Skin laxity: RF microneedling, Evolve X, and what the consultation looks at

One morning, in the bathroom mirror, your jawline looks less defined than it used to. Or it's the upper arms, or the stomach, that no longer hold quite the same way despite an active life. Skin laxity rarely shows up overnight, and it's often a photo that makes you notice. The next question is almost always the same: what can be done, without going through surgery?

At SHAY Esthétique, in Ahuntsic, two treatments answer that question, and they don't compete with each other: they don't work in the same place. Here's what each one targets, what neither of them does, and what the consultation looks at before suggesting one or the other.

First, the area: face or body

Skin laxity has several causes, often combined: natural aging, weight changes, collagen loss. It can affect the face as well as the body. Non-invasive technologies can improve it, but results depend on how pronounced it is: mild laxity and marked laxity don't present the same way.

At the clinic, the first thing that points the way is simple: where the laxity is. On the face, neck and décolleté, we look at radiofrequency microneedling, done with Potenza™. On the body, on the abdomen, arms, thighs or buttocks, we look at Evolve X. That's only a starting point: precise suitability is always confirmed at the consultation.

Face, neck, décolleté: RF microneedling

Potenza™ combines fine needles with radiofrequency energy. The needles pass through the surface of the skin and deliver that energy into its deeper layers, to stimulate collagen. The surface is passed through, not stripped: most of the work happens further down. That's why this treatment is used for skin quality and firmness, and why its page lists mild to moderate laxity of the jawline, neck or décolleté.

Depth and intensity are set according to your skin and the area treated: a neck isn't worked like a cheek. A numbing cream is applied before the session for your comfort, and the time it needs is included in the appointment, which runs about an hour. Redness is possible for one to a few days, and you leave with care and sun-protection instructions. Results are progressive, over several weeks.

On the body: Evolve X

Evolve X is a non-invasive body remodeling technology: no surgery, no incision. The device treats the targeted area to act on the skin and tissues, and its page lists it for mild to moderate body laxity, on the abdomen, arms, thighs or buttocks. During the session, you're settled in comfortably and the applicators are placed on the area; the sensation is often described as a diffuse warmth, adjusted to your comfort.

Session length varies by area; it's confirmed at the consultation. There's generally no downtime: you go back to your usual day right after, though mild redness or a feeling of warmth on the treated area is still possible. One point deserves to be said plainly: Evolve X targets firmness and the appearance of the silhouette. It isn't a slimming treatment, and it replaces neither diet nor physical activity.

What the consultation looks at

For both treatments, the assessment isn't a formality: it decides whether we start, and with what. In practice, here's what it looks at:

• The area that bothers you, and what you'd like to change there: that's what points toward Potenza™ or toward Evolve X.
• How pronounced the laxity is, because results depend on it. Both treatment pages talk about mild to moderate laxity.
• Your skin and the area, which are used to set Potenza™ depth and intensity; for Evolve X, the protocol is set according to the area and your goal.
• Anything that could rule the treatment out: for both, some conditions may, and we tell you before we start.
• Your expectations, so they stay realistic: we tell you what's reasonable to expect, not what's pleasant to hear.

What neither of them does

Neither Potenza™ nor Evolve X replaces surgery. These are non-invasive approaches, and their results vary from person to person. If your goal goes beyond what a non-invasive treatment can reasonably offer, we'd rather tell you at the consultation than let you start a series that wouldn't meet your expectation.

Neither of them is designed as a one-off session, either. A series of sessions is generally recommended, because the improvement builds over time. The number is never promised in advance: the plan is set with you, based on the area and your goal. And nobody here will quote you a number of inches or a face that looks “so many years younger”.

If you're torn between the two, or unsure whether your laxity calls for one or the other, that's exactly what a consultation at the clinic in Ahuntsic is for: looking at the area, assessing your skin, checking that nothing rules the treatment out, and telling you honestly what's reasonable to expect. You leave with an answer, even if it's no. The Potenza™ RF microneedling page and the Evolve X page detail how a session runs and the precautions; prices are on the Prices page.