For many of us, aging and sun damage impact our skin in a variety of ways: from enlarged pores to deep wrinkles to uneven skin texture. Treating these conditions all at once requires a versatile, energy-based device that resurfaces the skin with minimal pain and downtime. Dr. Jason Emer, a board-certified dermatologist specializing in facial rejuvenation and body contouring, uses Venus Concept’s Venus Viva to target a wide range of superficial improvements, such as mild skin tightening, pores, scarring, redness, and hyperpigmentation.

While laser skin resurfacing employs light energy, Venus Viva uses nanofractional radiofrequency (RF) technology to deeply heat the skin, kickstarting the natural exfoliation process and stimulating long-term collagen production without burning the skin’s surface. Venus Viva is the perfect device for those looking to repair sun damaged skin, improve the overall texture and appearance of their skin, and achieve a softer, smoother, healthier complexion.

Designed for use on all parts of the face and body, including the chest, hands, forearms, buttocks, and thighs, Venus Viva addresses a multitude of superficial skin issues and textural concerns, including:

• Hyperpigmentation, pigment irregularities, discoloration, and melasma
• Rosacea, facial redness, and capillary issues
• Sun damage / sun spots
• Pore size
• Mild/minimal acne scarring
• General scars
• Crepey skin / mild skin laxity
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Stretch marks
• Cellulite
• Uneven texture or complexion

What makes Venus Viva unique, other than its remarkable versatility, is that its settings are customizable. By adjusting the delivery of the RF energy and the speed at which it’s delivered, Dr. Emer can tailor the strength or aggressiveness of the treatment (and reduce or lengthen the patient’s downtime) based on each individual’s unique needs and aesthetic goals.

How does Venus Viva work?

Venus Viva’s handheld device uses micro-fractional pins (as opposed the needles used in microneedling or microneedling RF treatments, which puncture the skin and cause pinpoint bleeding) to deliver nanofractional RF energy deep beneath the skin. These pins create tiny, micro-dermal wounds or perforations in the skin’s surface, which allow for the distribution of heat deep beneath the skin. The RF energy kickstarts your skin’s natural healing process and stimulates natural collagen production, exfoliation, skin contraction, and long-term collagen remodeling.

An essential part of the procedure is ensuring that the device is administered evenly and thoroughly to the treatment area. As Dr. Emer presses the handpiece into the skin, patients may experience a mild pricking sensation and feel the heat building beneath the skin’s surface. Dr. Emer may also perform multiple passes over certain areas to target specific concerns, such as individual acne scars, wrinkles, or sun spots. The treatment typically takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on the area treated.

How long do improvements last?

After a single treatment, patients may already see visible improvement in the brightness and texture of their skin; however, a series of treatments (typically 3 to 6) is needed to achieve more noticeable improvement in texture and color. Although Venus Viva results are permanent, Dr. Emer recommends that his patients schedule subsequent treatments every 3 to 6 weeks to build on the results. As an ongoing maintenance treatment, Venus Viva can be administered 3 to 4 times per year for continuous facial rejuvenation and anti-aging benefits.

How does Dr. Emer do it differently?

Because Venus Viva targets textural improvements with low to moderate intensity, Dr. Emer often follows these treatments with laser skin resurfacing devices (including Fraxel, Erbium, CO2, Halo, or ProFractional) to produce more significant results. Dr. Emer’s innovative, customized combination treatments are targeted to treat a number of skin conditions and concerns.

• For improvements in skin color and tone, Venus Viva is typically accompanied by microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), DermalInfusion / SilkPeel, lightening peels, and topical skin care.

• For those with darker skin types, mixed ethnicities or melasma, Venus Viva is the go-to acne scarring treatment as it has a low risk of causing hyperpigmentation or worsening pigmentation.  Venus Viva can provide visible improvement with textural issues and superficial scarring in a series of treatments. Oftentimes, Dr. Emer will inject the individual scars with Bellafill dermal filler for immediate plumping and long-term collagen production, further improving the tightness, tone, and color of the skin.
• To treat rosacea, facial redness, and capillary issues, Dr. Emer uses Venus Viva and lasers like Clear + Brilliant, Aerolase, and Laser Genesis to complement vascular laser treatments such as excel V, Yellow Laser, or VBeam Pulsed Dye Laser. Following these treatments, Dr. Emer’s in-house aestheticians apply custom-made solutions and masks to the treated areas to rehydrate the skin, protect it with antioxidants, and accelerate the healing process.
• For patients with melasma or hyperpigmentation of any kind, Dr. Emer develops a patient-specific combination approach that typically includes peels like Cosmelan and Enlighten; light or superficial lasers like Erbium, Clear + Brilliant, Aerolase, or Laser Genesis; fractional RF devices like Venus Viva; bimonthly facials with DermalInfusion / SilkPeel; and daily skin care and sun protection.
• Although stretch marks cannot be cured, they can certainly be improved with a combination of ablative lasers like Erbium, non-ablative lasers like Fraxel or Halo, Venus Viva nanofractional RF, microneedling RF treatments (such as InMode Fractora, Morpheus8, or EndyMed Intensif), and microneedling with PRP.

The ReveSkin Enlighten Peel is available for purchase at ShopEmerMD.com.

Am I a good candidate for Venus Viva?

Because Venus Viva does not deliver high density or high energy to ablate the skin’s surface, it is a safe and effective treatment for individuals of all skin types, including those with dark skin tones, mixed ethnicities, and sensitive skin such as rosacea, acne, eczema, or psoriasis.

Is Venus Viva painful?

The pain involved varies depending on the strength of the settings. For most people, the pain is tolerable, equivalent to small pin pricks and moderate heat from the RF energy delivered beneath the skin. To alleviate some discomfort, Dr. Emer offers topical numbing cream and/or pro-nox, an inhaled gas comprised of oxygen and nitrous oxide that helps relieve anxiety and pain in mere seconds and has no residual effects.

Dr. Emer’s patients apply a cooling, therapeutic mask for 5 to 10 minutes after each Venus Viva treatment to further reduce discomfort, soothe the skin, and reduce swelling.

What is the downtime?

The downtime after a Venus Viva procedure varies depending on the intensity of the treatment. For moderate-strength treatments, patients typically experience up to 3 to 5 days of swelling and redness with some light peeling. To reduce inflammation, swelling, and downtime, Dr. Emer provides his patients with an at-home care protocol, which includes LightStim LED Light Therapy, revitalizing masks, and skin care products to accelerate the healing process.

How do I schedule a consultation with Dr. Emer?

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Emer in Beverly Hills / Los Angeles / West Hollywood, California, please reach out to our concierge to schedule an appointment. Call 424-800-4140 or email us at appointments@jasonemermd.com.

Schedule Your Appointment Now