Radio Frequency Skin Tightening Dangers

Non-surgical skin tightening with quick and comfortable treatment, without any scars, is a popular way to improve the appearance and self-confidence of patients without spending time and money on surgery and recovery. Radiofrequency is a modern technology offered by many medical and beauty centers. It has been used for non-surgical skin tightening since 2001. If you are familiar with the idea of non-surgical RF treatments as a way to improve your appearance, then it is your right to be aware of radio frequency skin tightening dangers as well.

If you are wondering if the RF device has any side effects, the short answer is yes. As long as you choose an experienced service provider, however, there is generally nothing to worry about.

What Is Radio Frequency (RF)?

Radiofrequency is a form of energy that is measured in terms of frequency or wavelength per second. All forms of energy, from sound waves emitted by your mobile phone, sunlight, body heat, and gamma rays, are classified according to their frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Radio frequency (RF) is one category of this spectrum and includes many common types of energy we use every day including Wi-Fi signals, radio and TV waves, and microwave ovens. The RF energy used in skin tightening is in the 450 kHz range, which is at the slow end of the radio frequency range. In other words, the wavelength used in RF skin tightening is about 100 million times slower than visible light and more than 1 billion times slower than X-rays. Physics lesson aside, RF energy is pretty quiet when considering the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

Natural Sources of RF Radiation

• Outer space and the sun
• Sky: including thunder and lightning
• The Earth itself: Most of the Earth's radiation is infrared, but a small fraction is RF

Man-made Sources of RF Radiation

• broadcasting radio and television signals
• Signal transmission from wireless phones, mobile phones and towers, satellite phones, and two-way radios.
• Radars
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth devices, and smart meters
• Heating body tissues to destroy them in medical procedures
• Wave scanners (a type of full-body scanner used for security screening)
• Some people may be exposed to significant RF equipment as part of their job. This includes people operating antenna towers that broadcast communication signals and people operating or maintaining radar equipment.
• Most people are exposed to much lower levels of man-made RF radiation every day due to the presence of RF signals all around us. They come from radio and television programs, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, mobile phones, and many other sources.

How Does Radio Frequency Tighten the Skin?

Like any form of energy, RF has the capacity to produce heat, and while each RF machine may use slightly different technology, all work by heating the deeper layers of the skin to stimulate the production of new collagen and elastin, induce and encourage cell regeneration and help the skin become firmer, thicker, and younger.

The advantage of using RF to heat tissue, as opposed to lasers (which use higher frequency light waves), is that the lower frequency of RF can safely penetrate to a deeper level and improve skin tone and texture. In addition, RF can treat many patients with different skin tones without the risk of permanent discoloration.

Of course, the safety and effectiveness of non-surgical RF, or any other treatment for that matter depends on the experience and skill of the person providing the service or treatment.

Is RF Skin Tightening Safe?

We are all exposed to low levels of human-made RF every day, from mobile phones, TVs, Wi-Fi, and more. Because it is used for so many things, radio frequency has been widely studied for its effect on human health. According to the World Health Organization, radio radiation has been classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans" along with coffee, power lines, and body powder. However, there is no conclusive evidence that exposure to RF devices increases the risk of cancer in humans, even in people who are regularly exposed to higher amounts of RF devices in their jobs.

The main known side effect associated with RF equipment is the potential for burns from the thermal heating effect for people exposed to high doses, for example, those working around radar equipment without proper protection whereas radiofrequency skin tightening is a highly controlled procedure.

Along with effectively lifting and tightening tissues without surgery or downtime, one of the biggest Advantages of radio frequency skin tightening, when done right, is that recovery is quick and easy. The side effects of the RF device are usually minimal and short-term and are limited to mild and temporary swelling, redness and tingling depending on the type of treatment. RF device treatments can also be safely combined with injections, microneedling, or other minimally invasive treatments.

Radio Frequency Skin Tightening Dangers Include Cancer?

Researchers use two main types of studies to determine whether something may cause cancer or not:

• Studies conducted in laboratories
• Studies that look at groups of people

The results of laboratory studies do not rule out the possibility that RF device radiation may somehow affect human health but the results remain to be inconclusive.

A number of studies have looked into possible links between mobile phones and cancer. Although some studies have shown a possible association, many others have not. For many reasons, investigating whether there may be a link between mobile phones and cancer, including the relatively short time that mobile phones have been in widespread use, changes in technology over time, and the difficulty in estimating exposure is difficult.

Studies of individuals who may be occupationally exposed to RF radiation (such as those who work around or with radar equipment, those who service communications antennas, and radio operators) show no clear increase in the risk of being diagnosed with cancer.

FDA Studies about Radio Frequency Skin Tightening Dangers

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a technical report based on the results of studies published between 2008 and 2018, as well as national trends in cancer rates. The report concluded that Based on the studies detailed in this report, there is insufficient evidence to support an association between exposure to radio frequency and tumor formation.

Will Radio Frequency Skin Tightening Dangers Harm You?

If you are a good candidate for RF therapy and it is done correctly, then the answer is no. Radio frequency used in non-surgical treatments is different from microwaves or cell phones or radar equipment – radio frequency is controlled in skin tightening treatments. Modern RF device technologies use equipment that allows the service providers to monitor and control the device during treatment to ensure that the target tissues reach the optimal temperature to stimulate new collagen production and cell regeneration without overheating.