EmbraceRF Facial Remodeling
Hello and welcome to the GVMD blog. In this article, I will review the EmbraceRF Facial Remodeling platform. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Glenn Vallecillos, MD, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA. Recently, my practice was one of the first in Los Angeles and the United States to introduce EmbraceRF. Of note, the Embrace RF Regional Facial Remodeling platform is a minimally-invasive aesthetic treatment for the face and neck, combining the disruptive technologies of Morpheus8, VASER-assisted, and FaceTite. When used in conjunction and strategically, this platform creates a transformative facial rejuvenation without the need for scars.
I have named the customized treatments Embrace Volumetric Regional Facial Remodeling or VRFR because its capabilities do just that: Remodel the facial volume while tightening the skin. Before I delve into the benefits of the EmbraceRF Regional Facial Remodeling treatment, allow me to quickly review facial aging, how its managed with facial fillers, and why facial fillers alone only offer a limited solution to facial rejuvenation.
Facial Fillers and False Promises:
There is an abstraction with non-surgical facial rejuvenation and facial fillers. The notion at first site seems reasonable enough. However, there is no real long-term solution with injectable fillers alone. Only illusory. A marketing construct, if you will.
Facial fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane, have been marketed by its manufacturers such as Allergan and Galderma, and idealized by social media, to offer a comprehensive platform of facial rejuvenation without the need for surgical incisions. You have a fold, you fill it. You have a wrinkle, you fill it. You have a hollow, you fill it. Your lips are thin, you fill them. Simply fill it in with fillers and presto, you look great! Problem solved – but not so fast.
Facial Aging
The problem with the “injectable filler” mindset lies in the very source of facial aging, which most aesthetic clinicians have a fairly poor understanding of. Facial aging is a complex, multifactorial process which involves loss of facial volume in the way of thinning skin, muscle, and even bone associated with soft-tissue descent, or the slow migration of your face in a downward direction, thanks to gravity. With that, the differential migration of several facial fat pads, which help sustain a youthful look when one is young, but create obvious signs of facial aging as we get older (eg. tear trough deformities or eye hollowing, deepening nasolabial folds, heavier jowls, just to name a few).
Facial Aging – Hollowing tear troughs and deepening jowls
The Limitations of Facial Fillers
While injectable fillers have come a long way from the days of collagen, they still have their limitations. Example: Facial fillers, are without a doubt, the best choices for filling in fine lines and plumping lips. They do a great job of masking tear troughs ( as seen above), building cheekbones and jaw lines, and even filling in hollowed temples.
The limitations of facial fillers occur when they are used incorrectly, the most common examples being: Filling in nasolabial folds and jowls. Why?: As we get older, our faces fall and we slowly develop more facial volume in the lower face. Quite simply known as the Pyramid of Youth, the photo below demonstrates the effects aging has on the volume distribution of our face. This most commonly presents with heavier jowls, and deeper nasolabial folds.
Why consider EmbraceRF and why remodel facial volume?
The EmbraceRF Regional Facial Remodeling platform presents a paradigm shift in aesthetic medicine. The combination treatment of VASER-assisted, FaceTite, and Morpheus8 allow aesthetic clinicians to accurately and strategically reduce unwanted volume while tightening skin. The technology offers a truly customizable treatment based on the patient’s needs and goals.
Below are two short videos which demonstrate the how the Morpheus8 and VASER-assisted / FaceTite devices allow surgeons to remodel the face without the need for large incisions.
How to integrate EmbraceRF into the Facial Rejuvenation Armamentarium
EmbraceRF Regional Facial Remodeling offers a plethora of treatment options in the face ( and beyond ): The most common areas we address on the face include the eyelid region, where eyelid skin eyebags can be treated without the need for large incisions; the nasolabial folds and jowls, which can be reduced with a combination treatment of VASER-assisted and Morpheus8 under a local anesthetic, and the neck, where excessive neck skin can be tightened while also destroying unwanted fat with FaceTite and Morpheus8.
A common approach I like to offer patients who aren’t quite ready for a facelift is prepping the face and neck with FaceTite and Morpheus8. The treatments not only improve the facial contour, but the value to a patient who may need a facelift in the future is that the treatment helps to strengthen and rejuvenate the skin prior to a facelift by promoting collagen and elastin stimulation. This benefits a facelift patient because the EmbraceRF primed skin will be healthier and stronger, allowing for a more longstanding result once the facelift procedure is performed.
While EmbraceRF can be used to accurately target specific areas of aging, in my practice, we commonly incorporate the treatment with other facial rejuvenation procedures such as a ICELID, MINT Lift, and nano-fat transfer to the face, to provide a full complement of effect.
For more information on the EmbraceRF Regional Facial Remodeling Treatment and to find out if this technology may benefit you, kindly fill in the information below and one of our aesthetic specialists will contact you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many years have you been a practicing plastic surgeon?
My first year out of residency was in 2005
Describe your philosophy and approach to cosmetic enhancement and treatment of patients
Philosophy: Superior advice predicated upon evidence-based medicine, innovative insight, and efficient execution.
Treatment goals: Create a natural-appearing, balanced aesthetic enhancement that complements the patient’s unique features.
What’s most important to you when treating patients?
Comfort and security: We strive to achieve the ultimate customer experience. In surgery, much like professional sports, talent typically prevails. Championships however, are won by the teams who subscribe to organizational excellence. Accordingly, with good surgical planning and sound judgment, the majority of routine surgeries follow fairly predictable outcomes. Hence, customer service makes the experience complete. That’s what ultimately differentiates you as a surgeon from the masses. And that is our goal: to exceed our clients expectations.
What does a consultation with you entail?
Initially, patient information is gathered including photographs, salient medical history, and aesthetic goals. Next, I perform a comprehensive consultation utilizing videos and interactive patient education software. Following the consultation, the patient reviews the surgical procedure, peri-operative plans, and financials with the surgical consultant.
What steps does your office take to augment comfort?
We offer several features to augment comfort: A VIP waiting area, complimentary beverage menu, and Wi-Fi connectivity, and complementary usage of iPads.