Microwave radiofrequency

**Microwave & Radiofrequency (RF) Technologies**
**Microwave** (300 MHz–300 GHz) and **Radiofrequency (RF)** (3 kHz–300 GHz) are electromagnetic energy types with distinct medical/aesthetic applications:

### **Radiofrequency (RF)**:
– **Aliases**: Thermal RF, Mono-/Bipolar RF, Collagen Remodeling Energy.
– **Uses**: Skin tightening (e.g., **Thermage®**), fat reduction (**Vanquish®**), and acne treatment.
– **Mechanism**: Resistive heating → collagen contraction & neocollagenesis.
– **Common Devices**: **Thermage®, Venus Freeze®, Profound®**.

### **Microwave**:
– **Aliases**: Microwave Ablation (MWA), Dielectric Heating, MMW (Millimeter Wave).
– **Uses**: *Medical* tumor ablation (liver/kidney), NOT common in aesthetics due to safety risks.
– **Mechanism**: Rapid molecular vibration → tissue heating/coagulation.

⚠️ **Key Differences**:
– **Penetration**: RF targets superficial layers (1–4mm), microwave reaches deeper tissues (>5cm).
– **Safety**: RF is mainstream in aesthetics; microwave is mostly restricted to oncology.
– **Biological Effect**: RF = gradual collagen remodeling, Microwave = rapid thermal destruction.

### **NOTE**:
In marketing, “**Multi-Frequency RF**” (e.g., 0.5–10 MHz) is often confused with microwave. True hybrid RF-microwave devices are rare outside oncology.

**Example**: “Thermage® uses *monopolar RF* for deep dermal heating, while *microwave ablation* treats liver tumors.”