FAQ: “I Have Heard That Radio Frequency Microneedling Like Morpheus and Scarlet Hurt. What is Usually Done to Help With That?”
By Natalie Ledbetter, CRNA
Radio frequency microneedling procedures such as Scarlet and Morpheus8 have become extremely popular lately due to their skin tightening, resurfacing, wrinkle relaxing, and fat reducing capabilities. I mean, who wouldn’t love these results? Even with the heat of summer blaring down upon us our office has seen a steady increase in clients requesting radiofrequency microneedling treatments.
Between our four local Austin area offices we offer both the Morpheus 8 and the Scarlet treatments to help you get the skin you deserve with minimal downtime.
One of the most common questions we get before people undergo the procedure is does it hurt? I am not going to lie to you. Radio frequency microneedling can be pretty spicy. I think it feels usually like pressure and some poking sensations with an occasional electric pulse. We offer multiple different options to help make this procedure more comfortable. These options are tailored to each individual client’s specific wants and needs.
The most common option chosen at our office is a combination of a topical anesthetic, oral antianxiety and pain medications, and laughing gas. We also offer a Toradol shot prior to the procedure for those who would like the addition of an anti-inflammatory.
If you choose this method of pain relief for the Morpheus or Scarlet procedure, our office will call in the prescription medications before the day of the treatment. You will bring the medications with you to your appointment, and you will take them once you have been seated in the treatment room. Topical anesthetic cream will be applied to your face, and this will be allowed to absorb for about 20 minutes. After this time another layer of a specially formulated topical anesthetic will be applied to your skin and this will be allowed to remain for another 20 to 25 minutes. By the time the topical anesthetic has made your skin feel very numb the oral medications will have kicked in. Most people feel relaxed and a little sleepy at this point.
The topical anesthetic will be removed and your skin will be cleansed thoroughly with an antibacterial solution before the procedure begins. You will be given the laughing gas tubing so you can control it yourself throughout the treatment. Most people choose to breathe the laughing gas off and on until the procedure is complete.
Laughing gas wears off quickly once you stop breathing it, but you will still need someone to drive you home if you have chosen this method of pain relief. You are not to drive when you have taken the anti-anxiety and pain medications.
Once the treatment is complete, a healing gel with redox signaling molecules will be applied to your skin. Almost all our clients say that there is no pain after the procedure is finished. The skin may feel a little tingly, warm, and tight immediately after the treatment is done, but the warmth and tingling sensation usually fades within an hour or two. The feeling of tightness may last a few days.
Radio frequency microneedling treatments like Morpheus and Scarlet have become popular for a reason. Many men and women want a younger refreshed look without a facelift, neck lift, brachioplasty (surgery to rid the upper arm of loose flabby skin by cutting it off), etc. While Morpheus8 and Scarlet are not the equivalent of a surgical procedure, with a series of treatments the improvement can be dramatic and without the stress, risk, and downtime of surgery. There are different levels of pain relief options to help make these procedures more comfortable. If you are in the Austin area and are interested in finding out how Scarlet or Morpheus can help you meet your skin goals and about the different pain relief options available, call one of our 4 local offices to schedule a free consultation!