Q: V-Form pros and cons

Pros V-Form is a multitasking treatment. “V-Form can treat anything fat-related,” says Kara Moncrief, Viora’s clinical director. “Think body contouring, circumferential reduction, or cellulite reduction.” It can also improve skin elasticity on the face and body. This noninvasive treatment is pain-free, with no downtime afterward. It’s suitable for all skin types and tones. Cons As with most nonsurgical treatments, you’ll need a series of sessions (typically 6 to 8) to see significant results. You’ll also have to be patient: optimal results won’t appear until 3-4 months after your last session. The V-Form doesn’t kill or remove fat cells: it temporarily reduces their volume, so you’ll need occasional maintenance treatments to keep up your results. RealSelf Tip: Of all the Viora devices, which include IPL and V-ST (for skin tightening), V-Form is the most complex to learn. Results can be provider-dependent, so find someone with the experience to give you the most effective treatment.

Question 1

What is V-Form treatment?

Accepted Answer

Viora V-Form is an FDA-cleared treatment for cellulite, stubborn fat pockets, and skin laxity. The V-Form device uses a combination bipolar radiofrequency energy and vacuum therapy to shrink fat cells, improve body contours, and tighten skin.

V-Form treatments can be performed on the face, neck, and chest, as well as on body parts like the abdomen, flanks, buttocks, outer and inner thighs, and arms.

With three interchangeable applicators, the handpiece can be used to target small, medium, and large body areas and treat a variety of concerns, including:

Mild to moderate cellulite
Excess fat
Mild skin laxity on the face, neck, or abdomen
Loose skin on the abdomen, above the knees, or under the arms
Crepey skin on the chest

V-Form boasts what its manufacturer calls CORE technology. Three radiofrequency (RF) channels, used together or separately, target specific layers of the skin—the hypodermis (fatty tissue), reticular dermis, and papillary dermis—to stimulate new collagen and elastin formation. It can also combine these three frequencies, to heat all dermal layers at the same time.

The RF energy targets the fatty tissue, to increase fat cell metabolism and temporarily reduce their volume.

The vacuum component of V-Form:

maximizes RF energy penetration in the treatment area
increases blood circulation, which assists in the shrinkage of fat cell volume, and lymphatic drainage
reduces the appearance of cellulite by moving excess fluids out of the body’s tissues and into the lymph nodes
improves skin elasticity and firmness, making cellulite less visible.

Question 2

V-Form pros and cons

Accepted Answer

Pros

V-Form is a multitasking treatment. “V-Form can treat anything fat-related,” says Kara Moncrief, Viora’s clinical director. “Think body contouring, circumferential reduction, or cellulite reduction.”
It can also improve skin elasticity on the face and body.
This noninvasive treatment is pain-free, with no downtime afterward.
It’s suitable for all skin types and tones.

Cons

As with most nonsurgical treatments, you’ll need a series of sessions (typically 6 to 8) to see significant results. You’ll also have to be patient: optimal results won’t appear until 3-4 months after your last session.
The V-Form doesn’t kill or remove fat cells: it temporarily reduces their volume, so you’ll need occasional maintenance treatments to keep up your results.

RealSelf Tip: Of all the Viora devices, which include IPL and V-ST (for skin tightening), V-Form is the most complex to learn. Results can be provider-dependent, so find someone with the experience to give you the most effective treatment.

Question 3

Who makes a good candidate?

Accepted Answer

Viora V-Form body contouring and circumferential reduction works best for people with a relatively active and healthy lifestyle, who are close to their optimum body weight but have pockets of stubborn fat resistant to diet and exercise.

Some providers recommend a BMI (body mass index) of less than 30 and mild to moderate cellulite, though good results in treating more severe cellulite have also been reported.

V-Form treatment isn’t usually the best option for people with significant excess fat or sagging skin.

An experienced provider who offers a range of treatment options can help you decide whether this one will be the right choice for you.

Question 4

What to expect during a V-Form treatment

Accepted Answer

V-Form is a non-invasive, in-office treatment. Arriving at your appointment well-hydrated will help increase your skin conductivity levels, which can improve the effectiveness of this treatment.

Here’s typically happens during the appointment:

First, the skin will be cleansed.
A light layer of glycerin will be applied to the treatment area, to protect the skin and allow the V-Form handpiece to glide smoothly.
Your provider will select the V-Form handpiece with the appropriate tip for the treatment area.
As the handpiece glides across the treatment area, it will emit RF energy and vacuum therapy to target fat pockets and heat the skin. You should feel warmth and may feel isolated hot spots as the skin is heated, but it shouldn’t be painful. You’ll also feel pressure, because all of the electrodes on the handpiece need to stay in contact with the skin.
Your provider will start at a low energy level and gradually increase it to a level that will trigger new collagen production. The goal is to maintain a temperature between 39 and 42 degrees Celcius (102-107 degrees Fahrenheit).
Depending on the body part being treated, your sessions will take 15–30 minutes per area.
There’s no downtime after a treatment session, so you’ll be able to continue on with your daily activities.

A series of 6-8 V-Form treatment sessions are recommended in most cases, but some patients need 10 or more for optimal results. The number of sessions you’ll need (and their frequency) will depend on the treated area and your concerns.

For instance, Moncrief says cellulite and body contouring treatments, should happen weekly. Skin tightening cadences vary by age: people over 60 take longer to produce new collagen and elastin, so Moncrief recommends spacing treatments every 3–4 weeks, versus every 2 weeks for younger patients.

To avoid overwhelming the lymphatic system, only three body parts—say, your abdomen and the backs of both thighs—should be treated in a single fat reduction or cellulite reduction session. Otherwise, people can become nauseous and dizzy.

RealSelf Tip: Stop using retinoids a week before treatment since the skin will be sensitive, advises Moncrief. It’s also wise to wait at least two weeks after a chemical peel before having a V-Form treatment.

Question 5

How soon will you see results?

Accepted Answer

Noticeable results are reported after three sessions. Because the body takes longer than the face to regenerate collagen and elastin and reduce fat cell volume, the results—tighter skin and a subtly lifted appearance—are often first seen on the face. Results should improve with each treatment session.

It can take 2-3 months before body contouring results become apparent. According to the manufacturer, the average circumferential reduction is about 1 inch.

Regular touch-up treatments following the completion of your treatment plan are recommended to maintain results. A healthy lifestyle with regular exercise will help, too.

Question 6

How long do results last?

Accepted Answer

V-Form body contouring treatment benefits reportedly last about a years—longer if you maintain them with occasional touch-up treatments.

Moncrief recommends a maintenance session every 3-4 months, which she says “lines up with collagen remodeling,” or how long it takes for collagen to rebuild.

Question 7

What are the side effects?

Accepted Answer

The most common V-Form side effects are mild redness and possibly some swelling, tenderness, and irritation in the treatment areas for a few hours post-procedure.

Bruising is also possible. “It’s a vacuum,” says Moncrief. “I always say, ‘What would happen if I sucked on your neck?’ You can [get a] hickey, it’s a bruise.”

In rare instances, extreme heat from RF energy can cause burns. It’s important to choose a provider who has experience with radiofrequency treatments and knows how to keep the temperature within a safe range.

V-FORM

Karyn Repinski

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Karyn Repinski

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