VIVACE

Vivace is a skin rejuvenation treatment that uses a combination of microneedling and radiofrequency (RF) energy to stimulate a healing process that boosts your natural collagen and elastin production.

Developed by Aesthetics Biomedical, this minimally invasive radiofrequency microneedling treatment can help make your skin firmer, tighter, and smoother over time. It also addresses a variety of skin concerns and signs of aging on the face and body, including:

wrinkles and fine lines

acne scars

large pore size

uneven skin tone and texture

crepey skin

stretch marks

mild skin laxity

Most doctors recommend a course of three to four treatments, spaced four to six weeks apart, for optimal results. This cadence aligns with the natural pace of skin cell turnover.

Pros

The combination of microneedling and radiofrequency energy delivers skin rejuvenation benefits beyond what either treatment offers alone.

It's intended to create both epidermal skin resurfacing and deeper dermal tissue remodeling.

A Vivace treatment can also include LED light therapy, with anti-inflammatory red light or bacteria-zapping blue light.

Reviewers on RealSelf give Vivace one of the highest Worth It Ratings of any RF microneedling treatment: 81%.

Many say the treatment was virtually pain-free with numbing cream.

There’s no downtime afterward (compared to more intense microneedling RF treatments like Profound RF, which can come with up to a week of social downtime).

Because Vivacemicroneedling RF delivers its radiofrequency energy to the skin’s deeper layers versus its surface, it’s safe and effective for all skin tones, with little risk of hyperpigmentation.

Cons

It's a commitment: as we mentioned above, providers recommend a series of three to four treatments, four to six weeks apart, for optimal results.

Results rely on cell regeneration and the development of new collagen and elastin, so you’ll have to wait several weeks after your treatment to start seeing an improvement, with final results appearing up to six months after your last session.

As with other noninvasive treatments, results aren't permanent; you'll need a follow-up treatment about every six months to maintain them. Over time, this can get expensive.

In inexperienced hands, microneedling RF treatments like Vivace can do long-term damage to the skin, making the texture rough, triggering skin darkening or lightening, and spurring breakouts that can lead to acne scars.

Some RealSelf members report seeing little to no difference in their skin after completing a full series of treatments.

The handheld Vivace device works by delivering radiofrequency energy as heat to the lower dermis layer of skin via tiny needles. The needles and heat create precise microdamage that jumpstarts your body’s cell-regeneration process.

In addition to speeding epidermal cell turnover, this natural healing process remodels your skin’s existing structural proteins—collagen and elastin—and stimulates the production of more.

Over time, skin becomes firmer, plumper, and smoother, with less obvious lines and an improvement in the appearance of scars and pore size.

By adding the heat of radiofrequency energy to traditional microneedling, Vivace delivers more intense skin rejuvenation benefits than microneedling alone. Vivace’s inclusion of red or blue LED light therapy also provides extra revitalization benefits.

“Microneedling with radiofrequency is far more effective than microneedling alone,” says Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. “When patients come in, I liken it to yoga versus pilates. If you are doing something to make you feel better on the inside and have a bit of improvement each time, do microneedling. But if you want to do something that will really make a quick and real difference, do microneedling with radiofrequency.”

Downtime (mainly redness) with both regular microneedling and Vivace will be about the same, though the latter could result in a bit more swelling during the healing process due to the RF heat.

The additional thermal energy also raises the Vivace’s risk profile. While radiofrequency microneedling is considered safe for all skin tones, it can still cause scarring and uneven pigmentation problems when used inappropriately.

Regardless of which treatment you go for, always see a licensed, experienced medical professional.

The results you see after a series of treatment sessions will last for about six months. Doctors on RealSelf recommend follow-up treatments every four to six months to maintain your results.

To prolong the benefits, use medical-grade skin care and wear sunscreen daily, with an SPF of 30 or higher.