Fractional Coagulation is in, Bulk Heating is out for Radiofrequency (RF) Skin Tightening

Ever since Rox Anderson suggested that treating a portion (fraction) of skin while leaving untreated healthy tissue behind as the basis for the Fraxel Skin resurfacing laser over 10 years ago, patients have been having less downtime, less risk, and less discomfort with their laser procedures.  Healing is dramatically improved because the adjacent nontreated dermis is able to provide the needed blood supply, nutrients, and local immune response much faster than the traditional treatments and results have been shown to be very similar in efficacy.

Until recently, all RF devices have applied heat to the skin/dermis in a nonfractionated approach, called “Bulk Heating”.  Whether the RF device is Bipolar or Monopolar, if the heating element does not penetrate the skin, the energy is pushed into the deeper layers using this method.  The implication of bulk heating is that all precision is lost.  Exact placement of the heat is impossible, with large opportunities for errors in depth of penetration and/or temperature control.  When treating skin, heat from the RF device using bulk heating can be placed too superficial, leading to burns or pigmentation changes, or too deep, leading to fat loss.  The dermis needs to be heated to 42 degrees C for 3 minutes to affect collagen stimulation. Only if skin temperature is measured can the operator be sure that the 42 degrees is reached with bulk heating, which is not the case for most bulk heating devices.  One last temperature issue is that bulk heating devices are unable to obtain coagulation of the tissue, which occurs at about 67 degrees C, which is needed for maximal tissue contraction and collagen stimulation.

The Infini uses microneedles to deliver the radiofrequency energy IN A FRACTIONAL manner.  Its unique array of needles allows the energy to flow between the needles, creating 49 coagulation points AT A SPECIFIED DEPTH in the dermis.  Surrounding tissue is sparred, which makes for very little downtime.  The superficial layer of skin is spared (because the needles are insulated), leading to no wound care, and markedly reduced risk of burns and pigmentation issues affecting the epidermis.  The temperature created in the areas between the needle is enough to create coagulation, for maximal tissue contraction and collagen stimulation.

(Not all microneedling RF devices are fractional.  Fractora uses microneedles, but because the energy is directed from the needles to the skin surface, the heating is in a fashion similar to bulk heating devices.  Also, because more tissue is affected using this heating method, discomfort is much higher and local anesthetic needs to be injected in most cases.)

It has taken a long time for RF devices to catch on to the fractional technology revolution.  The Infini has created much more precision in the delivery of RF energy to the dermis, allowing for higher degrees of skin tightening, while affording the safety and quick recovery time that fractional technology has created.