Exilis Skin Tightening in Danville, CA
Exilis Skin Tightening in Danville, CA
Exilis is a non-invasive radiofrequency treatment platform used to heat tissue for wrinkle and skin-tightening applications.
Exilis is a machine that warms the skin using radio waves, with no needles and no cutting. The heat is used to soften wrinkles and firm the skin a little.
Exilis Skin Tightening: the essentials
The short version
Non-invasive radiofrequency platform; some Exilis Ultra 360 configurations combine monopolar RF with ultrasound and cooling.
A machine that heats the skin with radio waves. Some versions also use ultrasound, and cool the surface at the same time.
Cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of wrinkles.
The FDA has cleared it for treating wrinkles without cutting the skin.
Wrinkle reduction and improvement in mild skin laxity/firmness.
Softening wrinkles, and firming skin that has gone slightly loose.
No needles or incisions for standard external Exilis treatment.
Neither. The handpiece works on the surface of your skin.
Usually little visible downtime; temporary warmth, redness, tenderness or swelling may occur.
Usually none. Your skin may feel warm, and look red, tender or a bit puffy for a while.
Which Exilis system and handpiece will be used is explained at consultation, because what a model can do, and its safety rules, vary between them.
We will tell you which Exilis model and handpiece we use, because different models can do different things and have different safety rules.
What is Exilis skin tightening?
What is Exilis?
Exilis is an external energy-based treatment platform that uses radiofrequency to heat tissue in a controlled manner. Heating can trigger collagen remodeling and is used for non-invasive wrinkle and skin-firming treatments.
Exilis is a machine that sits on the outside of your skin and heats the tissue underneath with radio waves, in a controlled way. That heat sets off a slow rebuilding of the fibres that hold your skin firm, which is what softens wrinkles and firms the skin a little.
Does Exilis use radiofrequency, ultrasound, or both?
Does it use radio waves, ultrasound, or both?
That depends on the exact model. Exilis Ultra 360 marketing materials describe monopolar RF with ultrasound and controlled cooling, while FDA correspondence anchors the cleared wrinkle indication to the Exilis system.
It depends on the model. Some Exilis machines use radio waves together with ultrasound and a cooling system. Others use radio waves alone. The wrinkle treatment the FDA cleared is the radio wave one. Ask which machine we use here.
Diagram showing controlled radiofrequency heating in dermal tissue during non-invasive Exilis treatment
A diagram showing how radio waves heat the deeper layer of skin during an Exilis treatment.
What can Exilis improve?
What can it actually improve?
The established use is the non-invasive treatment of wrinkles, and mild firmness concerns. Anything else you may have read about, including fat reduction or body contouring, is outside what this treatment is cleared for here, and should be discussed with the clinician before you assume it applies.
What it is really for is softening wrinkles, and helping skin that has gone slightly loose feel firmer. You may have seen it advertised for fat reduction or body shaping. Those are different claims, they are not what this treatment is cleared for here, and you should ask the clinician about them rather than assume.
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Wrinkles on the face or body, in the areas this practice treats
- Mild laxity / firmness concerns when a non-surgical approach is reasonable
- Not a substitute for surgical lifting when tissue laxity is substantial
- Wrinkles on the face or body, in the areas we treat here.
- Mild looseness, where it makes sense to try something short of surgery.
- It does not stand in for a surgical lift if the skin has really dropped.
Who may be a good candidate for Exilis?
Who is it likely to suit?
A good candidate wants gradual, non-surgical improvement in mild wrinkles or laxity, has realistic expectations, and can be safely treated with the exact RF device and handpiece used by the practice.
Someone who wants a gradual improvement in mild wrinkles or slight looseness, without surgery, who understands the change will be modest, and who can safely be treated with the machine and handpiece we use.
Diagram comparing non-invasive Exilis and Thermage radiofrequency with RF microneedling
A diagram comparing Exilis and Thermage, which work on the surface, with RF microneedling, which uses needles.
Who may not be a good candidate for Exilis?
Who should not have it?
Whether Exilis is safe for you depends on the exact system being used. An implanted electronic device such as a pacemaker, metal in or near the area being treated, pregnancy, and some medical conditions can all rule it out or change how it is done.
It depends on the exact machine. Having a pacemaker or another implanted electronic device, metal in or near the area being treated, being pregnant, and certain medical conditions can all mean it is not suitable, or that it has to be done differently.
Tell the clinician about any implanted device, any metal in the area, whether you are pregnant, and your full medical history, so the manufacturer’s safety requirements for that system can be checked before treatment.
Tell us about any implanted device, any metal in the area, whether you are pregnant, and anything in your medical history, so we can check the maker’s safety rules for that machine before we start.
What does an Exilis treatment feel like?
What does it feel like?
External RF treatment is commonly described as controlled deep warmth while the applicator moves over the treatment area. Comfort systems and temperature monitoring vary by model. Treatment should be stopped or adjusted if heat becomes painful.
Most people describe a deep warmth, moving around as the handpiece is passed over the area. Different models cool the skin and watch the temperature in different ways. If the heat starts to hurt rather than just feel hot, say so, and we stop or turn it down.
When do Exilis results appear?
When will I see anything?
Collagen remodeling is gradual, so improvement generally develops over weeks to months rather than immediately. A series may be recommended depending on the device, area and goal, but no universal session count should be promised until the practice protocol is confirmed.
The rebuilding underneath is slow, so the change appears over weeks to months rather than on the day. You may be advised to have a series of sessions, depending on the machine, the area and what you want. Nobody should promise you a set number before we have discussed it.
What are the benefits and risks of Exilis?
What are the benefits and the risks?
Exilis offers a needle-free, non-surgical RF approach with generally limited routine downtime. It can still cause heat-related injury if treatment parameters or patient selection are inappropriate.
The appeal is that there are no needles, no cutting, and usually nothing to stop you carrying on with your day. It can still burn you if the settings are wrong or if it was never the right treatment for you.
| Potential benefits | Risks / limitations |
|---|---|
| Non-invasive external treatment | Temporary warmth, redness, swelling or tenderness |
| Little routine downtime for many protocols | Burns or unwanted tissue effects are possible with excessive energy or poor technique |
| Gradual improvement in selected wrinkles/laxity | Results are variable and less dramatic than surgical lifting |
What it can give you
Treatment from the outside, with nothing broken.
Usually no time off for most plans.
A gradual improvement in some wrinkles and mild looseness.
What it can cost you
Warmth, redness, swelling or tenderness for a while.
Burns or unwanted changes if too much energy is used or the technique is poor.
Results vary from person to person, and are far less dramatic than surgery.
Exilis device used at Dermatology and Laser Centre
The Exilis machine used at Dermatology and Laser Centre.
How does Exilis compare with Thermage FLX and RF microneedling?
How does it compare with Thermage and RF microneedling?
All three use radiofrequency in different delivery systems. Exilis and Thermage are non-invasive surface-applied RF treatments, while RF microneedling places needles into the skin before delivering RF. Treatment choice depends on the target, desired depth, downtime and risk profile.
All three use radio waves, but they deliver them differently. Exilis and Thermage work from the outside, on the surface of the skin. RF microneedling puts fine needles into the skin first and delivers the energy at depth. Which one suits you depends on what is being treated, how deep it needs to go, how much recovery you can take, and what risks are acceptable.
| Treatment | General approach |
|---|---|
| Exilis | Non-invasive external RF; exact ultrasound/cooling features depend on model |
| Thermage FLX | Non-invasive monopolar RF using a treatment tip and integrated cooling/vibration features |
| RF microneedling | Needles deliver RF at controlled depth; more invasive and carries FDA-highlighted serious-risk considerations |
Exilis Works from outside the skin. Whether it also uses ultrasound and cooling depends on the model.
Thermage FLX Also works from outside, with its own treatment tip, cooling and vibration.
RF microneedling Needles carry the energy to a set depth. More invasive, and the FDA has flagged serious risks worth knowing about.
Illustrative result
What a result can look like
Illustration, not a patient photograph. Before and after Exilis skin tightening treatment. It shows the kind of change this treatment is intended to produce. Individual results vary, and no outcome is guaranteed. Photographs of real patients are published only with written consent.
This is a drawing, not a photo of a patient. It shows a before and after for Exilis skin tightening, to give you an idea of the kind of change it aims at. Results are different for everyone, and nothing is guaranteed. We only publish photos of real patients with their written permission.
Questions patients ask
Is Exilis a laser?
Is Exilis a laser?
No. Exilis is an energy-based radiofrequency platform, not a laser. Some versions also incorporate ultrasound.
No. It uses radio waves, not light. Some versions also use ultrasound.
Does Exilis use ultrasound?
Does it use ultrasound?
Some Exilis models combine radiofrequency with ultrasound and others do not. Ask which model is used here, because it changes what the treatment can do.
Some Exilis models combine radio waves with ultrasound, and some do not. Ask which model we use, because it changes what the treatment can do.
Is Exilis FDA-approved for fat reduction?
Is it approved for fat reduction?
No. The FDA clearance for the Exilis system covers wrinkles. Claims about fat reduction that appear in marketing material go beyond that, and the FDA has challenged unsupported claims of this kind.
No. What the FDA cleared the Exilis system for is wrinkles. Claims about fat reduction go beyond that, and the FDA has challenged claims of that sort where they were not supported.
How much downtime is there after Exilis?
How much time will I need off?
Routine external RF treatment generally has little visible downtime, although temporary warmth, redness, swelling or tenderness can occur. Exact expectations depend on the protocol.
Usually none. Your skin may feel warm and look red, puffy or tender for a while. Exactly what to expect depends on the plan.
How many Exilis treatments are needed?
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on the model, the area being treated and the plan agreed with you. Ask at consultation rather than assuming a set number.
It depends on the machine, the area and the plan we agree with you. Ask at your consultation rather than assuming a number.
Is Exilis the same as Thermage?
Is Exilis the same as Thermage?
No. Both are non-invasive RF treatments, but they are different platforms with different energy-delivery systems, handpieces, treatment protocols and regulatory labeling.
No. Both work from outside the skin using radio waves, but they are different machines, with different handpieces, different settings and different approvals.
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
