Acontour stick can create the appearance of a snatched jaw and cheekbones, while topical skincare can help improve skin quality and maintain a healthy, fresh-faced look. But when it comes to visibly lifting and tightening skin, only an in-office treatment can remodel collagen at the deeper layers responsible for firmness and contour. Luckily, a surprisingly comfortable non-invasive procedure that can be performed on a lunch break can do just that. DENSITY, a radiofrequency (RF) skin-tightening treatment, delivers natural-looking yet noticeable results that have providers and patients raving.

"Radiofrequency skin tightening uses an energy-based device to heat the dermis, triggering collagen and elastin production to improve the appearance of skin and wrinkles and provide a lifted and contoured appearance," says Arash Moradzadeh, MD, a dual board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California.

While radiofrequency treatments have been around for years, advancements in technology and rising interest in non-invasive solutions for skin laxity caused by rapid weight loss and aging have helped fuel their recent popularity.

"Patients are looking for treatments that give real, visible tightening without downtime or risks of surgery," says Saami Khalifian, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist based in Encinitas, California.

DENSITY is especially innovative "because it's a dual-wavelength technology," notes Dr. Moradzadeh, meaning it uses bipolar radiofrequency, which works on the upper dermis (closer to the surface of the skin), as well as monopolar radiofrequency, which goes deeper. "It does this in a very intelligent way," Dr. Moradzadeh says. "The device measures your skin's feedback and adjusts itself so you're getting exactly the right amount of energy for you—not too much, not too little. The effectiveness we're seeing is significant." In just one treatment you can benefit from a 76 percent increase in collagen density and an 82 percent surge in elastin density.

Ahead, the experts explain everything you should know about DENSITY: from what areas on the face and body it can be used on to what the experience is like.

Pretty Much Everyone Is a Candidate

DENSITY is both a preventative and rejuvenating treatment. For patients in their 20s, it can be used to bank collagen. "You're going to produce about 239 percent more new collagen with a single treatment, so you're basically storing it to help delay the aging process as you get older," Dr. Moradzadeh says. Patients who are actively experiencing skin laxity will get an increase in collagen and elastin density for a lifted, firm, and more youthful appearance.

Because DENSITY is customizable and uses automated sensing to adjust the treatment to patients' skin in real time, it's safe on all skin types and most tones. "The only patient I wouldn't treat is someone who has active melasma because heat can trigger the skin condition," Dr. Moradzadeh says.

It Will Help Snatch Your Jawline

The jawline can appear less and less defined with age thanks to a natural loss of collagen and elastin and a downward shift of fat pads. Dr. Moradzadeh says his younger patients love that DENSITY can help defy gravity and keep the jawline looking snatched longer, while those who have already experienced sagging will appreciate renewed definition.

"[When used on the jawline], DENSITY's controlled heat triggers your body's natural healing response, which tightens existing collagen and stimulates new collagen production over the following months," Dr. Khalifian says. "The result is a firmer, more defined jawline without surgery or any incisions."

It's Customizable

You can treat your entire face and neck or choose specific areas of concern, such as the jawline, décolleté, or tissues around the eyes. "I have patients who feel their eye area looks tired or who have hollowness under the eyes, for example," Dr. Moradzadeh says. "Using DENSITY for a periorbital (the area surrounding the eyes) treatment lifts and improves the appearance."

Other popular treatment areas for addressing age- or rapid-weight-loss-related sagging are: the arms, abdomen, flanks, inner thighs, and above the knees.

It's Quick and Comfortable

Treatments typically take 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the targeted area. The device is equipped with five levels of cooling to help keep skin from getting too hot during treatment. "We start with a lower setting and adjust it until we figure out what's comfortable for the patient and the amount of cooling that's needed," Dr. Moradzadeh says. Once the treatment is done, it's common to experience some redness and swelling, but it often subsides within 15 minutes, according to the expert. "For most people, there's no downtime so you can immediately go back to your daily activities."

Immediately, "there's a mild tightening effect from the heat itself, with the real results developing over three to six months as new collagen matures," Dr. Khalifian says.

Dr. Moradzadeh generally recommends one treatment for patients who are doing it for prevention and pre-rejuvenation, and two for those with more advanced concerns. "After that, you would either do a treatment once every six months or a year for maintenance, depending on how old you are and how much skin laxity you have," he says.

It Plays Well With Skincare and Other In-Office Treatments

"There is a misconception that devices like this replace fillers or surgery—they don't," Dr. Khalifian says. "They work on a different layer of the problem, and often the best results come from combining approaches strategically."

For patients in their 20s, Dr. Moradzadeh suggests pairing DENSITY with good skincare. He recommends looking for ingredients that support collagen production and overall skin health such as exosomes, antioxidants, and hyaluronic acid.

"For my older patients, I love combination therapies, like pairing DENSITY with ultrasound-based lifting treatments or CO2 resurfacing technology," Dr. Moradzadeh says, highlighting DENSITY Edge One. "I can do the DENSITY treatment and then right after perform the light CO2 resurfacing procedure [to improve tone, texture, and radiance]."

My DENSITY Experience

I'm in my mid-30s, and the effects of age and gravity—a less-defined jawline and a slight drooping of my eye area—are becoming noticeable. On a recent weekday afternoon, I met with Dr. Khalifian. After discussing my skin concerns, we decided to treat my entire face with DENSITY.

The treatment itself took about 30 minutes. I had prepared myself for discomfort, but I only experienced a brief, mildly unpleasant sensation toward the end of the session as we reached a higher device setting. Immediately afterward, my brows appeared noticeably lifted and my jawline looked legit sculpted. Because I have rosacea and reactive skin, I brought a baseball cap to the appointment in case I left looking like a tomato. Instead, there was just a little bit of redness around my eyes and along my jawline that faded by the time I got back to my desk.

Dr. Khalifian explained that full results should develop over the next three months and advised me to avoid direct sun exposure and keep skincare simple for a few days. "Focus on barrier repair and hydration rather than active ingredients like retinoids or acids, which can irritate freshly treated skin," he said.

I'm excited to see the final outcome, but I'm already loving the subtle, refreshed lift I see in the mirror.

Click here to learn more and find a DENSITY provider near you.