ReFirme treatments tighten a patient’s skin without the invasion and pain of a traditional facelift. While ReFirme is relatively painless and boasts a quick recovery time, usually less than one day, the procedure is not without its risks or complications. Prior to beginning or undergoing ReFirme treatments, it is important to know of the potential side effects and complications that could result.
Skin Swelling
Despite being intended to tighten skin, ReFirme treatments may cause a patient’s skin to swell. There is no prediction of which skin will swell or how long the swelling will last. Usually, swelling reduces over the course of a few days to a few weeks. However, because swelling stretches the skin, it may also counteract the treatment’s success. Possibly, the patient will see little to no results from the procedure.
Skin Redness
The treatment could also cause extensive redness on treated skin. While typically this redness disappears over time, there is no prediction or length of time that this redness takes to disappear. While red skin will most likely not reduce the procedure’s effectiveness, it could make the overall healing time longer and be quite embarrassing for the patient. Furthermore, because of the recent treatment, the patient may not be able to cover up any redness with makeup until it disappears.
Skin Tenderness
A patient’s skin can also become extremely tender following the ReFirme procedure. A little skin tenderness is a common side effect after the procedure, but some patients will experience larger than normal sensitivity. While this condition is usually treatable with over the counter pain medications, it could last for several days to weeks. Speak to your doctor if your skin remains extremely sensitive or is very painful two to three days post-treatment.
Treatment Failure
In some more serious cases, ReFirme may not produce the expected results or may not last as long as desired. This would mean that the patient would have to undergo additional treatments sooner than expected or might even resort to a more painful and invasive surgical skin tightening procedure. ReFirme treatments are expected to last as long as 18-24 months, but in certain cases where skin was extremely lax, treatments could last as little as twelve months. And, as with any cosmetic procedure, there is always the risk of the treatment not working.
Skin Bruising
ReFirme treatments use infrared light to tighten a patient’s skin. In some patients, this light may cause the skin to bruise. Bruising is uncommon, but can last for several weeks after treatment. While bruising will not normally reduce the procedure's effectiveness, if accompanied by swelling, it can stretch the patient’s skin, counteracting the treatment.
Excessive Skin Tightening
While many patients worry about the treatment not working, it is also possible for the treatment to work too well and cause the skin to become extremely tight. As the procedure is not permanent, this will recede over time, but it can be quite uncomfortable for the patient until that time. Applying lotions, aloe vera and using over-the-counter pain medications should relieve some of the discomfort.
