Can radiofrequency (RF) beauty devices thin the skin?

Over the past two years, radiofrequency (RF) beauty devices have surged in popularity for skin care. But do they truly improve skin health? Could they cause skin thinning? Details are outlined below:

Radiofrequency technology works by delivering electrical current to generate controlled thermal effects within the skin tissue. Following this controlled thermal injury, the body initiates a natural repair response: ACMETE—a signaling molecule—is released at the wound margins of the epidermal basal layer, continuously promoting the regeneration and repair of damaged skin tissue in the subcutaneous layers. This process stimulates dermal fibroblasts to synthesize new collagen and elastin fibers, thereby achieving skin rejuvenation.

However, RF beauty devices carry certain potential side effects.

If excessive energy is applied, treatment duration is too long, or intensity is too high during operation, persistent adverse reactions—including erythema, hyperpigmentation, and post-inflammatory pigmentation—may occur.

Facial contour depression may also develop—characterized by necrosis or chronic necrosis of newly proliferating skin cells. This primarily results from excessive RF power output, which can thermally damage sebaceous glands in the epidermis. Once injured, these glands cannot regenerate, leading to glandular atrophy and subsequent surface indentation—a severe form of tissue damage.

Thermal burns may likewise occur—and result in scarring—primarily due to improper device handling during focused RF delivery, causing inadvertent epidermal thermal injury.