Morpheus8

Morpheus8 is a skin tightening and lifting treatment, aimed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and to visibly lift areas of skin laxity. Morpheus8 uses 'ablative radiofrequency' technology which is delivered into the dermis and subdermal layer of the skin using gold coated microneedles, which creates micro-injuries and heats below the surface of the skin. This then stimulates the production of collagen and elastin by the skin's fibroblast cells. In turn, this causes the skin to tighten and lift, reducing the signs of ageing and improve skin quality and elasticity over the 3-6 months following the treatment.

Combining the radiofrequency energy with a patented form of microneeding, Morpheus8 creates a biostimulation response in the dermal fibroblast cells of the skin. This response involves creation of micro-injuries using gold coated microneedles which deliver radiofrequency energy directly to the dermis and subdermal layer of the skin where collagen and elastin is produced. As gold insulates the microneedles, the energy is delivered from the tips of needles into the dermis, rather than on the surface of the skin, which markedly reduces downtime as it minimises heating on surface of the skin, compared to other radiofrequency microneedling treatments or ablative lasers. This also ensures the treatment is suitable for darker skin types. The collagen and elastin stimulation continues for 3-6 months following the treatment course, so final results will be apparent at this stage post-treatment. Strong topical local anaesthetic is usually administered 60-90 minutes prior to the treatment. Treatment time is approximately 15-20 minutes for the face and neck.

The major benefits of Morpheus8 are skin tightening and lifting, improvement of skin texture and reduction of skin laxity. Morpheus8, when compared to other forms of radiofrequency microneedling or ablative skin resurfacing (such as fractional laser) has several additional benefits, including more precise targeting of skin depth for deeper subdermal tightening as well as reduced risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation, by virtue of the patented gold coating on the microneedles. We recommend two sessions, one month apart for the best results. As everyone's skin is different there is also the the option to do a third session 6 months later should your practioner recommend this for you.

Morpheus 8 can be used on any area of skin that is showing signs of ageing such as laxity or lines and wrinkles, anywhere on the body. The most commonly treated areas include the lower face and neck, double chin and abdomen. Knees and thighs are also a popular area for treatment. Areas of the face and body that are showing signs of discolouration, stretch marks or acne scarring are also suitable for treatment.

Morpheus8 is often used in combination with Profhilo, Nucleofill and PRP which also stimulate dermal fibroblast cells to produce collagen and elastin. They compliment one another through further encouraging brighter, more youthful appearing skin through the production of collagen. 

Morpheus8 can also be used alongside treatments such as Anti-Wrinkle Injections and Dermal Fillers to further support the smoothing of fine lines and replacing areas where there has been volume loss over time.  

Immediately after the treatment, some redness is expected. Numbness from topical local anaesthetic usually will persist for a few hours post-treatment. Bruising and/or swelling may also occur following the treatment but should reduce fairly quickly. Swelling can be resolved by use of over-the-counter antihistamines post-treatment and bruising may be treated with arnica montana. We recommend using no products on the skin immediately post-treatment, Sunscreen on day 1 post-treatment, and in most cases normal skincare routines can be restarted on day 2 post-treatment.

Morpheus8 is a biostimulation treatment which utilises your own body's repair mechanisms in order to work. The process usually takes from 3-6 months to create the final results, dependent entirely on your own fibroblast cells' collagen and elastin capacity. Most people will see a mild improvement by month 3-4 and final results will usually appear by month 6 following the final treatment.  At this stage you may wish to do a third treatment, if you have noticed positive results.

We recommend no makeup for 24 hours after the treatment. Following this period, mineral based post-treatment makeup, such as Oxygenetix, may be used.

Morpheus8 Body is a skin tightening and firming treatment, aimed to reduce the appearance of skin laxity and to tighten both the skin and subdermal tissue. On the body it can be used also to reduce fat volume. Morpheus8 Body uses 'ablative radiofrequency' technology which is delivered into the dermis and subdermal layer of the skin using gold coated microneedles, which creates micro-injuries and heats below the surface of the skin. This then stimulates the production of collagen and elastin by the skin's fibroblast cells and may also cause a reduction in fat volume at deeper settings. In turn, this causes the skin to tighten and lift,  improves skin quality and elasticity over the 3-6 months following the treatment.

Combining the radiofrequency energy with a patented form of microneeding, Morpheus8 Body creates a biostimulation response in the dermal fibroblast cells of the skin. This response involves creation of micro-injuries using gold coated microneedles which deliver radiofrequency energy directly to the dermis and subdermal layer of the skin where collagen and elastin is produced. In the layer of fat below the skin, Morpheus8 Body can also cause controlled fat reduction.  As the microneedles are insulated with a gold coating, the energy is delivered from the tips of needles into the dermis, rather than on the surface of the skin, which markedly reduces downtime as it minimises heating on surface of the skin, compared to other radiofrequency microneedling treatments or ablative lasers. This also ensures the treatment is suitable for darker skin types. The collagen and elastin stimulation continues for 3-6 months following the treatment course, so final results will be apparent at this stage post-treatment.  Local anaesthetic is administered in the form of injections rather than topical cream to ensure complete coverage and anaesthesia.

The major benefits of Morpheus8 Body are skin tightening and lifting, improvement of skin texture and reduction of skin laxity. Small pockets of fat may also be targeted with  Morpheus8 Body. When compared to other forms of radiofrequency microneedling or ablative skin resurfacing (such as fractional laser) has several additional benefits, including more precise targeting of skin depth for deeper subdermal tightening as well as reduced risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation, by virtue of the patented gold coating on the microneedles. We recommend three to four sessions, one month apart for the best results. As everyone's skin is different there is also the the option to do additional sessions 6 months later should your practioner recommend this for you.

Morpheus8 Body can be used on any area of lax skin, anywhere on the body. The most commonly treated areas include the abdomen, thighs, buttocks and arms. It can also be used to treat stubborn pockets of fat anywhere on the body.

Morpheus8 Body is often used in combination with Profhilo Body, another collagen stimulating treatment which further supports skin tightening.

For areas of stubborn fat, Morpheus8 Body can also be used with our fat-reducing treatment including Aqualyx and Belkyra (injectable fat fat dissolving treatments) and cryolipolysis, a technique used to reduce areas of stubborn fat which diet and excercise can no longer support.

Morpheus8 Body can cause some redness immediately post-treatment. Tenderness can occur when local anaesthetic injections wear off (usually after a few hours) and bruising to stomach can last up to 14 days.

Yes - this treatment is ideal for treating the skin laxity post pregnancy and can help improve the appearance of C-section scars

Yes - the deeper Morpheus8 Body treatment is designed to tighten skin and also cause tightening in the deeper subdermal layer (i.e. the subcutaneous fat)

Morpheus8 is a biostimulation treatment which utilises your own body's repair mechanisms in order to work. The process usually takes from 3-6 months to create the final results, dependent entirely on your own fibroblast cells' collagen and elastin capacity. Most people will see a mild improvement by month 3-4 and final results will usually appear by month 6 following the final treatment

Morpheus8 Resurfacing is designed as an ablative resurfacing treatment, comparable to fractional CO2 laser (such as fraxel) to target acne scarring and other surface texture irregularities of the skin. It can help improve uneven texture of skin, open pores and scar tissue.

Morpheus8 Resurfacing uses uncoated titanium microneedles which penetrate 0.5mm into the skin surface, in combination with bipolar radiofrequency energy to heat and resurface the skin, in areas of irregular texture, such as acne scars and post-surgical scars. This treatment is designed to be more aggressive than conventional Morpheus8 as it creates a more dramatic skin surface effect to more dramatically improve disrupted dermal collagen structures. It is an ideal treatment for rolling and atrophic acne scarring.

Morpheus8 Resurfacing targets the post inflammatory irregularities in skin texture and tone caused by chronic acne and other inflammatory skin issues. It is ideally suited to treat rolling and atrophic acne scars.

Morpheus8 Resurfacing is most often used  for acne scarring in the face and neck, but can be used on any body area affected by chronic acne scarring and also for surgical scars.

Morpheus8 Resurfacing can be used in conjunction other acne scar treatments such subcision, Dermal Fillers and treatments for active acne, including our Acne Facial. 

We also have our Bespoke Skincare options which can help in keeping acne and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation at bay.

Redness immediately afterwards is expected. Numbness due to topical local anaesthetic will usually persist for a few hours post treatment. Bruising and/or swelling not uncommon but usually very minimal. Small gird marks can be visible which tend to scab over and heal within 7 days, similar to fractional laser treatments.

Although Morpheus8 Resurfacing is a treatment for acne scarring, it is not designed to be a treatment for active acne. See our acne facials and theraclear treatment if you are struggling with acne.

Yes - Morpheus8 Resurfacing can improve dermal collagen and elastin levels so can tighten the skin in addition to improving texture of the skin

We recommend no makeup for 24 hours after the treatment. Following this period, mineral based post-treatment makeup, such as Oxygenetix, may be used

Yes - we have extensive experience of using this treatment in patients who are taking oral retinoids and it is safe to have this treatment done in most cases.

We recommend avoiding use of topical retinoids and benzoyl peroxide products for 2 days before this treatment and for 3-4 days after the treatment. Once your skin has settled (i.e. no redness or scabbing), you can safely restart these. We recommend using a sunscreen product, such as ALL DAY LONG from the day after treatment

Radiofrequency (RF) is a type of energy on the electromagnetic spectrum that essentially behaves as a form of electrical energy that can radiate into space (i.e. radio waves) or along surfaces. RF energy is emitted at a particular wavelength, so that when applied to tissues it converts to heat and results in a number of effects. These effects include ablation (destruction) or stimulation of certain cell types. It has been used in medical physics for many decades in fields such as cardiology (e.g. for radiofrequency ablation of accessory cardiac bundles in heart arrhythmia), and for cautery to stop bleeding in surgery.

In aesthetics, Radiofrequency is used in a number of forms, designed generally to stimulate tissue heating and contracture (Shrinkage) or fat volume reduction. Radiofrequency can be applied to the skin in a ‘non-ablative’ way (i.e. surface heating the skin), where the RF energy is applied to the skin using a handpiece and the area is heated for around 30 minutes over multiple sessions, or it can be delivered as ‘ablative’ or ‘fractional’ radiofrequency, where the RF energy is delivered deeper into the skin in short bursts via microneedles. The latter form creates injuries on the skin surface, so will provide a degree of skin resurfacing, in addition to the tightening effect. This is the basis of the Morpheus8 treatment.

The unique thing about Morpheus8, compared to other skin tightening treatments is that its patented technology can penetrate deeply into the skin (from 1-6mm) creating a powerful multi-level skin tightening result, without risking unwanted fat reduction or pigmentation changes on the surface of the skin. Most areas on the face and body can be treated effectively. Whilst most treatments we do are for skin tightening/lifting of the face generally, we often treat the eye area for thinning skin, body areas for skin laxity (particularly post-pregnancy) and it can also be useful in treating acne scarring (if used on a resurfacing setting).

Morpheus8 is fairly unique in the world of fractional radio frequency treatments in that it has a number of patents that allow it to be ‘tuned’ for different clinical outcomes. It offers a number of different ‘heads’ that can either create more or less epidermal resurfacing depending on the desired outcome. It can also be set in a way that it either targets only the dermis or the dermis and the subcutaneous fat (which can be useful in treating, for example, the submental fat pad).

Generally, for non-resurfacing morpheus8 treatments, pins coated in a layer of gold insulation minimise epidermal heating, and the unique structure of the electrodes (i.e. all of the pins are negative electrodes and a lattice positive electrode plate which dissipates any epidermal heat) create minimal epidermal heating to minimise any epidermal effects (and therefore minimise downtime), and also reduce the risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) that is a risk with other fractional devices.

In contrast to this, the resurfacing Morpheus8 has very short (0.5mm) uncoated (therefore non-insulated) fixed negative electrode pins, which actually increase the level of surface heating and ablation. Other devices generally have negative and positive electrode pins, which causes a large amount of inter-pin RF spread, which often causes excessive heating (and risk of side effects).

For collagen stimulation the dermis alone would be targeted, based on a lowish depth of microneedle penetration - maximum 2-3mm. This is ideal for areas, such as over the cheeks or around the mouth. Since the pulses of RF can be very well controlled due to the nature of the treatment - usually a maximum of 1-2 pulses would be used on each application of the device when treating the dermis, to minimise the risk of heating of the deeper subcutaneous layer and unwanted fat destruction. Other devices, such as profound RF, which only has an option to heat for longer periods, risk overheating the dermis and therefore a higher risk heating the deeper layers of tissue (i.e. fat).

When you are actually targeting the deeper fat layer, for example when treating the submental fat pad or body fat, Morpheus8 is the only fractional radiofrequency device that can reach this in a targeted way, since its pins can reach 4mm using the face head, and 6mm depth using the body head. It also allows for longer pulse durations, and a new functionality that allows multiple pulses to be delivered targeting multiple levels of the skin and fat at the same time.

Non-ablative RF treatments (e.g. forma) are not painful. The energy they deliver is converted into heat in the tissues at around 43 degrees Celsius, so it can feel a bit like a hot stone massage! Fractional radiofrequency treatments can be more uncomfortable as the microneedles create injuries on the surface of the skin and the energy delivered is more intense. For these treatments I always recommend using a topical local anaesthetic cream prior to the treatment. I personally use a special 27% lidocaine mix that is compounded for me in a lab in Germany. Usually this cream is left on for 60-90 minutes and the treatment is surprisingly comfortable with this.

Non-ablative RF has been popular for many years, but recently many celebrities have admitted to doing this on social media, raising awareness of these sort of treatments. Kim Kardashian has been one of the most famous proponents of Morpheus8, posting several videos on her instagram of the treatment being performed on her face and body.  The low downtime and good results also have made it particularly popular, with many celebrities sharing their before and after pictures on social media.

Morpheus8 is often done in combination with other biostimulating treatments, and certain injectables. In my clinic, two combinations are particularly popular: Morpheus8 with PRP and Morpheus8 with Profhilo. PRP (Platelet rich plasma) is especially popular as it is very simply added on at the same time as the Morpheus8, since the treatment creates little craters that can allow the PRP to enter the skin and increase the collagen stimulating effects of the RF part of the treatment. Profhilo is another biostimulation treatment which we often combine with Morpheus8 - either on the same day, or two weeks’ apart. Profhilo works in a slightly different way to Morpheus8 (it is an injectable), but targets the same collagen-producing fibroblast cells that Morpheus8 stimulates, to supercharge the treatment.

Throughout my career in aesthetics I have always pushed for a more natural and holistic approach to anti-ageing treatments, and whilst  fillers are an important part of this I still see patients who are terrified of looking ‘done’. If you are a patient, it can be quite daunting to book your first appointment at a clinic for this very reason. Over the years, I’ve developed an approach to treatments that involve sensible dosing of fillers and Botulinum Toxin in combination with biostimulators, treating the face a whole - this avoids any risk of an overdone look.

Generally speaking, if dermal fillers for revolumisation are injected at the correct depth in the skin, and Morpheus8 is used at the correct depth for skin tightening (i.e. the dermis of the skin), then dermal fillers should not be broken down by the treatment. If you are having the treatments performed in the same session, I’d usually recommend having Morpheus8 first, then injectables directly afterwards.

This all depends on the depth of needle penetration. Morpheus8 can be used to break down fat - in areas where patients actually wish to reduce fat volume, such as under the chin (submental fat pad) and on the abdomen. If the treatment is used only to target the dermis of the skin then it should not affect the facial fat. Morpheus8 is a unique treatment compared to its competitors in that the settings can be very finely tuned to either conserve  or break down fat in treated areas. This is why it is so important to choose your practitioner carefully.