Profound RF for the face and neck in London

The face and neck are where Profound's evidence sits. One session, usually under local anaesthetic, places fine needle pairs through the skin of the lower face, the jawline, the cheeks, the lines around the mouth, the brow, under the chin and down the neck. Each point is heated to a set temperature. The skin firms over the following months as new collagen and elastin form. 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 the studies measured

• 100 people, seven US centres, 2013: one pass on the face and neck; in the 42 graded at six months the average gain was 25.6% on the wrinkle scale and 24.1% on the laxity scale. Every graded patient improved on the wrinkle scale and 95% on the laxity scale, and more than 90% were satisfied. Redness, swelling and bruising lasted one to five days.
• 15 people, 2015: the authors found 67 degrees best: wrinkles improved by 40% and laxity by 34%, against 29% and 36% at 62 degrees.
• 24 women, lower face and neck, 2022: wrinkles about 30% better, the neck outline about 20%, satisfaction 8.3 out of 10; skin samples showed fat cells under the chin breaking down.
• 15 people against facelift photographs, 2010: the predecessor device gave a laxity gain of 37% of a surgical facelift's, in blinded photographs. That is the origin of "a third of a facelift", and it is a photographic comparison in 15 people, not a measurement of lifting.
• Smaller series with a temperature-controlled device of this type, the brand not named in their summaries, cover the cheeks and midface, the lines around the mouth and the brow.

Which parts of the face

The face and neck, the lower face and jawline and the skin under the chin have published trials. Smaller series with a temperature-controlled device of this type, the brand not named in their summaries, cover the cheeks and midface, the lines around the mouth and the brow. The forehead, crow's feet, frown and laugh lines, the upper eyelids, under the eyes and the jowls are areas we are asked about. No published series gives a figure for them, so the doctor tells you at the consultation whether Profound can be done on yours. In our experience the jawline and the neck are where people notice the change most.

The session and after

Routinely a local anaesthetic, in the trials a dilute lidocaine solution infiltrated into the area, sometimes with a numbing cream or inhaled gas; then about an hour in all, with a trial average of 32 minutes of treatment time. Redness for hours to a day or two, swelling for up to five to ten days, some bruising; most people are back to normal activities within 24 hours. The skin firms gradually, and the face trials found the result still improving at six months, the last point measured. In our practice that is when we photograph it. The how long it lasts page sets out the timeline.

Who it suits

In our practice, it suits an adult with mild to moderate loose skin or wrinkles of the lower face, jawline or neck who wants one treatment and a natural result. Not a replacement for a facelift in heavy jowls or a loose neck, and the doctor will say so where surgery is the better route. In our practice it is not given in pregnancy or breastfeeding, with an active infection or cold sore in the area, with a pacemaker or other electrical implant, or with a history of keloid scarring without the doctor's advice first. The full guide covers the rest.