Morpheus8 Live Demonstration

Today I would like to discuss Morpheus 8 and demonstrate live filming of the procedure with one of our patients. Morpheus 8 is a micro-needling system that also utilizes radiofrequency energy. The combination of both micro-needling and radio-frequency is a powerful way to rejuvenate skin by eliminating old and aged layers located directly under the skin called the dermis as well as the superficial layers called the epidermis. The elimination of the older layers of skin prompt the body to develop newly formed layers. This is done by fibroblasts which stimulate new elastin and collagen production, which are what give skin its flexible and smooth appearance. This process is what tightens pores, reduces wrinkles and gives skin that youthful look. The way Morpheus 8 delivers these results is by using small micro needles to penetrate the skin at different levels and deliver radiofrequency energy down the needles into the skin. The radiofrequency essentially denatures and destroys the surrounding tissue therefore causing small areas of damage that the body then repairs. The device can go down to 4 mm which is the deepest FDA-approved level for the face. The device can set to different levels namely 4 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm 1 mm and even .5 mm with a tip called the resurfacer which resurfaces skin on a very superficial level. That’s the microbiological explanation of how Morpheus 8 works. It takes some amount of talent and expertise to implement this device in an effective way. First off, pain management is key. Without proper pain management it is difficult to complete the procedure at effective levels of energy in order to get best results. Therefore at Blurr’d Lines we have an array of techniques used to provide sufficient pain management. The first level pain management is applying a transdermal Lido/Tetracaine mixture to the skin 45 minutes before the procedure is started. Then, we can use tumescence which is a combination of normal saline, Lidocaine which is injected into large areas of skin like the neck, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, chest, back and arms. For areas of the body, especially the face, there are very effective nerve blocks that can be performed to knockout regional areas of nerves to produce excellent analgesia. There are three major nerve blocks of the face that help control pain. The first is the infraorbital nerve block which is located below the eye in the mid-face. This nerve bundle provides sensation for much of the mid face include the cheek and upper lip. This is accessible through the mouth’s upper gum line as typically performed in the dentist office. The second is the mental block which are the nerve fibers located in the lower jaw. This collection of nerves provides sensation to lower jaw and lower lip. It is also accessible through the mouth at the lower gum line. The third facial nerve block is called the supraorbital nerve block which is located just above the eye at a location called the superior orbital rim. These nerve fibers supply sensation to the forehead and a portion of the scalp. Here you will find two major nerve bundles called the supraorbital nerve and the intratrochlear nerve. Both are blocked by injecting lidocaine in what is called a field block where in a small line of lidocaine is injected across an area where the two nerves are located. These two nerves are relatively close to each and can be blocked simultaneously. The amount of lidocaine used is limited to 4 mg per kilogram as to avoid lidocaine toxicity. A 155 pound person is approximately 70 kilograms which translates into 280 mg max of lidocaine for that individual. This must be all calculated to ensure safe dosing. And finally, the biggest asset we offer for pain management is called ProNox. ProNox is an effective sedative that is a 50/50 mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen. This composite of gas is commonly referred to as laughing gas as it eases anxiety and helps alleviate pain. We include all these modalities of pain management in the pricing of our Morpheus treatments.

Now that we have discussed how Morpheus 8 works and how we manage pain let’s move onto the procedure itself. Once the numbing is complete, we then work on the desired portion of the body which can include face, neck, chest, arms, abdomen, love handles, back, buttocks, thighs and knees. The most commonly requested is face and neck. We set our energy levels depending on depth of treatment area. We can use higher energy levels for deeper levels. As we get to ore superficial levels lower energy levels are used. The more superficial levels tend to be more sensitive as pain fibers are located very superficially. This is why effective pain management is extremely useful in being able to attain best results. The procedure time itself depends on the body part being worked on and size of area treated. Most procedures can be completed from beginning to end in under 2 hours. The real secret in best results outcomes lies in appropriate energy level and depth of treatment. The depth depends on area that you are working on. The cheeks have a fair amount of fat so deeper treatment levels down to 4 mm are able to be performed. The forehead is mostly skin and a thin muscle layer so therefore only a more superficial level of 2 mm is able to be performed. The number of stamps or triggers of the device help with appropriately cover the area of treatment. Typically the more stamps the better the outcome. Again pain management is important in obtaining the proper number of stamps during treatment.

A special add on for Morpheus is a Platelet Rich Plasma Facial Infusion. PRP is used to help in healing process and again stimulate elastin and collagen development which is the cornerstone of skin rejuvenation. The procedure includes taking 23 cc of blood from your arm that we place in a special centrifuge vial.. We then add an anticoagulant to your blood. The blood is spun down in a centrifuge. The red blood cells are separated from the platelet rich serum. The serum are taken from the vial and spread onto the the area that Morpheus was used to treat. The tens of thousands holes created by the morpheus treatment allow the platelet rich plasm to seep into the skin layers. It remains on skin until following morning. Many patients experience an incredibly smooth skin sensation.

As far as getting best results, multiple sessions of Morpheus 8 are required. Typically 3 sessions are ideal. The treatments are separated by a month so an entire treatment will take approximately 60 days. A patient may experience notable results within the first month however the process of elastin and collagen estimation and formation peaks at about 6 months. Therefore, even after your last Morpheus 8 treatment is done you will experience further improvements over the following 4 months. Hence peak results are typically seen at 6 months. Because the aging process is continuous, Morpheus 8 results do require maintenance treatments on a yearly basis. Without maintenance morpheus 8 results can last 2-3 years. With maintenance results can last 6-7 years without doing a full 3 course series again. The price of a single face and neck is currently $1200 but we do offer and highly recommend a 3 package series for $3,000. We do offer individualized packages depending on what you want to address. We offer and accept special financing via Care Credit which is available for all our Morpheus packages. The platelet rich plasm add on is available for $450. That is a brief summary of Morpheus 8 and what you can expect when you choose have your treatment done at Blurr’d Lines of Dartmouth. Again, my name is Dr Manuel Correia and I hope to see you soon.