Today, there are two novel machines available for minimally invasive skin tightening called Renuvion versus BodyTite. The first machine is called Renuvion and made by Apyx medical and utilizes a combination of Helium plasma and unipolar radiofrequency energies. The second machine is called Bodytight and made by In mode and uses bipolar radiofrequency energy.
Both of these machines utilize thermal energy to heat and contract collagen molecules. When collagen is heated at or above its coagulation/denaturation temperature, it can quickly shrink to half of its original length. The hotter the temperature the shorter amount of treatment time needed for the contraction to occur.
Subdermal coagulation refers to the immediate and permanent increase in skin firmness following the collagen shrink-wrap effect. At temperatures between 65 °C to 85 °C, the collagen molecules will undergo these changes.
However, at 65 °C, 152 seconds of treatment times are required to get the collagen molecule to contract. Instead, at 85°C, it takes only .044 seconds for this contraction to occur.
This increase in temperature to contract the collagen molecules in the deep dermis must be balanced against the avoidance of heating the epidermal skin cells to harmful levels. Specifically, the temperatures of the outer layer of the skin epidermis cannot reach 47 °C or otherwise risk thermal injury and subsequent tissue compromise and necrosis.
Tissue Heating Advantages of Renuvion versus BodyTite
BodyTite utilizes causes gradual & bulk tissue heating by virtue of its bipolar radiofrequency mechanism to bring up the deep skin collagen layer to 65 degrees Celsius. The required 152 seconds of tissue heating can result in the epidermal temperatures nearing 47 degrees Celsius. In fact, there is a small delta of 15 degrees of Celsius difference between therapeutic temperatures versus harmful temperatures.
As such, the epidermal temperature must be continuously monitored to avoid reaching harmful levels. Instead, Renuvion’s instant and focused deep collagen layer reaches 85 degrees Celsius for only 0.044 seconds resulting in epidermal skin temperatures not reaching harmful levels.
The larger delta of 45 degrees of Celsius difference between therapeutic temperatures versus harmful temperatures results in a more tolerable safety cushion. In fact, the safety profile of Renuvion is so strong that tissue temperatures require no monitoring devices.
Tissue Heating Efficacy Advantages of Renuvion versus BodyTite
BodyTite tissue heating using bipolar frequency will heat the tissues nonselectively located between two probes, with one located above the skin and another within the underlying skin tissues. Instead, Renuvion’s novel fusion of Helium plasma energy allows for non-contact tissue healing in a 360-degree manner. This conductive plasma technology “connects” to the tissue that represents the path of least resistance.
What this means is that when making multiple passes, previously untreated tissue are preferentially treated. This capacity of plasma technology first, prevents over-treatment of any one area and second, maximizes the treatment of untreated tissue. In essence, non-contact 360° tissue treatment allows for tissue treatment without the need for the user to redirect the flow of energy
Renuvion Treatment Time Efficiency Advantage
Since Renuvion technology allows for effective collagen contraction within 0.044 seconds, it allows for efficient treatment of numerous areas in the operating room. In a typical 360 liposuction case, we may treat 5 to 7 areas bilaterally in a single operative session. Since treatments can be done within 5 minutes, treatment of 10 to 14 areas can be completed within 1 to 1.5 hours.
In contrast, BodyTite requires much longer times of 45 minutes of treatment per area which makes the treatment of the above case not feasible at 7.5 hours. In contrast, with treatment times reduced by more than 90% when compared to BodyTite, Renuvion remains an efficient and viable treatment modality.
Body Contouring Outcome Advantage
Body contouring results are optimized with Renuvion greater than BodyTite because skin tightening with the former is performed following removal of the fat from the body.
When attempting to gauge how much redundant skin is present and how much to tighten it, it is imperative to remove the fat first. This is because the removal of fat will demonstrate maximum skin redundancy. The analogy I use is a fruit that has been depulped.
Maximum skin wrinkling will not be appreciated until the inside of the fruit is removed. The same applies to your body and skin texture. Renuvion allows for liposuction of the fat comprehensively prior to treatment.
In contrast, because of BodyTite’s propensity to heat the epidermis to a dangerous level, the fat and tumescent solution used during liposuction need to be retained during treatment to ensure temperatures on the outer skin do not heat up to 47 degrees. This limitation does not allow your surgeon to gauge how much skin tightening will be required to achieve optimal contouring results.
Brazilian Butt Lift Outcome Advantage of Renuvion
Brazilian Butt lift requires fat to be transferred from the rest of the body to the buttock cheeks. BodyTite requires the fat and fat solution to be in place during treatment. Moreover, BodyTite treatments damage fat cells so that they cannot be used at all! Instead, Renuvion allows fat and fat preparing solution to be removed first using liposuction prior to Renuvion treatments.
This advantage allows your surgeon to use all of the fat from your body, even if skin tightening is required, to transfer to your buttock cheeks. This allows for optimizing your Brazilian buttock lift needs.
Summary of Advantages of Renuvion over BodyTite. In summary, there are several advantages of Renuvion’s skin tightening over BodyTite. These advantages range from safety to outcome concerns.
Furthermore, treatment time limitations of BodyTite makes this modality not usable at all in the operating room setting.
Please see this 37-year-old male who underwent Renuvion skin tightening of the abdomen during his high definition liposuction body scale plan.
