XERF, Rhymes With Smurf

Rhymes with Smurf. And if you’re old enough to know about a Smurf, you’re old enough to be curious about the XERF treatment.

In my quest to try lasers, potions, lotions, exercises and pretty much anything except going under the knife or shooting foreign substances into my face and neck, I don’t mind being a guinea pig and reporting back on what works.

Like all of you curious people, I’m sure you’ve seen all the XERF treatment love on Instagram. Or is it just me that it’s being fed to?

I reached out because I wanted to know more.

It’s designed with comfort in mind, and I had heard it was pretty tolerable, so I thought, why not? And lucky for me, my favorite derm doctor, Dr. Rishi Chopra, had one of the machines in his office.

So between a speech in New York City and a car ride to the Hamptons before a fundraising event, I saw the opportune time to get a treatment at UnionDerm.

Here’s what I knew about the XERF treatment before I tried it.

First of all, it’s not a laser. It’s a non-invasive radiofrequency treatment designed to tighten the skin and boost collagen. It uses multiple frequencies to deliver RF energy at different depths, reaching the shallow, middle and deep layers of the skin.

There’s also built-in cooling technology designed to make the treatment more comfortable. No needles, no numbing and no downtime.

Sounded pretty good to me.

Now, I’m kind of a baby when it comes to pain. And because numbing isn’t typically required, I didn’t numb.

Boy, do I wish I had.

For me, it hurt.

I was able to tolerate it, but it definitely wasn’t comfortable for me.

We did mostly my neck, I think. I seem to have blocked out whether he did any of my upper face.

I just love Dr. Chopra, and it’s always my chance to catch up with him, hear about his girlfriend, his future plans and anything new and interesting in his career. So we talked our way through it, I survived, took a few photos when we were done and went on my way.

I regularly get Sofwave and really see a difference in my face. I’m not sure if it actually works on my neck or not.

Dr. C said he thought my neck looked tighter right after my XERF treatment.

I thought it looked the same.

However, fast-forward a few weeks.

I was taking a class in the Hamptons with a lot of 30-something girls and caught myself in the full-length mirror and lighting.

I thought, my neck looks pretty good.

Especially for someone who is 69.

I checked it again in the rearview mirror on the way home, because apparently this had now become a full investigation.

And I will say, I definitely thought it looked better.

The XERF treatment is one of those treatments where the results can continue to develop after you leave the office. Collagen continues to rebuild in the weeks following the treatment, so your skin’s appearance can continue to improve over time.

The number of sessions you need depends on your skin and your goals, and that’s something to figure out with your provider. I think I’m going to book another one in September.

And this time, I’m asking about numbing cream.

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve tried the XERF treatment or Sofwave, and especially Fraxel. Dr. Chopra thinks Fraxel would be a game changer for me, but trying to find downtime in my schedule isn’t easy.

And I think if I come home looking burnt and fried, my husband would not be that happy. It’s on my list.

But if I chicken out, I might try BBL HEROic to get rid of those little spots that I try to avoid, but that still seem to show up on my neck, the sides of my face and my hands.

Do I think these treatments are worth it? I do.

I know they’re expensive, and I get a lot of them comped, but anything that makes me look and feel better without changing the way I look is worth its weight in gold.

I’ll report back after round two.