When Do You See Results From Profound® RF?


When people consider whether to schedule a Profound® RF procedure, they often have questions. The top question for many people is, “when do you see results from Profound® RF?”

 To answer this question, it also helps to understand a few basic principles concerning what Profound® RF treatment is and how it works.

When Do You See Results From Profound® RF?

Like many effective skin rejuvenation treatments, you don’t see the results from Profound® RF instantly.

Following Profound treatment, some people start to see improvements as early as two weeks. Most people see results from Profound® RF unfold over three to six months. When considering whether Profound® RF is right for you, it helps to understand better what is happening in your body during that time.

What is Profound RF?

Profound® RF is a non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatment using microneedling and radiofrequency (RF) energy to tighten skin and reduce wrinkles. It is FDA-cleared and minimally invasive. It works by stimulating the body’s natural elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid production. As we age, elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid production decrease, leading to skin sagging and other changes associated with aging.

Profound® RF can tighten the skin and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but it can also help with other skin texture issues. Some seek Profound® RF to help fade scars, improve the appearance of stretch marks, and reduce cellulite.

This treatment may be done in various places on the face and body, depending on your needs and goals. The most common areas include:

  • The skin around the mouth 
  • The cheeks
  • Along the jawline to treat jowls
  • On the neck and decollete

Benefits of Profound® RF Treatment

Since the treatment triggers healing and stimulates collagen and elastin production, it tightens the skin and helps improve the appearance and texture of the skin. The treatment also minimizes or reduces the appearance of wrinkles.

 Collagen is a type of protein that is abundant in our bodies. Around the age range of 35-40, collagen production slows, and the skin becomes less elastic. We use collagen for a variety of purposes, including:

  • It is a building block for skin, tendons, connective tissue, bones, and cartilage
  • To repair damaged or injured tissue
  • The body also uses it for cellular communication and migration.

As you may be able to imagine, collagen is one of the proteins associated with youth, good health, and healing.

Elastin is another protein abundant in the body that diminishes with age. Its main role is to help maintain elasticity in the skin tissue and organs.

Sun damage, in the form of UVA and UVB rays, damages and weakens the skin’s collagen and elastin. By stimulating the production of these proteins, Profound® RF may be able to reverse some sun damage. This is an area that needs to be studied further by medical researchers.

What to Expect During Profound® RF Treatment?

This treatment involves a specialized piece of handheld equipment known as the Profound Device. It uses microneedles to deliver RF energy directly into the lower level of the skin, where the collagen fibers are found.

This creates a mild injury that your body heals. The device is temperature-controlled, so your provider controls the level of injury. It heats the lower level of tissue to 67 degrees for just 3 seconds without causing any damage to the outer layer of the skin. The resulting injury to the inner layer of the skin triggers the body’s healing process, which stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin.

Your provider will numb the treatment area for your comfort and the cartridges of microneedles are disposable for your safety.

A single Profound® RF session takes about 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the location and size of the treatment area.

While Profound® RF is less invasive than a surgical procedure like a facelift, the heat, and microneedling cause injury and swelling. Many people have downtime for recovery, which is less than for a surgical procedure but more than for an injectable like Botox®.

Recovering From Profound® RF

After your treatment, you may notice the treated area is tender, red, and swollen. Some people also experience bruising. During the first couple of days after the treatment, the swelling may worsen before it gets better.

This varies by person, so your experience may be different. Some people find themselves ready to go out socially by Tuesday after a Friday treatment. They usually wear makeup to cover any bruising. Others may need to wait a week or so before they feel comfortable wearing makeup and going out.

Since the radiofrequency and microneedling often cause temporary nerve damage, you may experience numbness or discomfort at the treatment site for a couple of weeks to a month. It goes away as the body heals.

Maintaining Results From Profound® RF

While peak results can take three months to unfold, the skin tightening may last for around two years, and some of the skin appearance and texture improvements may last even longer.

The best way to prolong the results is to take care of the skin and protect it from damaging UV rays. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher daily. 

Next Steps: Schedule Your Consultation

Schedule an appointment with one of our skilled and experienced providers in administering Profound® RF treatment. With so many practices offering today’s most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatments, it is crucial that you find someone knowledgeable about the treatment for the best results with the least risk of side effects.

Meet with your provider and discuss your objectives and any questions or concerns you may have. Be sure to share your medical history, current health conditions, and any medications you are taking.

The Skin Center by CPS offers Profound® RF and other rejuvenation treatments administered by skilled nurses. We are part of the Charlotte Plastic Surgery family which has a long-established and proven track record of helping Charlotte, NC residents meet their aesthetic goals. 

Contact us today to schedule a consultation appointment to learn about your skin rejuvenation options.