The aging process of the skin involves an accumulation of extrinsic and intrinsic factors that contribute to increasingly loose, sagging skin with pigmentary dyschromias. Though we have little control over the intrinsic factors (genetic and cellular) that cause our skin to age, the extrinsic factors – such as exposure to sun and its resultant U.V. radiation, and to environmental pollutants and contaminants, are things that we can minimize to maintain the youthful qualities of our skin. With chronological aging, however, even the most steadfast will experience thinning of the collagen and elastin within the dermis, a decrease in the subcutaneous fat under the skin, and thinner, more wrinkle-prone and lax skin.
Radiofrequency energy is formed by oscillation of electrical current in the 20 kHz to 300 GHz range. RF current has been applied in medicine for over 100 years, in applications as diverse as electrosurgery to magnetic-resonance imaging. Previous generation RF-based skin tightening devices such as Thermage delivered RF energy in a way that caused quite a bit of patient discomfort, thus limiting effective energy delivery to the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Oligio X delivers radiofrequency energy at a high frequency (6.78 Mhz) simultaneously with pulses of cooling gas, which allows for impedance matching with the deep skin layers while protecting the epidermis, and minimizing discomfort to the patient. The RF energy will efficiently heat the dermis and subcutaneous tissues to allow for maximal collagen formation and re-organization in safe manner.
