Removing the Fat Is Only Half the Contouring Question.
Once volume is reduced, the skin and soft tissue still have to adapt to the new shape underneath.
For some patients, that happens reasonably well on its own. For others, laxity can remain after weight loss, aging, liposuction, gynecomastia surgery or other changes in body volume.
Dr. Jonathan Lebowitz uses Renuvion in appropriately selected patients when soft-tissue contraction may complement the body-contouring plan.
It Isn’t a Laser. It Isn’t Liposuction. It Isn’t a Skin-Removal Operation.
Renuvion is an energy-based surgical technology that combines radiofrequency energy with helium plasma.
A thin handpiece is introduced beneath the skin, where energy is applied to selected subcutaneous soft tissue to produce coagulation and contraction.
That makes its role different from VASER, which Dr. Lebowitz uses to reduce and sculpt selected subcutaneous fat.
They Can Look Similar in the Mirror — but They Are Not the Same Surgical Problem.
The first decision is identifying which tissue is actually creating the contour you want changed.
Excess Fat
A thicker subcutaneous fatty layer may require liposuction such as VASER to reduce volume and reshape the area.
Soft-Tissue Laxity
Selected patients may have skin and underlying soft tissue that could benefit from additional contraction after or alongside contouring.
Substantial Redundant Skin
When a true excess skin envelope is hanging or folding significantly, direct surgical excision may be more appropriate than relying on energy alone.
VASER Changes What’s Under the Skin. Renuvion Helps Address What Has to Settle Around It.
Dr. Lebowitz may use both technologies in the same body-contouring plan, but they are not interchangeable.
Ultrasound-assisted liposuction used to reduce selected subcutaneous fat and sculpt the body’s contours.
Helium-plasma and radiofrequency technology used where coagulation and contraction of selected soft tissue are part of the surgical plan.
Using more technology does not automatically create a better result. Dr. Lebowitz selects each tool according to the anatomy that actually needs treatment.
When the Volume Underneath Gets Smaller, the Envelope Has to Follow.
Liposuction changes the amount and distribution of fat beneath the skin.
After that reduction, the overlying tissues must adapt to the new contour. How well they do that depends on age, genetics, elasticity, prior stretching, weight history, the treatment area and the amount of volume removed.
Renuvion may become relevant when Dr. Lebowitz believes additional soft-tissue contraction could complement that reshaping process.
Not Every Patient With Loose Skin Needs Renuvion — and Not Every Patient With Loose Skin Needs Skin Removed.
The useful middle ground is where careful examination matters.
Skin Laxity With Body Contouring
The planned reduction in fat raises concern about how the surrounding soft tissue will adapt afterward.
Changes After Weight Loss
Volume loss has left some laxity, but the amount and distribution of excess skin still need to be evaluated.
Age-Related Laxity
Skin and subcutaneous support have changed over time in an area being considered for contour refinement.
Combination Procedures
Renuvion may be considered as one component of a larger VASER, gynecomastia or body-sculpting plan when appropriate.
Dr. Lebowitz Evaluates the Soft-Tissue Envelope Area by Area.
The amount of fat, skin thickness, laxity and underlying anatomy differ substantially throughout the body. A strategy appropriate for the neck may not be the strategy for the abdomen or arms.
Neck & Under the Chin
Submental fullness and lax skin require separate evaluation so Dr. Lebowitz can determine what comes from fat and what comes from the skin and soft tissue.
Chest
After reduction of gland or fatty volume, the male chest skin envelope may become an important part of the final contour in selected patients.
Abdomen
Abdominal fat, skin laxity and true redundant skin are separate considerations and may require different combinations of treatment.
Flanks & Back
Skin quality can affect how the waist and posterior torso adapt after substantial changes in the fatty layer.
Upper Arms
Fat and loose skin frequently coexist in the upper arm, making it important to distinguish a liposuction candidate from someone who may need an arm lift.
Thighs
Thigh contouring requires careful judgment because reducing volume can sometimes make an inadequate skin envelope more apparent.
After the Gland and Fat Come Out, What Will the Chest Skin Do?
Gynecomastia surgery is not only about removing volume. The skin has to settle over the new male chest contour.
Age, breast size, weight history, skin quality and the amount of gland and fat removed can all influence how the chest envelope behaves afterward.
In selected cases, Dr. Lebowitz may incorporate Renuvion when he believes soft-tissue contraction could complement gland removal and chest sculpting.
Renuvion does not eliminate the possibility that substantial excess skin may require direct excision. The treatment plan depends on the actual chest envelope.
Losing the Volume and Losing the Skin Are Not the Same Thing.
Significant weight reduction can leave the body dramatically smaller while the skin and underlying support tissues remain stretched.
The amount of laxity after weight loss exists on a spectrum. Some patients have limited looseness; others have folds and hanging tissue that cannot realistically be corrected by contraction alone.
Dr. Lebowitz evaluates how much skin is actually present before deciding whether Renuvion belongs in the discussion.
Renuvion Does Not Turn a Body-Lift Candidate Into a No-Scar Procedure.
There is a point at which tightening and contraction are not substitutes for physically removing redundant skin.
A hanging abdominal apron, substantial upper-arm excess, significant thigh redundancy or other large folds may require an excisional procedure to produce the type of change the patient is seeking.
Can play a role when Dr. Lebowitz determines the soft-tissue envelope is appropriate for the technology.
Physically removes redundant skin when the amount of excess requires a different operation.
Avoiding a longer scar is not a meaningful advantage if the chosen procedure cannot adequately address the anatomy.
The Answer Depends on Whether Fat Removal Is Part of the Problem.
Renuvion is frequently discussed in the context of liposuction because changing volume and managing the soft-tissue envelope can be closely related.
But not every patient being evaluated for laxity necessarily requires the same amount of fat removal.
Dr. Lebowitz determines whether the plan calls for VASER plus Renuvion, Renuvion as a more focused component of treatment, or a completely different procedure.
Renuvion May Be Incorporated Into Procedures Performed Under Local Anesthesia.
Dr. Lebowitz performs many appropriately selected body-contouring procedures while the patient is awake under local anesthesia.
When Renuvion is added to one of those procedures, the anesthetic plan is based on the treatment area, amount of liposuction or other surgery being performed, patient health and total extent of treatment.
For procedures that allow active repositioning, Dr. Lebowitz may continue evaluating how the skin and contour behave as the patient’s position changes.
Local anesthesia is not automatically appropriate for every Renuvion or combination procedure. Dr. Lebowitz determines the anesthetic approach individually.
Renuvion Fits Naturally Into the Neck to Nuts Philosophy.
Dr. Lebowitz’s more comprehensive body-contouring plans do not begin by choosing one device. They begin by identifying what needs to be reduced, removed, tightened, added or refined.
VASER may address unwanted fat. Gynecomastia surgery may remove gland. Renuvion may address selected soft-tissue contraction. Fat grafting may add strategic volume. The combination depends entirely on the body being treated.
The Treatment Happens Beneath the Skin.
A Renuvion handpiece is introduced through small surgical access points so energy can be delivered to the selected subcutaneous tissue plane.
If the procedure is combined with liposuction, some of the same surgical access strategy may be incorporated into the overall treatment plan.
Every surgical opening creates a scar. Dr. Lebowitz plans access locations according to the procedure and attempts to keep them as inconspicuous as practical.
Don’t Look Only for “Tighter Skin.” Look at Whether the Skin Fits the New Contour.
The purpose of adding Renuvion to body contouring is not to make the skin look artificially stretched.
Look at the relationship between the overlying skin and the volume underneath it. Does the abdomen follow the muscular contour more naturally? Does the chest envelope sit appropriately after tissue reduction? Does the arm or waist look less lax without appearing over-treated?
Results vary with anatomy, skin quality, procedure selection and healing.
Soft-Tissue Contraction Happens During Surgery. The Visible Contour Still Has to Heal.
Postoperative appearance depends heavily on what else was performed. Renuvion combined with VASER over several body regions is a different recovery than a smaller focused procedure.
Swelling Is Expected
Temporary swelling, bruising, tenderness and firmness can obscure the developing contour.
Follow the Procedure-Specific Plan
Compression, positioning and activity instructions depend on the treatment area and other procedures performed.
Return Gradually
Dr. Lebowitz adjusts activity guidance according to the extent of surgery rather than applying one recovery schedule to every patient.
Let the Tissue Settle
The contour continues evolving as postoperative swelling decreases and tissues heal and remodel.
Renuvion Has Risks and Limitations That Belong in the Consultation.
Potential risks can include pain or discomfort, swelling, bruising, burns or other thermal injury, fluid collections, infection, scarring, sensory or nerve changes, gas accumulation beneath the skin, contour irregularity, asymmetry and the possibility of additional treatment, among other risks.
Risk can also be influenced by the other procedures performed during the same operation.
Dr. Lebowitz reviews the benefits, alternatives and risks that apply to the specific treatment area and surgical plan before proceeding.
Use the Device for the Anatomy and Indication It Was Designed to Address.
The Renuvion APR Handpiece is cleared for delivery of radiofrequency energy and/or helium plasma where coagulation or contraction of soft tissue is needed, including subcutaneous tissue.
It is also cleared for coagulation of subcutaneous soft tissues following liposuction for aesthetic body contouring and for subcutaneous aesthetic procedures intended to improve the appearance of lax skin in the neck and submental region.
FDA clearance does not mean every patient, anatomical area or degree of loose skin is automatically appropriate for treatment. Surgical judgment and the device’s current instructions for use remain important.
Renuvion Skin Tightening FAQs
What is Renuvion?
Renuvion is an energy-based surgical technology that uses radiofrequency energy and helium plasma. The handpiece is introduced beneath the skin to deliver energy to selected soft tissue where coagulation and contraction are part of the treatment plan.
Is Renuvion the same as J-Plasma?
Renuvion is the current brand name commonly associated with technology that has also been referred to as J-Plasma. The system uses helium plasma and radiofrequency energy rather than laser energy.
What is the difference between VASER and Renuvion?
VASER is ultrasound-assisted liposuction technology used to fragment and emulsify selected subcutaneous fat before aspiration. Renuvion is used for coagulation and contraction of selected soft tissue. Dr. Lebowitz may use both when unwanted fat and soft-tissue laxity are separate parts of the same contour problem.
Can Renuvion be performed after liposuction?
Yes. The Renuvion APR Handpiece has an FDA-cleared indication for coagulation of subcutaneous soft tissues following liposuction for aesthetic body contouring. Whether Dr. Lebowitz recommends it depends on the patient’s anatomy and surgical plan.
Can Renuvion replace a tummy tuck or body lift?
Not when substantial redundant skin requires physical removal. Renuvion and excisional surgery solve different problems. Dr. Lebowitz evaluates whether the amount of laxity is appropriate for a contraction-based approach or requires direct skin excision.
Can Renuvion be used for the neck?
The Renuvion APR Handpiece is FDA-cleared for subcutaneous dermatological and aesthetic procedures intended to improve the appearance of lax skin in the neck and submental region. Dr. Lebowitz also evaluates whether neck fullness comes from fat, skin laxity or deeper anatomy before recommending treatment.
Does Renuvion remove fat?
Renuvion should not be thought of as a replacement for liposuction when excess fat is the problem. When meaningful fat reduction is required, Dr. Lebowitz may use VASER or another appropriate surgical technique and then separately decide whether soft-tissue contraction should be addressed.
Can Renuvion help after gynecomastia surgery?
Skin quality can become an important consideration after gland and fat are removed from a male chest. Dr. Lebowitz may consider Renuvion in selected body-contouring plans when additional soft-tissue contraction is appropriate, while recognizing that substantial redundant chest skin may require a different strategy.
Can Renuvion be performed under local anesthesia?
Dr. Lebowitz performs many appropriately selected body-contouring procedures under local anesthesia. Whether Renuvion is incorporated under local anesthesia depends on the treatment area, total extent of surgery, procedures being combined and individual patient factors.
Is Renuvion non-surgical?
No. The treatment is performed beneath the skin through surgical access points. It should be considered a minimally invasive surgical technology rather than a non-invasive external skin treatment.
When will I see the final result?
Tissue contraction occurs as part of the procedure, but postoperative swelling can obscure the contour. The appearance continues changing as swelling decreases and the treated tissues heal and remodel. Timing varies with the treatment area and any additional surgery performed.
Meet With Dr. Lebowitz Directly Before Deciding What’s Right for Your Skin.
Prospective patients can begin with a live virtual consultation with Dr. Jonathan Lebowitz or meet with him in person at his Huntington, New York practice.
During a virtual consultation, Dr. Lebowitz can see and discuss the areas that concern you in real time, talk with you about changes in fat and skin laxity, and explain whether Renuvion, VASER, direct skin removal or another approach may deserve consideration.
If a hands-on examination is needed before making a final surgical recommendation, Dr. Lebowitz can explain that as part of the consultation process.
Ask What the Skin Will Do After the Volume Underneath It Changes.
If loose or lax tissue is part of your chest or body-contouring concern, Dr. Lebowitz can determine whether the answer is better fat reduction, additional soft-tissue contraction, skin removal — or a combination designed around your anatomy.