What is Morpheus8?
Morpheus8 is a minimally invasive skin rejuvenation technology that combines microneedling with bipolar fractional radiofrequency (RF) energy.
Small needles pierce the skin and apply RF energy at different skin depths. The heat from the RF, in conjunction with the puncture given by the needles, causes micro-lesions in the skin that will trigger a response from the organism that results in collagen and elastin production, which are the elements that will give firmness and a rejuvenated appearance to the skin.
Treatment areas and indications
Morpheus8 is a treatment that can be applied to all skin types. It can be applied to the face, neck, abdomen, buttocks, chest, arms or legs. The most common treatment indications are to:
- give greater firmness to all sagging skin
- smooth and improve skin tone and texture
- reduce light or moderate wrinkles or expression lines (bar codes, crow’s feet, nasolabial folds)
- reduce stretch marks and other skin irregularities
- treat hyperpigmentation
- alleviate acne or surgical scars
- obtain a moderate reduction of localized fat
- achieve moderate cellulite reduction
- delay the appearance of signs of aging, internally and externally
How the treatment works
Plastic surgeon Dr. Francisco Martins Carvalho explains, “The puncture of the skin by the needles causes the microtrauma that will trigger the production of new collagen in the skin. In parallel, the RF will promote electrocoagulation in the tissues, which will improve the texture and appearance of the skin in addition to achieving greater firmness”.
Treatment begins with the application of the anaesthetic cream. “At Living Clinic we have developed our own anaesthetic so that the patient feels as little discomfort as possible during the treatment”, adds Dr. Francisco Carvalho. “We wait a few minutes for the anaesthetic to take effect and then we select the intensity of energy we are going to apply. One of the advantages of Morpheus8 is that it allows us to customize the depth at which we want the RF to act, thus making it possible to treat the superficial, intermediate or deep level according to the patient needs or parts of the body”.
A Morpheus8 facial session lasts up to 30 minutes while a body session lasts up to 60 minutes.
Is it very painful..? And how is the recovery period?
Different people tolerate pain differently. That’s why Living Clinic has developed a potent anaesthetic cream that allows a great reduction in the pain sensation during the procedure. Whether on the face or body, the cream application is always made.
Recovery after Morpheus8 is relatively quick, even so you should expect 2-3 days of some swelling and redness.
You should avoid sun exposure during the first 15 days. Whenever you really must go out, use a 30-factor sunscreen to avoid hyperpigmentation.
You should hydrate your skin well and drink lots of water.
Deeper Morpheus8 treatments can leave significant channels in the skin during the first 72 hours, during which time you can apply medical cream to enhance the results of the treatment. Talk to our surgeon.
Is it a safe treatment…? What are the side effects?
The treatment is safe. It is a treatment approved by the United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration) with many years of clinical applications and cases.
Side effects include swelling, red skin for the first 2-3 days and a spot of blood may appear on a needle mark. The dots left by the needles are visible in the first few days but disappear completely after about 15 days.
When do I see results, and how long do they last?
A few days following the treatment you should start to notice an improvement in the skin texture. The production of collagen and elastin is a time-consuming process and as such, the full results of better texture and greater skin firmness (including localized fat reductions) appear fully after about 3 months.
Unfortunately, there are no perpetual anti-aging treatments. It is our experience that the improvements given by the treatment will last for at least a year, assuming good skin maintenance and proper use of sunscreen.
As our body is constantly aging, we recommend annual maintenance. Talk to us.
What differentiates Morpheus8?
- it is minimally invasive
- applicable to all skin types
- treatments are quick, between 30 and 60 minutes
- pre-application of anaesthetic makes the treatment easy to bear
- adjustable parameters allow you to fully personalize the treatment to the patient’s needs
- deeper body treatments (up to 8mm) offer better results than other treatments without this possibility
- great flexibility. Possible treatments for many body parts and for many different pathologies
- low risk of hyperpigmentation
- recovery is a simple process
Morheus8 Before and After
Please consult the page Morpheus8 Before and After.
References
Multimodal Radiofrequency Application for Lower Face and Neck Laxity
American Society of Plastic Surgeons, August 2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7489644/
Aim: In this retrospective review, we present the largest evaluation to date of radiofrequency (RF) skin tightening technology combination including bipolar RF (FaceTite; InMode) and fractional bipolar RF (Fractora modified to Morpheus8; InMode).
Conclusion: While this combination RF treatment (FaceTite bipolar RF and fractional bipolar RF) does not aim to replace a facelift/necklift in appropriate candidates, it does broaden the plastic surgeons’ armamentarium to potentially fill a treatment gap.
Dayan, Erez, et al. “Adjustable Depth Fractional Radiofrequency Combined With Bipolar Radiofrequency: A Minimally Invasive Combination Treatment for Skin Laxity.” Aesthetic Surgery Journal, vol. 39, no. Supplement_3, May 2019.
https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/39/Supplement_3/S112/5427380
Aim: The purpose of this supplement is to describe the utility of radiofrequency (RF) microneedling (Fractora modified to Morpheus8 InMode Aesthetic Solutions, Lake Forest, CA) in combination with bipolar RF (FaceTite/BodyTite, InMode Aesthetic Solutions).
Conclusion: The demand for minimally invasive solutions to avoid traditional operative treatment continues to increase. RF technology has emerged as an effective method to safely tighten skin and reduce underlying adipose tissue. As our armamentarium expands, we have the opportunity to treat large portions of the population who were previously considered premature or borderline candidates for excisional operations. In our experience, combination RF technology (RF microneedling and bipolar RF) advances and broadens our ability to achieve tissue retraction that does not reliably occur with other energy-based devices and liposuction alone.
Iriarte, Christopher, et al. “Review of Applications of Microneedling in Dermatology.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, vol. 10, Aug. 2017.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556180/
Aim: This review discusses the principles and evidence behind the expanding applications of MN. It has shown promising results as an adjuvant therapy for enhanced drug delivery in the treatment of atrophic scars, alopecia, actinic keratoses, and disorders of pigmentation such as melasma.
Conclusions: This review highlights evidence of the potential for MN in the treatment of several dermatologic conditions, including disorders of pigmentation, premalignant lesions such as AK, scarring secondary to acne and surgical procedures, and hair pathologies. Advantages include, but are not limited to, the good tolerability of treatment among patients, increased transdermal delivery of drugs, and practicality of use in skin of color. Transient erythema is the most common adverse event.3 Granulomatous reaction in response to unauthorized use of topical products not approved for intradermal injection has been reported in three patients receiving MN therapy at medical spas.40 Otherwise, adverse events are rare and never result in systemic toxicity.3 Additionally, histologic analysis of skin following MN treatment has demonstrated an intact epidermis with no changes in melanocyte number, thereby having minimal risks of dyspigmentation relative to currently accepted treatments.41 Overall, MN offers a simple yet cost-effective therapeutic modality with minimal adverse events and a promising safety profile.
Dermatologic facial applications of Morpheus8 fractional radiofrequency microneedling
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, August 2022
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocd.15231
A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy Performance of the Morpheus8 Applicator for the Treatment of Cellulite: A Case Series
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, July 2022
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocd.15283
Novel Sublingual Analgesic Improves Patient Tolerance of Face and Body Radiofrequency Microneedling: A Split Face/Abdomen Study
The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery, April 2022
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/07488068221090080
Aim: The goal of this study was to determine the patient tolerance of RF microneedling with sufentanil sublingual tablet (SST) 30 μg and topical local anesthetic compared with topical local anesthetic alone.
Conclusion: The SST is a novel analgesic that can be used in office-based settings with appropriate safety equipment available.
Treatment of Facial Aging—Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
Tips and tricks in Plastic Surgery, December 2021
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-78028-9_5
Facial aging is often attributed to soft tissue laxity, volume deflation, and ptosis of the deep tissues. Each layer requires special attention and different treatment algorithms to fully address each concern, and the severity of facial aging will often determine the surgical approach. For mild or early onset of facial aging, minimally invasive methods such as microneedling, energy-based devices, resurfacing, or liposuction are available options. However, for moderate or more advanced facial aging, more invasive surgery is typically the mainstay of treatment, such as full facelifts, neck lifts, or invasive brow lifts. These procedures do have their roles; however, the trend toward interventions with minimal downtime and a quicker recovery has led to a transition from more invasive procedures to minimally invasive techniques. These minimally invasive procedures are viable options depending on the patient’s characteristics, desires, and expectations with regard to results. Herein, we describe the senior author’s (A.M.) preferred minimally invasive approach to surgically correct the aging face
