I tried Lutronic’s Genius microneedling treatment and here’s the scoop…
It’s a tough job, but someone has to try the latest professional anti-aging treatments and report back, right? That’s why I headed down to Juvly Aesthetics in Fort Lauderdale last week to meet founder Dr. Justin Harper—and give Lutronic’s Genius a try.
Before I dive into my experience, you probably want to know what Genius is. This innovative treatment takes microneedling to the next level with the addition of radiofrequency, so you get all of the skin-smoothing, texture-refining and collagen-stimulating benefits of traditional microneedling with the added bonus of skin tightening—and no need to hide for several days afterwards. Ideal for fine lines, wrinkles, visible pores, scars, loss of elasticity and overall skin rejuvenation, Genius treatments are fully customizable to meet each patient’s unique skin needs, willingness for downtime and even their personal pain threshold. For the record, Dr. Harper told me he definitely didn’t go easy on me, yet my treatment was totally bearable I was able to return to my usual schedule immediately after leaving his office. My treatment focused on my face and neck, but this “smart” technology can also be used to improve skin quality virtually anywhere on the body—including the chest, abdomen, arms, thighs, knees and beyond.
Upon arriving at Juvly, the first thing I noticed was the incredibly friendly and attentive staff. I sat down with the lovely double-board-certified nurse practitioner, Rafina Rahim, to go through my medical history, including the requisite pre-treatment questions about my skin, medications I’m taking, if I’ve had any other office-based treatments lately, etc. I told her about my recent injectables, my skincare routine and how my skin reacts to sun exposure. Apparently, I was all good to proceed with the Genius treatment, so she then applied numbing cream and the 25-minute countdown was on.
While we waited for my skin to lose as much sensation as possible (did you know doctors know your skin is sufficiently numb when it turns pink?), Dr. Harper came in to explain the Genius treatment in detail. After mutual confessions that we were both beauty geeks, he used an iPad to illustrate how Genius targets the lowest layers of the skin while preserving the skin’s surface (hence the lack of downtime). To make it even clearer, he also illustrated how another resurfacing treatment I had a few years ago worked—and quelled my fears that this would hurt as much as that one did. Dr. Harper showed me the high-tech handpiece with gold-plated tips, which actually analyzes the skin continually throughout the treatment to adjust the depth of needle penetration based on skin thickness in each particular area. Also big on safety, he emphasized that the actual handpiece tip heads can only be used for one treatment—because you can never be too careful.
Dr. Harper then selected my skin type (Fitzpatrick Type II) and age (he entered 30s—which made me like him even more), and gave me one “pulse” so I would know what to expect when the full 30-minute treatment began. I would describe the feeling as a double-tap of pressure and heat, but I would definitely not say it was painful. Each area of my face got three passes, beginning with my forehead before moving on to my cheeks, mouth area and neck. Dr. Harper told me beforehand that the upper face is the least comfortable because of the lack of fat (he was right) and my upper lip was particularly sensitive—but overall the treatment was very tolerable. If I had to rate the pain, I’d say it was a five out of 10 at the very worst on my upper lip, and from a 3 to a 4 everywhere else.
Honestly, I had no idea there was blood involved until I saw these photos afterwards.
Naturally I was afraid to look in the mirror once Dr. Harper was done, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. My skin was red (but not insanely red) and it felt slightly hot (but not burning-off hot). I was covered in a thick layer of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, which was the one and only skincare product I could use for the first few days after treatment. (I waited a week to resume my full regimen.) The redness continued to subside as the day went on, but there were a few areas where the needle pricks were visible. It really wasn’t a big deal because I wasn’t going anywhere, but I drove to pick my son up from the bus stop rather than taking my daily stroll with the dog to avoid the sun. I applied more CeraVe cream every hour or so, and almost forgot I had the treatment by dinnertime.
My car selfie on the way home.
A little pink, but nothing major to speak of by the end of the day.
When I woke up the next morning, my skin was pretty much back to normal—but I did notice my pores definitely looked smaller. I applied a thick layer of CeraVe and topped it with a mineral sunscreen to go work out, and washed with CeraVe’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser and applied more cream when I got home. There was no reason for me to put on any makeup, so I left it at that—and wore a giant hat for my walk to pick up my son from the bus stop. (As if my neighbors didn’t already think I was crazy.) When I washed my face that night I noticed a bit of bumpy roughness on my lower face, which is totally normal. (It’s completely normal to experience itching as the skin heals although I did not.)
Friday was pretty much the same… Still a little bumpy but my skin texture looked even better. By Saturday there was so evidence that I’d had anything “done” (other than extra-luminous skin), which was a very good thing because we had a bat mitzvah to go to—and I even got several compliments on my complexion.
Five days after my Genius treatment…
Here I am yesterday (with a little makeup). I’m still sticking to the CeraVe cleanser and moisturizer, and I have to say this streamlined regimen has saved me a ton of time and effort. Between the no-brainer approach to skincare—and the visible improvement in my skin that will continue over the next few months—the Genius treatment was a total winner (although I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with my lotions and potions)!
It’s important to know that as with most minimal-downtime treatments, several sessions are recommended to achieve the optimal outcomes—and from the before-and-afters I’ve seen Genius is totally worth the commitment. After seeing the results from one (even before the actual skin tightening becomes apparent over the coming weeks and months), I’m hooked and ready for more!
Want to learn even more about GeniusRF? This video explains it all!
