Less than people expect, and more than a facial. Numbing cream goes on for 30 to 45 minutes first in our practice. With it most people describe the session as pressure from the needle stamp and short bursts of heat as the energy runs, uncomfortable over the jawline and the neck rather than painful. One acne-scar study that scored it gave 5.6 out of 10. In our experience the days after are not painful: the skin is red and swollen for one to three days, sometimes five, with light crusting for up to five days. What deserves more of your attention than the discomfort is the list of rare but real risks, which this page sets out plainly; in October 2025 the US regulator asked clinicians to discuss them with their patients. Every session is at Lutronic Genius RF London, 8 Devonshire Place, after a free consultation.
What the session feels like
- Numbing: a cream for 30 to 45 minutes in our practice; the skin is cleaned and the cream removed before treatment.
- The stamp: the 49-needle tip is pressed onto the skin, and the needles go in to the depth set for that zone, up to 4 mm. The radiofrequency runs for between a hundredth of a second and just over half a second. The tip lifts and moves on. You feel pressure and a burst of heat each time.
- The tender zones: the jawline, the neck and around the mouth feel it most, in our experience; the cheeks least. The clinician adjusts the energy where you ask.
- Length: 20 to 45 minutes of treatment, about an hour to an hour and a half with the numbing.
The days after
Redness and swelling for one to three days, sometimes five; tiny dots where the needles went, which crust lightly for up to five days in our experience; some tightness and dryness. No make-up on the first day, then make-up from day two; sunscreen every day; no swimming, saunas, hot baths or heavy exercise for 48 hours, longer on darker skin, in our practice. Most people are back at work the next day, in our experience.
The risks, with their figures
The US regulator's safety communication of October 2025 says that serious complications have been reported with certain uses of radiofrequency microneedling devices, including burns, scarring, fat loss, disfigurement and nerve damage, some needing surgical repair. It also says that it is a medical procedure, not a cosmetic treatment, and that patients should seek a licensed provider with training on the device. Those reports are voluntary and carry no rate, but they are the reason the depth and the energy are set for each zone and each skin type by a trained clinician. The Genius studies report no serious side effect. A review of 35 articles in skin types III to VI found passing darkening in seven studies, lasting darkening in one and lasting scarring in one. One case report describes track-like scarring in a type IV patient that recovered in six months with treatment. Darker skin is treated at lower energy after a patch test in our practice.
Who should not have it
Pregnancy and breastfeeding, an active infection, cold sore, active acne, eczema or psoriasis in the area, keloid or raised scarring, recent isotretinoin (Roaccutane), a bleeding disorder or blood thinners, and a pacemaker, implanted device or metal implant near the area. The clinician goes through the list at the free consultation. The worth it page sets out what the treatment gives for that discomfort.
Book a free consultation
Call Lutronic Genius RF London on 0207 099 9643 or use the form below. The clinician looks at your skin, explains the comfort plan and the risks, and gives you the course price in writing.
