Application for lower facial fat reduction and tightening by static type monopolar 1-MHz radio frequency for body contouring

Introduction: Liposuction and mesotherapy are popular treatments for fat reduction of lower face, but because these treatments are invasive, a novel non-invasive treatment with similar or better efficacy has been sought. There are various devices such as CoolSculpt, laser, RF, and HIFU that are used as non-invasive treatments for fat reduction and body contouring, but these applications have not been applied to facial fat reduction. In this study, we selected Monopolar 1-MHz RF for body contouring to be applied for fat reduction and tightening of the lower face. Material and Methods: From March through August of 2016, we treated fourteen Asian women (average age: 44.6 years old) for fat reduction and tightening of the lower face using 1-MHz Monopolar RF (truSculpt™, Cutera, Inc., Brisbane, CA). We performed the treatment primarily in the nasolabial fold and buccal area weekly for five consecutive weeks, and evaluated the effects for fat reduction and tightening before each treatment and for 2 months after the treatment using handy VECTRA 3D® (Canfield Scientific, Inc.) for imaging. Three-dimensional (3D) volumetric assessments were performed at pre- and post-two-months after treatment. Patients rated their satisfaction for tightening using a 5-points scale. Results: During the study, more than ninety percent of patients showed volumetric change by fat reduction at the treated area, with an average of 2.7 ml. Sixty percent of patients were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the tightening effects. The treatments were accompanied only by very mild heat pain. Efficacy was maintained for 2 months after the treatments, and three patients showed a higher fat reduction effect at 2 months after the final treatment compared with the final treatment. A mild redness was observed just for few hours after the treatment, but complications such as, swelling, induration, burn, sensory disturbance or facial paralysis, were not observed. Conclusion: In this study, we found that Monopolar 1-MHz RF applied with a stationary applicator was effective especially for lower face fat reduction and with a tightening effect in facial contouring. A highly efficacious treatment with satisfactory comfort and safety can be achieved with no downtime, and the device has the potential for becoming one of the standard non-invasive treatments for fat reduction of facial contouring. Lasers Surg. Med.49:750–755, 2017.