If you are starting to notice some looseness around your jowls and under your chin and you’re not loving it, then you have a new tool in your anti-aging arsenal to check out.
The new option is the Morpheus 8, a new and improved microneedling device which uses high radio frequency to transmit an electric current deep into your skin, to kickstart collagen production, which firms and tightens your face and/ or neck. The Morpheus 8 is named after the legendary character played by Laurence Fishburne, in The Matrix. Morpheus was named after the Greek God of Dreams, and no doubt the creators of the Morpheus 8 were hoping that it could help lots of future users achieve theirs.
Here’s why the Morpheus 8 is able to turn back time and make your face look more youthfully plump and naturally tighter.
“The microneedles are finer and go deeper into the skin — down 4 millimeters — and the deeper you go, the more collagen formulation you can stimulate,” explains NYC dermatologist Dr. Bruce Katz, the director of the Juva Skin & Laser Center. “The collagen tightens and firms up your skin.” [before & after pics below, left & right].
He adds that the 24 needles on the Morpheus 8 deliver an electric current which cause molecules in the deep skin layers to rotate, and the rotation of those molecules in the skin, creates heat in the tissue, which is what hyper activates the collagen production, says Dr. Katz.
There are two very strong positives about trying Morpheus 8 treatments for anyone who wants to look as young as they feel, no matter what their age. First, if you start, before you don’t already have too much looseness or sun damage, you can stave off further aging and reverse looseness, then maintain your young look for decades, according to Dr. Katz. “You can’t over tighten the skin and you can do treatments ad infinitum,” if you want.
The second major positive is cost. A facelift can run from $15,000- $30,000, depending on where you live today, and the experience of your surgeon. In contrast, a Morpheus 8 full face treatment is $700- $900, just jowls is $300- $500 and a neck treatment is also in the $700- $900 range. Patients generally require three to four treatments — one every three to four weeks. So while, they are not cheap, they are a fraction of the cost of facelift surgery, and there is no down time.
Treatments generally are 15- 20 minutes after numbing, which takes about 20- 25 minutes, and afterwards most people only have slight redness, which can easily be covered by makeup. No matter whether you are ready for microneedling treatments, which Dr. Katz says are so popular, he can’t keep the needles in stock, you can keep your skin from aging quickly, by wearing sunscreen daily. Results take a couple of months to be seen and full results require about six months because collagen production is a fairly slow process.
“You’d be alarmed at the difference in skin that’s been exposed to the sun — like your face and arms — compared to the skin on your butt,” points out Dr. Katz. “You can see the sun damage on exposed skin!”
If you are interested in trying the Morpheus 8, look for a dermatologist with the device in your area or contact the Juva Skin & Laser Center.