By Dr. Jessica Clark, Beach Dermatology Skin Wellness Clinic
What can we do for skin laxity of the face, jawline and neck by a board-certified dermatologist?
The New Frontier of Structural Skin Tightening: Why Xerf is a Game-Changer
For years, the “holy grail” of aesthetic dermatology has been finding a non-surgical way to lift and tighten skin without the downtime of surgery. While technologies like Ultherapy (ultrasound) and Thermage (radiofrequency) paved the way, a new player called Xerf is shifting how we approach structural aging.
As a board-certified dermatologist, I’m often asked if we can fix lax skin of the neck, jawline, and face without a scalpel. Here is why Xerf is currently the most exciting answer to that question.
What Makes Xerf Different?
Traditional skin tightening usually focuses on the surface (epidermis) or the mid-layers (dermis). Xerf utilizes high-intensity focused Monopolar RF (Radiofrequency) but with a sophisticated delivery system designed for structural skin tightening. Instead of just tightening the skin, Xerf targets the fibrous septa—the tiny connective tissues that anchor your skin to the underlying muscle and bone. When these anchors weaken, gravity takes over. Xerf re-tensions these anchors.
How It Works: The “Shrink-Wrap” Effect
Xerf uses a specialized handpiece that delivers thermal energy deep into the tissue while keeping the surface cool and protected.
I mmediate Contraction: The existing collagen fibers tighten instantly upon heating, giving you a “refreshed” look immediately after the session.
Long-term Neocollagenesis: Over the next 3 to 6 months, your body produces a surge of new, high-quality collagen and elastin.
Structural Support: By targeting the deeper subcutaneous layers, it creates a “shrink-wrap” effect that defines the jawline and lifts the cheeks in a way surface-level treatments simply can’t.
The Patient Experience
One of the biggest hurdles with deep-tissue tightening has historically been pain. Xerf has largely solved this with dynamic impedance monitoring. The device adjusts its energy output in real-time based on your skin’s resistance, ensuring the “sweet spot” of heat is hit without the “ouch” factor associated with older technologies. Some patients experience mild discomfort in certain spots closer to the bone but the addition of a cool cryo spray makes for a much more comfortable experience. This means Xerf requires no numbing and no downtime. You can literally go to a party that night and already look better!! Although Xerf works deeply, it does not affect the fat. There have been concerns with recent devices of melting fat with high temperatures or too much energy delivered, but the safety mechanisms of Xerf assure that no fat is affected, as proven by histological samples taken from treated patients. There is virtually zero downtime. Most patients experience slight redness for an hour or two, making it a true “lunchtime” procedure with “surgical-adjacent” results.
Who Is It For?
Xerf is ideal for patients with mild to moderate laxity who aren’t ready for a facelift but want more than a simple facial. It’s particularly effective for:
- -Sharpening a soft jawline
- -Softening wrinkles and bags under the eyes
- -Lifting heavy nasolabial folds
- -Tightening the “crepey” skin on the neck
The Bottom Line
We are entering an era where “preventative aging” is actually backed by technology and science. Facelifts are the gold standard to take years off of your appearance, but today, a quality facelift is well above $20,000, and even surgical results have a shelf life of about 10 years. They also come with significant downtime of weeks of recovery, and there is a risk involved whenever you undergo general anesthesia. In fact, we have recently treated several patients who had face lifts a few years ago but were already noting they were no longer happy with the results, noting returned laxity of the jawline. Xerf doesn’t just make the skin look better; it makes the skin behave younger by restoring its internal support system. As we approach the future, we are aiming at treating issues before they occur and doing preventative treatments that build collagen over time. At Beach Dermatology Skin Wellness Clinic we recommend two treatments of the neck, jawline, and face spaced 4-6 weeks apart. We were one of the first clinics in the country to have this technology and are so excited about the results we are seeing.
Now it has made its way to Hollywood and you will see it is the new favorite treatment of Kim Kardashian and Bravo housewives, among other celebrities. We do Xerf every day of the year because the awesome part is that there is no downtime, and you do not need to avoid the sun. Just to make it even sweeter, especially for teachers who rarely get time off, if you book before July 1, every Friday this summer you will get $100 off your Xerf treatments if you schedule and pay ahead of time to reserve your appointment.
Call (850) 238-8511 to schedule your XERF today. For more information, visit our website at Www.beachskinclinic.com.
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