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XERF · The device

How XERF works

What the device actually does, in plain English: two frequencies, three depths, and why it is comfortable without numbing.

In short

  • XERF is a Korean monopolar radiofrequency device that delivers two frequencies at once, 6.78 MHz and 2 MHz.
  • Three depth modes, shallow, middle and deep, are selected area by area.
  • Wave Fit pulsing and a cooled tip keep the temperature rising steadily rather than spiking, so no numbing is needed.
  • Heat makes collagen contract on the day, then prompts new collagen over the following months.

Radiofrequency, in one paragraph

Radiofrequency is a form of energy that warms tissue as it passes through it. In skin tightening, that warmth is aimed below the surface. Collagen fibres contract when they are heated, which tightens the tissue straight away, and the controlled heat also prompts the cells that make collagen, called fibroblasts, to produce more of it over the following months. Every radiofrequency skin tightening device works on that principle. What differs between them is how deep the heat goes, how evenly it is spread, and how the skin surface is protected.

Two frequencies in one shot

Most radiofrequency devices work at a single frequency. XERF delivers 6.78 MHz and 2 MHz together. The two frequencies behave differently in tissue, so using both lets the energy reach the fibrous network that runs through the layers under the skin, known as the fibro-septal network, rather than stopping at one fixed layer.

This is what is meant when XERF is described as dual-frequency monopolar radiofrequency. Monopolar means the energy flows from the treatment tip into the body rather than between two points on the skin, which is what lets it work at depth.

Three depths, chosen area by area

The device has shallow, middle and deep modes, and the intensity is set per area rather than one setting for the whole face. The skin over the cheekbone, along the jawline and on the neck is not the same thickness, and it does not loosen in the same way. Your treatment plan records which areas are treated, at which depth and at what intensity, and that plan is set at consultation.

What it does
6.78 MHz + 2 MHzTwo frequencies delivered in one shot, reaching more than one layer of tissue
Shallow, middle, deepThree depth modes, selected per area
Wave Fit pulseEnergy spread across variable pulses with cooling between them, so heat builds steadily
Eight-point coolingCooling points across the tip protect the skin surface while the tissue below is heated
Monopolar deliveryEnergy flows from the tip into the tissue, which is what lets it work at depth

Why it is comfortable without numbing

The main reason radiofrequency can be uncomfortable is a sudden spike of heat at the surface. XERF tackles that in two ways. The Wave Fit pulse spreads the energy across variable pulses with cooling in between, so the temperature rises gradually. And cooling points built into the tip keep the skin surface cool while the tissue underneath is warmed.

The result is a treatment most patients rate at one to two out of ten and describe as warm, like a hot stone massage. No numbing cream or injection is needed, and there is no surgical downtime.

What that means for your result

For what the change looks like in practice, see XERF results. For how this device compares with single-frequency radiofrequency, see XERF against Thermage.

Questions, answered.

XERF delivers monopolar radiofrequency at two frequencies at once, 6.78 MHz and 2 MHz, into shallow, middle and deep tissue. The heat makes collagen contract straight away and prompts new collagen over the following months.

It means two radiofrequencies are delivered in the same shot. Because they behave differently in tissue, together they reach more than one layer rather than stopping at a single depth.

Yes. XERF is a Korean device. What that means in practice is covered on our Is XERF Korean? page.

Its Wave Fit pulse spreads the energy across variable pulses with cooling in between, and cooling points in the tip protect the skin surface. Most patients describe it as warm rather than painful.

No. XERF uses radiofrequency energy, not laser light. There are no needles, and the skin surface is not broken.

More on XERF

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Book a consultation and get an honest assessment. If it is not the right treatment for what you want to change, we will tell you.