Profound RF for the cheeks in London

A cheek that has slackened over the cheekbone, with the fold from the nose to the mouth deepening below it, is the midface. It is treated with the needle pairs placed across the cheek in one session, usually under local anaesthetic, each point heated to a set temperature. A 2022 series of 15 people treated the midface with a bipolar fractional radiofrequency device of this type, and its summary does not name the brand, which we say plainly; the 100-person trial treated the face as a whole. Every treatment is given by Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, at Profound RF London Clinic, 8 Devonshire Place, with the price in writing at a free consultation.

What it does on the cheeks

The skin over the cheekbone firms as new collagen and elastin form over the following months, and the fold below softens as the cheek is held a little higher. A deep hollow in the cheek is a filler's job, and a heavy midface is more than one session lifts; the doctor says so at the consultation.

What the studies measured

The 100-person face and neck trial gave a 25.6% gain on the wrinkle scale and 24.1% on the laxity scale at six months. In the 2022 midface series of 15 people, average age 64, a blinded laxity score improved from 5.6 to 6.3. The full guide sets out the main trials.

The session and after

Local anaesthetic, then about an hour in all with the rest of the face. Redness for hours to a day or two, swelling for up to five to ten days, some bruising, and most people back to normal activities within 24 hours. The result builds over months and is photographed at six months in our practice.

Who it suits

In our practice, an adult with early slackening over the cheekbone and skin that still has spring, who wants one treatment. Not in pregnancy or breastfeeding, with an active infection, with a pacemaker or other electrical implant, or with a history of keloid scarring without the doctor's advice first. The face page covers the face as a whole.