Should I Smell A Burning Smell During RF Microneedling?

Radiofrequency microneedling can be considered a newer treatment that uses RF energy to help with acne scars, loose skin, stretch marks, and other common skin conditions. Combining laser and micro needling treatments and their benefits, RF microneedling is a safe and non-invasive treatment for all skin types. But since it’s quite new to the market, some concerns have been raised in the past few years regarding the effects and methods of treatment. 

So should there be a burning smell during your RF microneedling session? Like many laser treatments, RF microneedling transmits heat directly to your skin which can cause a burning smell due to body hair found in the area. This can be quite normal to an extent, but if the burnt smell is overpowering, you may not be tolerating the treatment as well as you’d hope and should immediately stop the procedure to prevent any permanent damage. 

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Is a Burnt Smell During RF Microneedling Normal?

During your initial consultation, your dermatologist should assess your skin type and skin texture to ensure that you’re a suitable candidate for an RF microneedling treatment. While RF microneedling is relatively safe and effective to address all types of skin concerns, like other laser procedures there are possible risks involved. 

As a matter of fact, some of these risks are indicated by a burning smell. If you smell a burning scent during your treatment, it’s most likely just some of your body hair being burned off by the laser.

However, if you smell an intense burnt scent or feel a burning sensation, you should ask to stop the treatment immediately. An intense burning smell or sensation could mean that your skin surface or even deeper layers of skin tissue is being damaged by the radio frequency energy from the treatment. 

This could lead to superficial burns or even permanent skin damage. If you were cleared for this treatment during your consultation, it’s unlikely that you’ll experience an intense burnt smell causing skin damage at the hands of a professional dermatologist or doctor. 

However, an intense burnt smell can be indicative of several concerns and should be taken very seriously on the off chance that it does occur. 

Risks of RF Microneedling

A burnt smell during your treatment isn’t the only risk you face with RF microneedling. While RF microneedling is a relatively safe procedure, it’s not without its possible risks. 

As the treatment uses radiofrequency technology, it’s usually effective in addressing skin concerns from deep within the layers of your skin. Due to its ability to penetrate so deeply into the deeper layers of your skin, it can also cause quite a bit of damage if done incorrectly. 

Here are some of the possible risks and side effects: 

1) Burns

While not all burnt smells are a cause of concern, it could possibly lead to more severe reactions. As mentioned previously, RF microneedling can sometimes cause actual burns with varying degrees of severity. 

If the burn isn’t too bad or superficial at most, it could possibly cause some pigmentation or sensitivity but shouldn’t last more than a couple of days. If the burn is more severe, you run the risk of having traumatic scars and permanent hyperpigmentation around the area. 

2) Damage to Skin Cells and Hair Follicles

While RF microneedling is meant to boost collagen production and help improve the health of your skin cells and hair follicles, there’s a risk of damaging them if done incorrectly. 

Even though radiofrequency micro needling technology has been proven to boost skin health and hair growth, it seems that the radiofrequency laser can cause quite a bit of damage if applied to the wrong area. 

If the laser is applied too close to areas of the hair follicle, it’s possible that the heat emitted will destroy the hair follicles and epithelial stem cells. To prevent this from happening, go to a qualified skin professional from a reputable and credible clinic/med spa.

3) After-Procedure Side Effects

Hours after treatment, you’re likely to experience some redness, swelling, or even bruising but it should subside soon after. Other possible side effects include itchiness, temporary cold sores, and small breakouts along the area. 

The usual recovery time for an RF microneedling treatment is anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks. There’s no need to worry if you experience any of these side effects during this timeframe. However, you should call your doctor if you’re still seeing them 3 weeks after the procedure. 

Benefits of the RF Microneedling Treatment

With all of these risks that come with RF microneedling, you may be wondering why you should seek out this treatment in the first place. While these risks are very possible, they do happen quite rarely especially when the treatment is done by a professional. 

When done by a trained and experienced professional, you’re likely to reap all the benefits of the treatment without having to worry about any of the unwanted risks mentioned above. Here are some of the benefits of RF microneedling:

1) Collagen Production and Skin Rejuvenation

Radiofrequency microneedling is known to promote the production of collagen which can have many benefits to the appearance of your skin. With collagen being the building block of your skin, it contributes to its elasticity. A higher collagen concentration in your body is usually a good thing. 

Due to the increase in collagen, RF microneedling has been known to help reduce visible fine lines and wrinkles around your face. It can also help reduce visible scars from acne and promote smoother skin. Overall, RF microneedling is a great skin rejuvenation treatment that can help target problem areas and give you lasting results for 1 to 3 years. 

2) Acne-Free and Clear Skin 

While RF microneedling is mostly known for its ability to remove acne scars, it can also help treat active acne skin conditions. Due to the radiofrequency energy killing off the acne-causing bacteria on your skin, this treatment can help clear skin from any active breakouts. 

Additionally, the RF energy can also shrink sebaceous glands and cause your skin to naturally produce less oil. With fewer bacteria and oil on your skin, it’s likely that you won’t have major breakouts after this treatment. 

3) Skin Tightening and Youthful Appearance

If you’ve been wanting to get a surgical facelift but don’t like the risks involved in invasive procedures, RF microneedling may be a great alternative for you. Directly related to the boost in collagen production, RF microneedling has been known to boost skin density. 

This can give you an appearance of taught skin and a faux facelift. By tightening any loose skin around your body, RF microneedling not only helps with your skin density but also gives you an overall more youthful appearance. 

Overall, RF microneedling treatments offer great benefits to anyone who gets them. From clearing acne to giving you a non-surgical facelift, the treatment has far more benefits than risks. If you’re thinking of getting an RF microneedling treatment done, consider going to a reputable and well-trained clinic to ensure that you get the results that you want safely.

Get Safe and Effective RF Microneedling to Treat Your Skin Concerns at aNu Aesthetics

RF microneedling is an up and coming treatment that utilizes radiofrequency technology to give you the results you want. While RF microneedling does have its fair share of risks like burns and scars, rarely do they occur when done by a medical professional or trained esthetician. 

To minimize the risk of RF microneedling, consider getting your treatment at aNu Aesthetics. Here at aNu Aesthetics, all our procedures are performed by highly-trained professionals to ensure that you get the results you want without any of the unwanted side effects. To find out about our RF microneedling treatments and other services, contact us today at (816) 670-4406.

Heal Your Face Like Never Before With MicroNeedling

Rejuvenate and heal your face with the technique proven time and time again to provide maximum regenerative results: microneedling. Call us today to book your microneedling appointment at aNu Aesthetics.

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