If you have, Viora‘s clinical team has put together the following for you.
The difference between Skin Rejuvenation (IPL) and Skin Tightening (RF) treatment?
Skin Rejuvenation (SR)
SR treatments are indicated to improve the overall appearance and quality of the skin. SR treatments normally address the dermal and epidermal layers as a whole without specific target cells. SR treatments can be performed in several modalities; microdermabrasion (mechanical exfoliation), chemical peels, laser resurfacing and IPL.
IPL SR treatments
Target cells for IPL SR treatments are the skin cells in the dermis. The purpose of the IPL SR treatment is to increase the temperature in the dermal layer in order to create a controlled tissue trauma and encourage the body’s healing process by producing new skin cells.
Research has shown that exposing the skin cells to a temperature of 580C and above for one second leads to thermal damage, resulting in replacement of the cells with newer ones (Figure 1).
With the Trios™ IPL system, the skin temperature rises to ~650C for 25msec, and repetitive heating of the same tissue produces adaptive (cumulative) results leading to optimal rejuvenation without removal or burning of the epidermal layer (unlike peeling or exfoliating rejuvenation treatments which injure the epidermis layer).
As during the IPL SR treatment we are replacing skin cells, the amount and quality of elastic fibers or collagen are not increased or improved. The skin’s general appearance is improved but this outcome should be maintained frequently to continue replacing the dermal cells.

Figure 1: Normal human skin cells were exposed to 620C for 1 second and examined after 24 hours. Cells were stained with LIVE/DEAD Kit to differentiate live (green) from dead (red) cells. In the control (Right) all the cells were alive, while after the exposure to 620C (Left) only 20% of the cells remained alive.
Skin Tightening (ST) with RF-based treatments
ST treatments differ from SR treatments in the purpose of the treatment and target cells. The purpose of ST treatments is to encourage the production of elastic fibers and connective tissue to improve skin elasticity.
RF based ST treatments
Target cells for the ST treatments are fibroblast cells located in the dermis. According to the stress model; to encourage fibroblast activity and gene expression of Collagen Type I and Type III, fibroblast cells must be heated to a temperature of 42°C for 4 minutes consecutively. The result of this process is popularly known as Collagen remodeling.
Using the Reaction™ ST applicator we are employing electromagnetic energy to produce a heat effect in the dermis where fibroblast cells are located. The multiple passes over the treatment area assure the cells remain at the effective temperature for 4 minutes. As a result, fibroblast cells increase their activity both to produce new connective tissue and replace existing or damaged tissue. The total amount of collagen in the skin is therefore increased and collagen quality is improved.
Thank you,
Viora Clinical Team