Combining RF, ultrasound — and AI — for skin rejuvenation

MANILA, Philippines — At a certain age, one realizes that face creams or lotions are not enough to prevent wrinkles and the dreaded sagging on one’s face. Celebrities and young influencers may credit drinking lots of water or getting sleep to their taut, glowing, youthful faces, but the true beauty secret is their (at least) monthly visits to their favorite clinics. Cosmetic procedures used to be a low-key, highly furtive, even top secret endeavor that people would deny doing, but the industry has changed so much over the years. The age of aggressive facelifts and chunky fillers seems to be fading, as people have become more interested in safe, effective, and natural-looking procedures. Instead of overhauling one’s face to fit a certain standard, people are more knowledgeable and careful about anti-aging and beauty.

As we grow older, our bodies naturally stop producing as much collagen and elastin, and without this natural structure and elasticity in our skin, we start to see wrinkling, sagging and drooping.

Some basic procedures that help stimulate collagen would be exfoliating ones like chemical peels and microdermabrasion, but energy-based treatments, like radiofrequency (RF) or ultrasound treatments, have become gold standard in non-surgical skin rejuvenation. These treatments deliver their heat or energy underneath the skin’s surface, naturally initiating your own body to produce more collagen.

I’ve been slathering on sunscreen since my teenage years and retinol since my early 30s, and I still see gravity slowly pulling my face lower, and my laugh lines growing deeper. Seeing myself in Zoom meetings has become incredibly distracting and depressing, so I’ve been researching what treatments I can do to start boosting the collagen before it rapidly deteriorates out of control and leaves me with jowls. Of course, aside from them being safe and effective, it’s important that they’re easy to fit into my lifestyle, don’t require any downtime, and relatively affordable.

Recently, cosmetic clinic Luminisce Holistic Skin Innovations launched the newest and advanced technology Exion as part of their portfolio, manufactured and distributed by BTL Aesthetics.

Founded by Dr. Kaycee Reyes, Luminisce Holistic Skin clinics are known and trusted for their holistic approach to beauty, combining state-of-the-art treatments with science-backed preventive and regenerative medical practices. A quick look at their services shows you they have familiar but also credible treatments: ultrasound treatment Ultherapy, RF therapy Thermage, as well as biostimulators like Scuptra, Rejuran and Profhilo.

I visited Luminisce in Molito, Alabang to find out more about Exion and got to ask questions to Luminisce’s Doc Pauline, and while it’s being touted as a gamechanger because of its AI-driven technology, what makes Exion unique and interesting to me is its combination of RF and targeted ultrasound energy delivered simultaneously. I always thought I had to choose: ultrasound treatments typically target deeper and more precisely and can provide substantial lifting and tightening, but results usually show up three to six months after.

RF treatments don’t go as deep but still are able to deliver bulk heat in deep layers of the skin, focusing on improving skin texture and tightness. But as Doc Pauline explained, with Exion, you have both of the technologies working. The combination delivers both thermal and mechanical stimulation to our fibroblasts (the cells that manufacture and maintain connective tissue and collagen), which creates natural hyaluronic acid production, along with collagen and elastin synthesis. This also allows Exion to address skin laxity and localized fat deposits in both the face and body.

After a quick and relaxing cleanse in the clinic, I told my therapist Rui about my primary concerns: my laugh lines and my slightly saggy cheeks. She decided to focus the treatment on my cheeks and a little bit on the jawline. After applying a gel over the area, she started the procedure, which had her taking the handpiece of Exion and running it over my cheeks and jaw. It felt like she was running a small, targeted, and extremely warm iron all over my face. She shared that the AI in the machine was keeping tabs on the temperature needed and adjusting it accordingly.

“When the handpiece is on your skin, the AI is able to detect the temperature that the machine is producing and what your skin is feeling,” explained Doc Pauline. “So when it gets too hot, there are no chances of burning your skin.”

The treatment wasn’t painful per se, but I could definitely feel the wand getting hotter and hotter against my skin, almost to the brink of a burn, but never actually getting to that point.

The treatment only required six minutes on each side of the face, and there was an immediate cosmetic effect: I could see the laugh lines had blurred a bit, and there was a little more tightness. Doc Pauline said I would see more effects as time went by, and the more I did it. The whole session lasted about 45 minutes, and aside from a little redness on the face immediately after, there was no downtime. I went straight back to work and worked out a couple of hours later.

Exion is perfect for those who may not be seeing major issues yet, but want to already jump-start their skincare and rejuvenation.

“It’s for anyone who wants tightening and also contouring,” said Doc Pauline. It may not go as deep or be as potent as major treatments like Thermage or Ultherapy, but Exion is definitely a great and effective option.

Aside from the face, people can get Exion treatments on their body, especially on the arms and thighs.

The great thing about Exion treatments is that if you have a special occasion you’re trying to look your best for, you can get treatments weekly for three to five weeks and see the effect immediately.

“You can do [Exion] every week if you’re in a hurry for an event!” said Doc Pauline. “But if it’s for maintenance, two to four weeks is okay.”

Best of all, a full face treatment is around P10,000, so a targeted treatment like mine would cost P4,000 to P5,000.

Aside from their basic RF, Exion has an additional technology called RF Fractional AI, where they attach a unique head that adds microneedling technology to the RF which helps skin texture. “Since it has needles, it’s able to penetrate deeper,” says Doc Pauline. “So if you want a tightened face and if you have acne scars or stretchmarks, even cellulite, it can help.”

Interestingly, they also have an additional technology called Emfemme 360° AI specifically targeting the feminine area. I’d never heard of energy-based treatments that address vaginal concerns and frankly, it sounded painful. But according to Doc Pauline, the AI technology still tracks the temperature, ensuring a safe and comfortable procedure for women.

With the best of both energy-based treatments — and a little bit of AI — I hope this will help manage and slow down my skin’s aging. At the very least, make me look better for Zoom meetings.

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Exion treatments are now available at Luminisce clinics in Molito, BGC, and Podium. For more information about Exion and other treatments, visit Luminisce clinics or follow @luminisce_official on Instagram and Facebook.