XERF Skin Tightening in Denver

How the XERF System Works

A Smarter Approach to Skin Tightening

Most skin tightening treatments ask something of you. They require numbing cream applied well before your appointment, extended recovery time, or a tolerance for significant discomfort during the procedure itself. XERF was designed with a fundamentally different philosophy: that effective skin tightening and patient comfort do not have to be in conflict. Understanding why it works the way it does helps explain why this treatment represents a meaningful step forward.

XERF is the world's first multifrequency monopolar radiofrequency (RF) treatment. Rather than delivering energy at a single frequency like conventional RF devices, XERF combines two frequencies, 6.78 MHz and 2 MHz, to reach multiple tissue depths simultaneously. This means the treatment is not limited to the surface of the skin. It reaches the shallow, middle, and deep layers, including the SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System), a foundational tissue layer beneath the skin that plays a central role in lifting and tightening sagging facial contours. Clinical studies using histological analysis have confirmed that XERF stimulates collagen remodeling at multiple depths and produces an observable tightening effect in the fascia.

What makes the treatment comfortable enough to require no numbing is a combination of two integrated technologies. The first is Wave Fit pulse delivery, which controls how energy is distributed during each session. The second is Advanced Integrated Cryogen Delivery, a built-in cooling system that maintains the surface temperature of the skin while the energy works in the deeper layers beneath it. The result is what Cynosure calls a Never-Numb treatment: one that achieves meaningful internal temperatures for collagen remodeling without the surface discomfort that typically requires a pre-treatment anesthetic.

XERF treatments are also highly personalized. The system uses Accurate Impedance Feedback to analyze each patient's skin in real time, and providers can adjust from three depth settings and ten intensity levels during the session. No two patients receive an identical treatment, because no two patients have identical skin.

For patients who have been hesitant about skin tightening because of the downtime, the discomfort, or the commitment involved, XERF removes many of the barriers that have historically made this category of treatment feel out of reach.

Is XERF a Laser?

No, and the distinction matters more than it might sound.

Lasers and other light-based devices work by targeting chromophores in the skin, most often pigment or water. That is why many laser treatments carry restrictions for deeper skin tones, and why they typically resurface from the top down. People often search for "XERF laser," but XERF is a radiofrequency device rather than a laser. It heats tissue by passing energy through it instead of targeting pigment. Practically, this means two things. XERF is appropriate across a wide range of skin tones and types, and it works from the inside out rather than resurfacing the surface. If your concern is sun damage, tone, or texture, a resurfacing laser such as Fraxel is the better tool. If your concern is laxity and loss of definition, XERF addresses the structure underneath.

Benefits of XERF Radiofrequency Skin Tightening

• No numbing cream. No arriving 45 minutes early, no anesthetic, no waiting.
• No needles. Nothing penetrates the skin at any point in the treatment.
• No downtime. Patients typically return to work, exercise, and normal activity the same day.
• Reaches the SMAS. Energy is delivered to the structural layer that drives lift in the lower face, not just the surface.
• Safe across skin tones. Radiofrequency does not target pigment, so XERF is suitable for a wide range of skin types.
• Customized in real time. Impedance feedback plus three depth settings and ten intensity levels allow the treatment to be tailored during the session.
• Progressive, natural results. Your own collagen does the work, so improvement develops gradually rather than announcing itself.
• Performed in a dermatology practice. Your treatment is planned and overseen by a board-certified dermatologist, not delegated in a med spa setting.

XERF for Sagging Jowls and Jawline Tightening in Denver

The jawline is usually where patients notice change first. As collagen declines and the supporting tissue of the lower face loses tension, the clean line between the jaw and the neck begins to soften. Jowls form. Definition that used to be obvious in photographs becomes something you have to angle your chin to find. This is exactly the pattern XERF was built for. Because energy reaches the SMAS rather than stopping in the dermis, treatment addresses the tissue responsible for holding the lower face in position, not just the skin sitting on top of it. It is worth drawing a distinction that patients often blur. Laxity and volume loss are different problems, and they call for different tools. If the issue is a heavy, descending jawline, tightening is the answer. If the issue is a flattened midface or a jawline that has lost its underlying structure, dermal fillers may be the better starting point, and the two are frequently combined. If fullness under the chin is fat rather than loose skin, Kybella is designed to permanently destroy those fat cells, while XERF tightens the skin that remains. Dr. Stewart will tell you honestly which category you fall into, including when the answer is that XERF alone will not get you where you want to go.

XERF for Neck Tightening and Turkey Neck in Denver 

The neck ages faster than the face and is treated far less often. The skin is thinner, it produces less collagen, and it gets a fraction of the sun protection the face receives. The result is what patients describe as turkey neck: horizontal banding, loose skin below the jaw, and a loss of the clean line between chin and throat. Crepey skin along the neck and decolletage follows a similar pattern. 

For patients searching for neck skin tightening in Denver, XERF is one of the few non-surgical options that reaches deep enough to influence structure rather than simply improving surface quality. Treatment addresses the submental area, the full length of the neck, and the transition from jaw to throat. 

We are direct about expectations here. XERF produces meaningful firming and improved definition. It is not a neck lift, and severe laxity with significant excess skin is a surgical problem. During your consultation, Dr. Stewart will tell you where on that spectrum you sit. For patients whose goal is crepey skin treatment in Denver, combining XERF with a resurfacing treatment such as UltraClear  often produces a better overall result than either approach alone, since one addresses structure and the other addresses texture.

Am I a Good Candidate for XERF? 

XERF tends to work best for patients who are: 

• Noticing mild to moderate laxity in the face, jawline, or neck 
• Bothered by early jowling or a softening jaw contour 
• Interested in firmer skin without surgery, incisions, or recovery time 
• Unable or unwilling to take time off for downtime 
• Looking to slow the visible progression of laxity rather than reverse it entirely - In good general health, with realistic expectations 

XERF is safe across a wide range of skin tones because it does not rely on pigment as a target. Certain conditions and implanted devices are contraindications for radiofrequency treatment, and pregnancy is a contraindication as well. This is one of the real advantages of having your treatment evaluated by a board-certified dermatologist: Dr. Stewart reviews your medical history, examines your skin, and will tell you plainly if XERF is not the right choice, including when the honest recommendation is a surgical consultation instead. 

What to Expect: Comfort, Sessions, and Results 

Before your appointment. There is no preparation. No numbing cream, no arriving early, and in most cases no products to stop using. Come as you are. 

During treatment. The treatment area is cleansed and a coupling gel is applied. The XERF handpiece is moved across the area in passes while the integrated cooling system protects the surface of your skin. Most patients describe the sensation as a deep warmth that builds and then eases with each pass. A full face and neck treatment generally takes under an hour, and treatment of a single area is considerably shorter.

Afterward. Mild redness or warmth is common and typically resolves within a few hours. There is no peeling, no scabbing, and no recovery period. Patients routinely return to work the same day, and makeup can be applied immediately. 

Results. Some patients notice an immediate tightening effect from the initial collagen contraction. The more significant change comes from collagen remodeling, which develops over the following weeks and months. Most patients see continued improvement for three to six months after treatment. Depending on the degree of laxity, Dr. Stewart may recommend a single session or a short series spaced several weeks apart, and results are typically maintained with periodic treatments as collagen production naturally continues to decline with age. 

XERF as a Non-Surgical Facelift Alternative 

Patients often arrive having researched facelift surgery and hoping for another path. It is worth being clear about what each option can and cannot do. 

A surgical facelift removes excess skin and repositions the underlying SMAS. It produces the most dramatic and longest-lasting result available, and it comes with anesthesia, incisions, cost, and weeks of recovery. 

XERF works on the same SMAS layer, but it tightens rather than repositions, and it removes nothing. The result is a firmer, better-defined lower face and neck rather than a surgical change. What XERF offers in exchange is no anesthesia, no incisions, no scars, and no time away from your life. 

For patients with mild to moderate laxity, XERF is frequently enough to address what actually bothers them. For patients considering surgery in the future, it is often an effective way to maintain and delay. And for patients whose laxity is genuinely advanced, we will say so rather than sell a treatment that will disappoint. Many patients build a broader plan that combines XERF with Botox for the upper face and fillers or Sculptra for volume, which addresses facial aging as the multi-layer process it actually is. 

XERF vs Ultherapy, Sofwave, Thermage, and Morpheus8

Every device in this category promises tightening. The differences come down to the energy used, the depth it reaches, and what the treatment asks of you.  

XERF vs Ultherapy. Both reach the SMAS, which is what makes them true structural treatments rather than surface tighteners. The practical difference is the experience. Ultherapy is well known for discomfort during treatment, and many practices manage it with oral medication or nerve blocks. XERF reaches comparable depth using radiofrequency with integrated cooling, which is what allows it to be delivered without numbing. 

XERF vs Sofwave. Sofwave is a comfortable, effective treatment that works primarily in the mid-dermis. That makes it well suited to fine lines and moderate skin quality concerns. XERF reaches deeper, into the structural layer, which makes it a stronger choice when the concern is jowling or a loss of jawline definition rather than skin texture. 

XERF vs Thermage. Thermage is the established name in monopolar radiofrequency and works at a single frequency. XERF uses that same underlying category of energy but delivers two frequencies simultaneously, which is what allows it to treat multiple depths in one pass rather than one depth at a time. 

XERF vs Morpheus8. Morpheus8 delivers radiofrequency through microneedles that physically penetrate the skin. That combination is powerful for texture, acne scarring, and skin quality, and it comes with numbing, pinpoint marks, and several days of visible recovery. XERF delivers
energy without breaking the skin at all. Many patients who want both structural tightening and textural improvement are better served by a plan that pairs treatments than by asking a single device to do everything. 

There is no single best treatment in this category. There is a best treatment for your skin, your anatomy, and your tolerance for recovery, and that is a conversation worth having with a dermatologist rather than with a device brochure.

XERF Before and After 

The XERF before and after images below are from patients treated for laxity in the face and neck. As you look through them, a few things are worth keeping in mind. 

Results develop over time. These photographs represent progressive collagen remodeling in the weeks and months following treatment, not an immediate post-procedure change. Individual results vary based on age, skin quality, degree of laxity, and how many sessions were performed. And these are real improvements in firmness and definition rather than the transformation of a surgical procedure, which is exactly what a non-surgical treatment should be judged against. 

Dr. Stewart will review before and after results relevant to your specific concern during your consultation, so you can set expectations against outcomes in patients whose skin resembles yours. 

XERF Reviews and Patient Results in Denver 

Patients researching XERF reviews are usually trying to answer one question: is XERF worth it? 

The honest answer is that it depends on what you are treating and what you expect. Patients who are most satisfied tend to be those with mild to moderate laxity who wanted meaningful improvement without surgery and understood going in that results build gradually. Patients who are disappointed by non-surgical tightening are almost always those who needed a surgical solution and hoped a device would substitute for one. Setting that expectation correctly at the consultation is most of the work. 

What our patients consistently tell us is that the experience is easier than they expected, and that the absence of numbing and downtime is not a marketing detail but the reason they finally moved forward. 

You can read what our patients say about their experience at ASD of Cherry Creek on our testimonials page.

XERF Cost in Denver

Patients searching for XERF treatment near me in the Denver area usually want a number before they book, and that is fair. The cost of XERF treatment in Denver depends on the size and number of areas treated, and on whether Dr. Stewart recommends a single session or a short series. A treatment limited to the jawline and submental area is priced differently than a full face and neck plan. 

We provide exact pricing during your consultation, once we know what your skin actually requires, rather than quoting a number that may have nothing to do with your treatment plan. 

We would also encourage you to weigh more than the price when comparing options. XERF requires no anesthetic, no recovery, and no time away from work, and at our practice your treatment is planned and overseen by a board-certified dermatologist rather than delegated in a med spa setting. That clinical judgment is a meaningful part of what you are paying for, and it is the part that determines whether your result looks natural. 

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