The Perfect Touch for Your Mommy Makeover Without Surgery

Many people believe that Mommy Makeover only consists of surgical procedures. However, while surgery plays a significant role, there are aspects that surgery cannot address. Despite the ability of liposuction and abdominoplasties to bring you closer to your desired physique, often times issues such as loose skin, visible scarring, and lack of muscle definition can remain. That is where treatments like VirtueRF microneedling become beneficial as they help to tighten the skin and reduce the appearance of unattractive scars.

According to a leading facial plastic surgeon from Beverly Hills, Behrooz Torkian, M.D., VirtueRF has emerged as an essential tool to accomplish the final objective of the patient’s body makeover. He says, "Our earlier methods, like skin-deep only radiofrequency devices contributed only partially." He further explains, "These methods failed to address concerns like fine lines, crinkly skin, or stretch marks, which are important issues for patients. The use of VirtueRF, which combines radiofrequency with microneedling and delivers energy at specific depths, has become the final step to improving skin texture and laxity."

The choice for surgery versus a non-invasive procedure varies from patient to patient. Profound weight loss or fat reduction can affect skin’s elasticity and may result in surplus skin. For those with extreme laxity, VirtueRF may not be sufficient and thus, surgery might be necessary. However, for crepiness and other textural issues, VirtueRF might be the only treatment needed to enhance skin’s look without the downtime and risks associated with surgery. Especially now, with the popularity of weight-loss medications like Ozempic, several Mommy Makeovers use sessions of DeepRF to endorse collagen production and enhance skin elasticity to counterbalance rapid weight loss side effects.

While surgical solutions such as tummy tucks, breast reductions, and implants can create new problem areas like scars, Dr. Torkian says, "While my peers perform exceptional work with their procedures, the surgeries often leave a noticeable scar behind." He adds, "Using the VirtueRF DeepRF handpiece, I can remodel those scars."

According to Dr. Torkian, "A tummy tuck procedure creates high tension on the wound. But once it's healed, by employing VirtueRF, the healing process restarts without the tension and stress, which allows the scar to heal again into a better condition."

The RF microneedling method works by piercing microneedles deep into the skin's dermis, creating micro-wounds. These wounds instigate the body's natural collagen production, while the radiofrequency (RF) thermal energy promotes the restructuring of collagen and elastin, enhancing the skin's firmness. VirtueRF has three unique handpieces: SmartRF, ExactRF, and DeepRF, each designed to treat different body areas. The DeepRF is meant specifically for the body.

The DeepRF handpiece comprises 36 gold-plated needles, delving deeper into the skin, covering a larger area than the standard SmartRF for intensified tightening and smoothing. VirtueRF is the only one with a Robotic Precision Delivery technology delivering the needles smoothly to prevent any skin trauma. It also includes a cooling plate for enhanced comfort. Each treatment is highly customizable, effective, and comfortable, critical since no two Mom-bods are alike, and downtime is often not feasible.

A Mommy Makeover, like any good workout, should encompass a mix of solutions targeting different concerns: bulk, muscle, and skin. Dr. Torkian targets body tissue and muscle using the PHYSIQ device. Dr. Torkian says, "Combining VirtueRF’s DeepRF handpiece and the PHYSIQ treatment, we can treat loose and crepey skin and then tone and tighten the muscle with the energy stimulation on the PHYSIQ." This consolidated therapy is known as the 'BodyRight' treatment."

For Dr. Torkian's Los Angeles patients, these treatments offer the perfect way to attain the final touch of definition that traditional surgical methods cannot deliver. Dr. Torkian says, "The PHYSIQ treatment can prove effective in cases after surgical Mommy Makeover where one may be left with moderate skin laxity, muscle laxity, and a small quantity of fat. It's two modalities in one. PHYSIQ stimulates muscle with Electro Magnetic Stimulation (EMS) and consolidates and firms by programming deep heating between the EMS cycles."

Dr. Torkian uses a topical numbing cream to ensure patients are fully numb to mitigate any discomfort. Sessions usually last between a half hour to an hour depending on the area being treated, and 3-4 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart are recommended to maximize your results.

“I was even able to perform these treatments on myself, to get an exact idea of what my patients are going through,” Dr. Torkian says. “These treatments are very tolerable with a topical numbing cream.”

“You may not see immediate results with VirtueRF because you are building collagen” Dr. Torkian explains. “But by the time we have you in for your second treatment, we are already seeing the benefits. People with an eye for subtlety will see those changes faster, but within three or four months, we’re seeing clear improvement.”

In terms of timing, it’s recommended that you wait a few months after you’re done nursing to begin these treatments. 

“We do insist that you’re done nursing for a few months,” Dr. Torkian explains. “There’s a lot of hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and nursing, and as they return to their previous levels, issues like hyperpigmentation can be more difficult to manage. Additionally, your weight may fluctuate during this time, and we want to make sure that we’re actually starting from your base line.”