I Tried It: Morpheus8

SKINCARETREATMENTS

Aug 30

Does the popular device live up to the hype? See my Morpehus8 before and after!

If you’re a beauty enthusiast, chances are you’ve heard something about Morpheus8, a newish device that promises to tighten and retexturize your skin from head to toe. It’s gotten a lot of buzz this past year, especially after Kim Kardashian said she had the treatment on her stomach skin (and erroneously referred to it as a laser). It’s also led to an ongoing debate in the aesthetics arena. Some experts argue that the device is overhyped, too painful, and could potentially affect results if you ever plan to have a cosmetic surgery procedure down the road. Still, experts who offer the minimally-invasive treatment stand by it, and plenty of patients are happy with their results.

Like Kim K., I was curious about what the device could do for my stomach skin. I work out regularly. I have visible abs (well, most of the time). I’m at what I consider an ideal weight for me. But after three pregnancies, the skin on my stomach started to look a bit crepey, especially around my belly button. I had mild diastasis recti (separation of the ab muscles) and an umbilical hernia that caused some sagging. Plus, as we age, we lose collagen and elastin. After my third pregnancy at 37 (and my third 9lb baby), the skin didn’t snap back into place. And now I’m 43.

My skin issues seemed too mild for surgery (at least to me), so I had to know more about Morpheus8. I turned to top cosmetic dermatologist Marina Peredo, MD, of Skinfluence, with an office in Dix Hills and New York City, to learn more and try the treatment on my stomach.

What is Morpheus8? For starters, it’s not a laser, Kim! The handheld device combines radiofrequency (RF) and microneedling. Neither technology is new, and there are other RF-microneedling combo devices out there. What separates Morpheus8 from the pack is that it has two tips, one for the face and another for the body, allowing for more options. “With Morpheus8, the ‘hot needles’ can go as little as half a millimeter (mm) deep on, say, the neck or chest, where the skin is thin and more sensitive, but in thicker-skinned areas such as thighs or abdomen, you can go up to eight mm deep,” says Dr. Peredo. (I suppose that’s where the “8” comes from in Morpheus8.)

So, how exactly does Morpheus8 work? It has a two-pronged approach. The heat from RF heats up the skin’s collagen fibers, causing them to contract. “It takes the fibers back to their original [read: more youthful] shape, which is more of a spiral,” Dr. Peredo says. The needles cause mechanical trauma to the skin. As the skin heals, new collagen is formed. This means you’re simultaneously correcting the current collagen and producing fresh, new collagen. The one-two punch should yield smoother, tighter skin on the skin’s surface. It’s used for fine lines, acne scarring, skin laxity, and that crepey texture anywhere on the face and body. And unlike some lasers, Morpheus8 does not pose a high risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which means it’s safe for dark skin tones.

Does Morpheus8 hurt? I won’t sugarcoat it. It hurts! But doable. Joanne, a nurse at Dr. Peredo’s office, numbed me for a full hour before the treatment. The numbing cream helps with the microneedling, but you still feel the heat from the RF. However, it’s a very fast treatment. So I curled my toes, clenched a breast implant stress ball, muttered a few curse words under my breath, and it was over. Joanne did two passes across my abdomen.

Dr. Peredo and other experts often take advantage of the open channels created immediately after microneedling and apply topical Sculptra, plasma-rich protein (PRP), or exosomes to bolster the collagen-boosting results. (Of course, additional fees apply.) After my first treatment, Dr. Peredo rubbed my stomach with Sculptra, a topical filler that stimulates your own collagen.

Is there downtime? No. It stung a little right after and was visibly red with pinpricks, but it didn’t hurt or limit my activity. The next day, I was back to my regular workout. As the skin heals, it feels like sandpaper and gets itchy. My skin tone is very light, so it took two to three weeks for the purplish-red marks from the microneedles to fully disappear — something to keep in mind when booking.

How many treatments will you need? Morpheus8 isn’t a one-and-done treatment. While it depends on where you’re getting it and your specific skin issues, most people require three treatments, sometimes more. I had three — spaced one month apart.

When will you see the results? I started to see results about a month after the first treatment. But because this treatment stimulates your own collagen, your best results come one to three months after the final treatment.

So, did it work? Drumroll, please…yes, it did work! I see a noticeable difference in the skin texture across my stomach. That “draping” around my belly button, as I like to call it, is practically gone. See for yourself, below.

How long does Morpheus8 last? The results require some maintenance. Dr. Peredo suggests at least one treatment twice a year. “For best results, I’d say once a season,” she says.

How much does Morpheus8 cost? It will vary depending on the provider and surface areas treated, but figure on $800-$1,200 per treatment.

LI Beauty Scene pro tip: Be realistic! If you have severe skin laxity, this may not be your treatment. Talk to a well-trained professional (such as Dr. Peredo) to determine if Morpheus8 can be combined with other options. But don’t expect surgical-like results without, well, surgery. It’s also not meant to be a fat-reducing treatment. The heat from the RF does have the potential to break down fat in some areas (Dr. Peredo says she’s seen improvements in the jowls of the face), but the results on larger surface areas are more subtle. Other devices are better suited for that.

Check out my Morpheus8 “before” and “after” pics. And for a glimpse of the actual treatment, watch my recent reel here.