Gangnam Skin Clinic Forehead RF, Signed and Understood

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Radiofrequency devices pass an electrical current through the skin, and the skin's resistance turns it into heat. In the dermis, that heat contracts existing collagen and prompts new collagen over the following weeks. On the upper face, the aim is a firmer forehead and a slightly higher brow, which can open up mild eyelid hooding.

Menus in the district list several devices that share this energy type but deliver it differently, so know which family is on the plan before comparing consultations.

An early study on this use by Bassichis, Dayan and Thomas appeared in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in 2004. They treated the upper third of the face in 24 patients with the ThermaCool TC, an earlier monopolar radiofrequency device, and compared brow height in photographs with an untreated group of 12. Brow elevation improved compared with both the patients' own baseline and the control group.

Two findings matter as much as the main result. The improvement was not uniform across patients. And satisfaction did not match the measured change: some people lifted on paper felt no different, and the reverse was also seen. That gap is why expectations need setting before treatment, not afterward.

Radiofrequency suits skin that still has some elasticity and heaviness that is early. When the brow sits well below the bony rim or eyelid skin rests on the lashes, heat-based tightening is unlikely to be enough, and an honest consultation says so instead of adding sessions.

• Reasonable match: early brow drop, fine forehead creases, mild hooding, good skin quality
• Weaker match: heavy eyelid skin touching the lashes, deep fixed forehead lines, marked asymmetry
• Not now: pregnancy, a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, active infection or open skin on the area
• Discuss first: recent toxin in the forehead, metal implants in the area, a history of unusual scarring

Most non-surgical facial treatments are elective, and in a 2014 article in the Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, Luckman pointed out that elective patients often arrive with high and sometimes unrealistic expectations. Her advice to practitioners was full information before treatment, a written consent form and careful record keeping, and the same list works from the patient's side.

A complete consent form for upper-face RF names the device and areas, states that results build gradually and differ between people, and lists common effects such as redness, mild swelling and tenderness alongside rare ones such as blistering, burns or temporary color change. It should admit that some people see little visible change. Ask for before photos in fixed light, so any change can later be judged fairly.

A single monopolar session usually takes under an hour once numbing or cooling is in place, and most redness settles within hours to a day or two. Swelling around the eyes can last longer, so many travelers book early in the stay.

Toxin and RF on the same area are often spaced rather than combined on one day. Keep the consent form, the device name and the before photos together for any later repeat session.