Are you looking up pain after booking Secret RF?

First, for those saying Secret hurts

For those saying it doesn't hurt,

the timing of the numbing cream is important.

(The energy and depth settings of Secret matter too!)

I'll explain why in this article.

What exactly is different about this?

With Secret RF, tiny needles enter the skin,

then deliver radiofrequency (RF) heat from their tips.

It directly stimulates the dermis

to induce collagen remodeling.

Unlike the commonly compared InMode or Thermage,

Secret RF has the needles directly puncture the skin.

So it heats the surface relatively less

and targets only the deeper dermis.

Because of this "going through" part

there are especially many questions about pain.

Why is it that some people can tolerate the same procedure?

"Does Secret RF hurt? From the numbing cream to the day-of-procedure routine, everything honestly revealed."

— Director Wi Youngjin (Beauty Stone Clinic, Hongdae)

Key point


The pain from Secret RF is less about the device settings


and more about the numbing cream application time.


More than 70% of the difference in how it feels comes down to that.

Honestly,

at first I wasn't sure this was right either,

but after a few hundred cases, I became convinced.

Last month, I did a procedure that took about 47 minutes,

and among those, there were three people who said,

"I got it done elsewhere and it hurt so much

I almost gave up halfway through."

The common point was one thing.

They had only left the numbing cream on for about 20 minutes

Secret RF needles are usually

adjusted to go in from 0.5mm to 3.5mm deep.

But numbing cream (lidocaine + prilocaine type)

has to pass through the stratum corneum

to penetrate into the upper dermis

and needs at least 40~60 minutes.

With only 20 minutes of cream,

only the epidermis is lightly numbed,

so even when the needles go in 1.5mm,

the "tingling" pain comes through as is.

On the other hand, if you leave it on long enough for 45 minutes or more

even at the same depth, it changes to more of a "pressure" sensation.

When those three came back to us,

we started after leaving the numbing cream on for 50 minutes,

and they said, "Is this really the same procedure?"

It was the same Secret RF device.

Director Wi Youngjin's key takeaway


If Secret RF felt painful to you,


before blaming the device,


first look at the anesthesia protocol.


With enough numbing time + depth adjustment by area,


just by following those two things


the pain drops to a "tolerable" level.

This is how I divide it in the treatment room

It varies by case,

but this is usually how I guide it.

But this isn't entirely a good thing.

If the numbing cream is left on too long,

the skin temporarily turns pale,

and in rare cases, irritant contact dermatitis can occur.

So we usually don't go beyond 50 minutes.

That said, for people especially sensitive to pain,

it's still the most reliable option.

Routine I give on the day of treatment

A lot of people misunderstand this,

On the day of treatment, it's not that doing more makes you more comfortable

it's that touching it less speeds recovery.

· 3~4 hours after treatment: no face washing, soothe with a cold towel

· In the evening: gently wash with lukewarm water, use only regenerative cream

· From the next day: sunscreen is a must, no exfoliation for 5 days

· Exercise, sauna, and alcohol: at least 3 days

The three questions I get most in the treatment room

Q1. If it hurts during the procedure, can I ask for anesthesia in the middle?

A. Of course.

In fact, please don't endure it and tell us right away.

Through nerve anesthesia,

we can make up for what the cream anesthesia lacks

But waiting 10 minutes after anesthesia is essential..ㅠ

Q2. How many sessions until I see results, and what about the interval?

A. Usually, results are visible after 3 sessions at 3-week intervals.

Secret is,

because it uses a fractional approach, you need to do it 3 times

to cover half of the face.

It's similar to dotting

Q3. What side effects or precautions are there?

A. There is one thing I absolutely need to mention,

For 2~3 days after treatment, the needle marks remain like dots.

If you aggressively cover them with makeup,

folliculitis can develop.

Also, if you are exposed to sunlight as is,

there is a risk of pigmentation,

so you really need to apply sunscreen carefully.

If anything is confusing, I'll look at it directly in the treatment room and guide you. This was Wi Youngjin.