peaked my interest in trying Morpheus8.
So what is Morpheus8 and how is it different than other options available on the market? Well Morpheus8 actually combines two relatively effective treatments into one device with a simple treatment protocol. The result is superior outcomes in one comfortable treatment with as few as three short sessions. It combines the effectiveness of microneedling—tiny micro-injuries that stimulate a healing response, as well as elastin and collagen synthesis (the proteins responsible for the tone and elasticity in your skin). By creating a matrix of these micro-injuries, the renewed support that fills in the small injuries lifts and supports the entire surface of your skin, smoothing and tightening aging tissue. Radio-frequency(RF) takes this process a step further by delivering RF energy through the micro-needles to heat and coagulate your dermis farther down then the needles reach. This thermal action creates a stronger and deeper response in your skin for enhanced results.
Morpheus8 penetrates as deep as 4000 microns with an additional depth of 1000 microns of tissue heating. This means the skin is being treated deep down at the root of the problem, stimulating new support structures to form.
Morpheus8 can be used on the entire body—crepey skin on the neck, under the chin, on the arms or above the knee are all suitable targets. It’s also highly effective in treating acne scaring as it breakdowns down scar tissue and lays down new collagen, smoothing the surface of skin.
The other important difference with Morpheus8 is that it effectively and safely treats all skin tones—risk of hyperpigmentation is almost eliminated as pin tips are silicon coated meaning thermal damage is unlikely.
Prior to treatment my biggest concerns was what is the treatment going to feel like? We numbed my skin with a simple topical numbing cream for about 45min-1h prior to treatment. I have tried other forms of microneedling in the past and found that this really helps with comfort. Immediately before the treatment we removed the numbing cream and prepped the skin with an antiseptic solution. This is where the fun began:
Because of the numbing I could only feel moderate discomfort from the needles in some areas of the face like the forehead and around the mouth. I rate the discomfort (I say discomfort as it wasn’t really painful, instead was more of an uncomfortable feeling) in those areas as 7/10. The worst part is the sensory experience—its not really pain like getting a cut or breaking a bone, its a combination of pressures, sounds, repetitive tiny pokes that accumulate into something that is not painful, but mentally irritating. I found that a stress ball and mental refocusing helped quite a bit— it really brings you into the moment so if you need an escape from stress Morpheus8, can help redirect that! haha!
Areas where I didn’t feel anything were the cheeks and neck, those areas were comfortable and I was surprised by how little I felt. The treatment took about 35 minutes to treat my entire face, around the eyes, and neck with 2 passes. If comfort is a concern, the treatment is adjustable which is nice. Instead of 2 passes we can double stack each pulse (point at which the needles penetrate the skin) with two bursts of radio frequency to achieve better results with better comfort.
Post treatment was surprising because of the short downtime. Immediately post treatment I look red and flushed for a couple hours, but by about 2 -3 hours after you could barely tell I had anything done.
(Photos of immediately post/2/3h post)
The next day I have some pinkness and minor signs of treatment:
(24h post vid)
By day 2 you are able to apply makeup if desired to better cover any remaining sign of treatment but even without out makeup the skin looks a bit pink with some pinpoint markings.
(vid 48h post)
I personally have now undergone 2 treatments in Morpheus8 and have so far noticed some great results. I find that my skin looks tighter and smoother in my lower face. I’m definitely happy with the results thus far but will be completing my treatment protocol with a 3rd treatment soon. Typical protocol for the treatment of scaring and aging is 3 treatments about 4 weeks apart.
If you are interested in learning more about Morpheus8 or to find out if this treatment is right for you contact us 1-647-960-7546 or book your consultation online!
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