What actually happens during a XERF session
Thirty minutes of numbing, then radiofrequency for as long as the area needs, and new collagen that forms over the following three months. Here is what a session contains.
Alla Yusim, RN, MSN, FNPAesthetic medicine · 7819 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11214The appointment starts with about 30 minutes of topical numbing; treatment time then depends on the area being treated. The treatment contracts existing collagen straight away, and new collagen keeps forming over the following three months. It is priced per area — from $1,000 for the lower face to $2,500 for full face & neck — as a single treatment or a package of two spaced 6–8 weeks apart, reassessed at the three-month mark.
Before the device is switched on
Alla first assesses laxity along the jaw, neck and cheeks and decides whether XERF, Virtue RF, or a combination of the two fits what you are dealing with. XERF is chosen for laxity — skin that has loosened — not for lost volume.
The first 30 minutes: numbing
XERF is a monopolar radiofrequency device made by Lutronic Corporation and cleared by the FDA in August 2025 (510(k) K251327) as an electrosurgical device for electrocoagulation and hemostasis; the clearance does not name skin tightening. At SkinScience NY, full topical numbing is applied before every session.
The treatment itself
The device delivers two frequencies, 6.78 MHz and 2 MHz, through a handpiece, while a return pad on your back completes the circuit. The energy heats the deeper layers of skin: existing collagen contracts, and the heat triggers new collagen and elastin to form over the following weeks. With numbing, it feels warm and tolerable. How long this takes depends on the area — a jawline is quicker than a full body plan.
The 24 to 48 hours after
Expect redness and warmth for 24 to 48 hours. It is non-invasive — no needles, no surgery. Aftercare is short:
- SPF 30+ daily, no exceptions, for two weeks
- No retinoids or acids for five days
Weeks 4 to 12
Some tightening is visible straight away; the main change is the new collagen that forms over the following weeks. That is why XERF is judged at three months rather than at two weeks — it is when this practice reassesses, and the last follow-up point in the published study.
What this session is not
It is not a facelift. Past a certain point of laxity, radiofrequency cannot do what surgery does, and the assessment says so. The study above is small, uncontrolled and followed patients for three months, which is not a basis for promising more than that.
Common questions
Does it hurt?
With full topical numbing, which is used here, it feels warm and tolerable. In the published study, where most patients had no local anaesthetic, the average pain score was 4.3 out of 10, and two of the sixteen rated it 7 or 8.
What is the downtime?
Redness and warmth for 24–48 hours. It is non-invasive: no needles, no surgery.
How many sessions?
A single treatment, or a package of two spaced 6–8 weeks apart, then reassessed at three months — decided at the consultation. The published study used a single session.
Sources
This guide is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace an in-person assessment. Treatments described are performed by Alla Yusim, RN, MSN, FNP at Skin in Focus, LLC, 7819 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11214.
Ask Alla Yusim directly.
A consultation is thirty minutes, complimentary for new clients, and ends with a plan and a price — not a package you did not ask for.