Researchers have found new non-invasive way to tighten sagging skin.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by David J. Goldberg at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.

Earlier researchers employed several broad-spectrum light sources to treat loose skin on areas of the face and body.

The device produced deep heating in the middle layer of skin which spurs new collagen formation over time.

As part of this study researchers determine the results of a new unipolar, volumetric radiofrequency (RF) device to treat cellulite.

Unipolar RF is different from other previously described RF devices in that this device does not produce electrical currents within skin tissue. Instead, high-frequency electromagnetic radiation is produced by this non-laser technology.

The study evaluated whether deep unipolar RF-induced heating could tighten the skin irregularities of cellulite when administered in six treatment sessions every two weeks.

Researchers found that of the 30 patients treated, 27 showed evidence of clinical improvement in their cellulite as measured by an independent evaluator. Biopsies taken of skin samples showed tightening of the dermis, and blood tests as well as magnetic resonance imaging of the areas treated showed no abnormalities.

“The best way to describe how this treatment works is to think of it as a blender-like effect on the skin, involving the ultra-rapid rotation of molecules through the skin that generates heat. The heat is dispersed to the surrounding tissue, allowing the deeper skin structures – where cellulite forms – to be effectively heated,” Dr. Goldberg said.

“The improvement we saw with the unipolar radiofrequency device in tightening cellulite was greater than the results previously reported with bipolar and low-energy laser systems. In fact, fewer treatments were needed and better results were noted with this new approach. What remains to be seen is how long treatment results last and whether combined approaches with other modalities will lead to even better results,” he said.