Kate Demolder: This €750 no-needle treatment is beloved by celebs, but is it worth it?

Is prevention better than cure? Secret RF users think so

Thu, 13 Jun, 2024 - 15:09

Kate Demolder

It’s tempting to think that all of our skin concerns can be resolved with a single product.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. What we can do, however, is combine an effective skincare routine with a new wave of cutting-edge treatments.

Pre-emptive treatments — the kind that boost one’s own natural supply of collagen — can cater to a myriad of skin issues; from thinning to pigmentation to the appearance of jowls.

Among the top of this list is Secret RF, which everyone from David Beckham to Kim Kardashian purport to be fans of.

What is it?

Secret RF is a new, needle-free treatment that harnesses radio frequency and micro-needling to stimulate the production of collagen and skin renewal.

A unique system, it uses micro-needles to deliver fractional radio frequency energy to varying levels of the skin, coagulating the blood and creating haemostasis.

This then causes the blood to become thicker, replicating the same action as collagen within the body.

This can be tailored to your specific needs, be they fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks or acne scars.

Kate Demolder, immediately after her first session of Secret RF

The treatment

I attended the Skin Coach on Dublin’s South William St, where head therapist Ciara Darcy explained that the device uses 25 tiny pinhead needles which puncture the skin.

This controlled skin injury triggers the skin’s healing response to kickstart collagen and regeneration.

My primary concerns were to address acne scarring, large pores and uneven skin texture; mainly on my chin after two decades of hormonal acne. Numbing cream was applied and left for 30 minutes to kick in, and then Ciara went at it.

She used the needles on every inch of the skin on my face and neck.

The first round is easy, as the skin is already cool. The second round is hotter and can feel slightly uncomfortable on the forehead where the skin is closest to bone, and around the lips where most of us are particularly sensitive. But Ciara moves to the next location quickly, so there is little time to consider it.

All in all, the treatment took between 30-40 minutes.

If I could compare the sensation at its worst to anything, I might liken it to a light sunburn.

This feeling will linger and dissipate after about an hour, and you’ll gradually grow less pink in the hour or two after that (For me, someone with quite reactive skin, I was completely back to normal in three hours).

Aftercare was simply to avoid makeup for 24 hours, wear sun cream, and stick to a basic skincare routine — a gentle cleanser, no acids, and a light moisturiser. It’s also advised to avoid swimming, saunas and anything that would bring heat to the skin for 48 hours.

Kate Demolder, during a second session of Secret RF

The results

It can take up to three months from your first treatment to see the full results, but initial results can be seen after six weeks.

I had my first treatment in January, and my third and final treatment in May.

I’ve noticed a smoothness around where large pores around my nose were, and my neck skin — particularly where I was noticing jowls — to be tauter.

Friends have commented that my skin also looks clearer and way more plump. I’ll see my full results in about September. But, so far so good.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to supercharge their routine but doesn’t want to go down the injectables route.

Perhaps you have a scar on your face you’d like to be lessened, or the remnants of years of acne punctured into your chin, or even have simply just noticed laxity around your jawline and eyes? If that sounds like you, Secret RF is an excellent shout.