XERF™ Skin Tightening in London

XERF™ (Extended Energy Radio Frequency) is a non-surgical skin tightening treatment developed by Cynosure Lutronic, described by its makers as Structural Skin Tightening. It is the world’s first multifrequency monopolar RF treatment, delivering radiofrequency energy into the shallow, middle and deep layers of the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin and restore firmness from within, with no needles, no numbing and no downtime.

XERF is available at Facial Sculpting, 313 Brompton Road, South Kensington, London SW3 2DY, a short walk from South Kensington and Knightsbridge. Treatments are carried out by Dr Nina Bal and her clinical team after a face to face consultation, and the clinic is Save Face Platinum accredited.

At Facial Sculpting, XERF is £2,600 per session for the face and £3,000 per session for the face and neck. The number of sessions you need depends on your individual skin condition and goals and is planned with you at consultation, where your exact plan and price are confirmed in writing before anything goes ahead, with no obligation to proceed.

It depends on your skin and what you want to change, so the number is agreed with you at consultation rather than sold as a fixed package. The clinical images on this page show results after one treatment and after two treatments. Your plan is reviewed as your collagen response develops, and we will tell you if further sessions are unlikely to add much.

Conventional radiofrequency treatments work at a single frequency and a fixed depth. XERF is multifrequency, so it reaches the shallow, middle and deep layers of the skin in the same treatment. It combines that with Wave Fit™ pulse technology and Integrated Cryogen Delivery (ICD) cooling, which monitors your skin temperature in real time and keeps the treatment comfortable without needles or numbing.

RF microneedling delivers radiofrequency through fine needles that pass into the skin, which suits texture, scarring and firmness and involves some recovery. XERF delivers radiofrequency through the surface of the skin with no needles and no downtime, and is aimed at structural tightening of the face, jawline and neck. Both are offered at the clinic, and which one suits you is decided at consultation, not in advance. You can read about our RF microneedling treatment too.

HIFU uses focused ultrasound to lift at specific depths and suits mild to moderate laxity of the brow, jaw and neck. XERF uses multifrequency radiofrequency across three depths in one session and is aimed at overall structural tightening with no downtime. They are different tools rather than better or worse, and Dr Nina will recommend one over the other based on your skin, your anatomy and your goals. Our HIFU page explains that route in full.

No. Comfort is built into the treatment. XERF feels warm and comfortable thanks to ICD cooling and Wave Fit™ pulses, and unlike many tightening treatments there are no needles and no numbing required. Your practitioner sets the intensity to you across ten levels and adjusts it during the session.

A session usually takes about 45 minutes, although this varies with the areas being treated. There is no numbing time to add beforehand and no recovery time afterwards, so most patients are in and out within the hour.

No. You can resume most daily activities immediately after treatment, which is one of the reasons XERF fits easily into a working week. There is short aftercare to follow: leave the skin alone for two to three hours, no make-up or exercise for 24 hours, no hot baths, saunas or swimming for 72 hours, and daily SPF 50 for two to three weeks. Mild redness is normal and usually settles within 24 hours.

Patients describe an immediately tighter feeling in the skin straight after treatment. The visible change builds gradually as collagen rebuilds in the treated layers over the following weeks, so XERF is a progressive result rather than an instant transformation. Individual results vary and are discussed openly at consultation.

Radiofrequency tightening works by stimulating your own collagen, so how long the result holds depends on your skin, your age, your genetics and how you look after your skin afterwards. Skin continues to age after any treatment, so results are maintained rather than permanent. We plan reviews with you and will recommend a maintenance interval based on what your skin actually does, not on a fixed schedule.

Yes. XERF is used across the face, the jawline and the neck, and the face and neck can be treated together in the same session. Loss of jawline definition and neck laxity are two of the most common reasons patients ask about it. You can read more about jawline definition and jowls and sagging skin and laxity.

The manufacturer describes XERF as appropriate for all skin types, and each treatment is tailored to your skin profile using three depth settings and ten intensity levels. Your individual suitability is always confirmed at a face to face consultation, where your medical history and skin are assessed properly.

XERF is not the right treatment where there is significant excess skin or advanced sagging that needs surgical assessment, and it is generally avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding, over an active infection or skin condition in the treatment area, and with certain implants, devices or medical conditions identified at consultation. If you are expecting a surgery level lift from a non-invasive treatment, we will tell you plainly that XERF cannot do that.

XERF is non-invasive and the handpiece monitors your skin temperature in real time through the Spider Tip applicator, with Integrated Cryogen Delivery cooling the skin as energy is delivered. As with any medical aesthetic procedure there are still risks, most commonly temporary warmth, redness or tenderness that settles quickly. Careful assessment, personalised settings and an experienced clinical team matter, and your individual risks are discussed openly before you consent to anything.

Often, yes, and that is usually where it works best. XERF is planned alongside treatments such as Profhilo®, Endolift® and EMFACE® where they address something XERF does not. Sequencing and timing are planned at consultation so treatments support each other rather than compete.

Yes. A consultation is required before any XERF treatment, to assess your skin, facial anatomy, medical history and goals, and to confirm whether XERF is the right option or whether another treatment would serve you better. You leave with your plan and exact pricing in writing and no obligation to proceed.