What are the FORMA Lift and FORMA Plus Treatments?
The FORMA Lift procedure can treat sagging skin on the entire face and neck and reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, lower eyelid bags, nasolabial folds, jowls and smile lines. FORMA is safe for use on all skin types and is ideal for individuals looking for a non-invasive and natural approach to skin lifting, tone, texture and irregularities. As your skin ages, it loses elasticity, thins, and the texture becomes uneven. FORMA delivers finely controlled deep heating to stimulate collagen, improve skin elasticity, to lift and tighten the skin.
What are the benefits of a FORMA treatment?
With the advancements in radio frequency thermal treatments like FORMA Lift & FORMA Plus, you will notice immediate improvements in your skin texture, tightness and a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Enjoy renewed confidence with smoother and tightened skin
- Reduce deep wrinkles and improve fine lines and wrinkles
- FORMA Lift & FORMA Plus are safe for all skin types
- Almost immediate visible improvement that only gets better with time.
- Accelerate collagen production by the application of a thermal wrinkle treatment in addition to contracting the skin.
- Wear sleeveless tops, shorts and bathing suits again with confidence
- Both are non-invasive treatments with minimal discomfort
- Enjoy a youthful and more toned skin contour
- Long lasting skin tightening and smoothing of wrinkles
- No expensive surgery or downtime
How does the FORMA treatment work?
FORMA is the first auto-adjusting, non-invasive, thermal skin treatment for deep and uniform tissue stimulation. FORMA uses radio-frequency power that flows uniformly between the electrodes to provide a comfortable thermal experience with immediate and subsequent contraction. This advanced treatment stimulates the formation of new collagen and improves the skin’s elasticity for long-lasting and remarkable results. The technology used for the face and body are the same, but the handpieces differ in size; a larger handpiece for the body and a smaller handpiece for the face. FORMA offers two configurations of non-invasive sub dermal heating for collagen remodeling; RF current flows between electrodes to provide a comfortable thermal experience while the built-in ACE (Aquire, Control, Extend) temperature controls allow for the attainment of clinically proven optimal epidermal temperatures.
Is FORMA Treatment Right for Me?
FORMA is for clients of all skin types and is appropriate for individuals seeking a non-invasive and natural looking approach to improving body contours, facial wrinkles and skin laxity. This treatment can fit into any lifestyle and beauty regimen. This treatment is clinically proven to be absolutely comfortable and safe while easily managed into your routine. FORMA can be used in areas that demonstrate fine or deep wrinkles with or without skin laxity and can be used on the face (FORMA Lift) or on the body (FORMA Plus). Clients have reported that their skin feels smoother and more defined with less wrinkles after a full series of this procedure.
How many treatments are required?
Our facility recommends six FORMA treatments, spaced at about one week apart.
What can I expect at my FORMA Treatment?
Prior to treatment, all makeup, creams and lotions will be cleaned from the treatment area, and pre-procedure photos will be taken. After the face has been cleansed, your trained laser technician will begin the treatment by applying the FORMA handpiece to the treatment area with customized energy settings and patterns for your individual skin. The procedure itself takes about 30 minutes to an hour for the full face, and about 45 minutes to one hour for larger areas of the body depending on the client’s specific conditions. FORMA is an essentailly painless procedure with no downtimes due to its precise technology and deep-layer targeting of the skin. Clients have even reported that the heated handpiece sensation is comparable to a warm massage! Slight redness in the treatment area is common post-procedure, and this subsides within a few hours.
The FORMA Lift and FORMA Plus Handpieces
What can I expect after treatment?
Immediately after treatment, you may experience some redness and swelling, but both typically diminish in about 48 hours. Over the next few days, you may experience some itchiness or skin sensitivity (to touch or temperature). Both are indications of the natural rejuvenation process and typically diminish within a week post treatment. During this time, exercise increased care of the treated area.
Your therapist will go over post-care and a skin care regimen to help you maintain your rejuvenation results with FORMA. It is very important to wear a minimum SPF of 30 when going outdoors.
Can FORMA be used in combination with other treatments?
Yes, FORMA can be used in the same treatment session, or a few days after other treatments. Many FORMA clients will combine this treatment with our Fractora Advanced RF Micro-Needling Treatment, creating the ultimate skin renovation treatment that addresses all in-demand facial concerns including skin laxity, uneven skin tone, uneven skin texture, wrinkles and pigmentation. Fillers and other Injectable treatments provided by Dr. Kurz can also be combined with this treatment for an even more pleasing results and to simultaneously address the 3 Ds of aging skin. Read our blog on injectable dermal fillers here, or our blog on Botulinum toxin here on Dr. Kurz’s site.
Are there side effects or possible complications?
Your technician will provide you with specific instructions about what to expect for your particular treatment and how to minimize side effects. Some possible side effects include local pain, skin redness (erythema), swelling (edema), damage to the natural skin texture (crust, blister, burn), change of skin pigmentation (hyper or hypo pigmentation), and scarring.
Hyperpigmentation (darkening of skin) is a possible but rare complication of the FORMA treatment. If you have a history of hyperpigmentation, your laser technician will discuss this with you at your personalized consult. If hyperpigmentation occurs, it usually starts about 4 weeks after a treatment and is generally very reversible. Sometimes, it is just the way some people’s bodies respond to skin stress states. Low dose hydroquinone cream (2 – 4%) – applied sparingly to the hyperpigmented areas, twice a day for 2 weeks, will typically improve this condition.
How quickly will I see results?
Visible results can be seen immediately, but typically after two weeks the most noticeable results will appear. Improvements continue up to three months after treatment. FORMA will improve many of the visible signs of aging such as wrinkles, as well as deeper skin laxity ; however, with the passage of time and with environmental exposure, skin ages as we do. If you are exposed to a lot of sun and do not use sunscreen, the underlying issues will return sooner. We encourage our clients and provide directions to follow an effective preventative skin care regime and keep it protected from the sun, so that the skin will continue to look younger and healthier. Quality sunscreen, hats and sunglasses are excellent protection for overall skin health.
Excellent results are also dependent on client compliance and lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. It is important to note that the FORMA treatment does not remove fat cells, but tightens lax skin for a more toned and defined appearance. Our clinic also offers TiteFx for non-invasive body contouring along with fat cell destruction, or BodyTite Radio-Frequency Assisted Liposuction for even more dramatic results. For more information regarding body contouring with liposuction, read this informative article by clicking here.
With all medical aesthetic procedures, more dramatic results can be expected with stronger and more invasive treatment modalities. For more information on BodyTite RF Assisted Liposuction, please call the doctor’s line at (250) 561-7224 or visit our sister site www.kurzplasticsurgery.ca.
