How long do XERF results last?
There is a reason we do not answer this in months. The longest human follow-up for XERF is 90 days. Here is exactly what each of the three studies measured, and for how long.
The short answer
No human data lets anyone state the duration of XERF in months. The three human studies of XERF made their last measurement at 12 weeks, 90 days and 3 months respectively. In other words they stopped at about three months, and nothing beyond that has been measured. That is why Miso Clinic in Daegu does not write sentences like “XERF lasts so many months”. Miso Clinic is at 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, in front of Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital station. Phone 053-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00 with no lunch break, closed Sunday and public holidays.
The three human studies
| Study | Participants | Last measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Hwang 2025 | 20 | 12 weeks |
| Weiss 2026 | 39 | 90 days |
| Erlich 2026 | 16 | 3 months |
All three stopped at around three months, with 16 to 39 participants. For comparison, the human data for Density (Oku 2025, 16 people) followed patients to 24 weeks, about twice as far.
The important point is not that the effect disappeared after 90 days but that nothing was looked at after 90 days. Those are entirely different statements. Absence of data means absence of data, not a poor result.
Where six months to a year comes from
The commonest answer online is six months to a year. That figure did not come from a XERF study; it was carried over from older work on monopolar radiofrequency in general.
| Time point | What was reported |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks | Device-measured elasticity significant; clinical scoring not yet. |
| 12 weeks | Clinical scoring of jawline and nasolabial folds becomes significant and holds to 24 weeks. |
| 4-6 months | Two independent studies place the peak here. |
| 7-10 months | One study reports a slight decline; data past this point is thinner. |
The timeline is useful background but must not be transferred to XERF. It comes from other devices, has no control group, and much of it is from older machines. When you see “XERF lasts a year”, it is fair to ask which device, how many people and whether there was a control group.
Why the evidence is this thin
This is not specific to XERF. The evidence base for radiofrequency lifting as a whole is thin. The 2026 systematic review gathered 15 studies and 1,230 people, of which only one was a randomised controlled trial. Heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis, and the review stated that no direct device-to-device comparison was identified.
So no study has put the devices now on the market against each other under the same conditions. Claims that XERF lasts longer than Density, or the reverse, are not supported by data at present.
What you feel and what is measured can disagree
There is data showing that the sense of a fading result can differ from what is measured. It is not from XERF studies, but it has been seen repeatedly across lifting treatments.
| Source | What diverged |
|---|---|
| Review of 16 ultrasound studies · 90 days | Physicians 92% versus patients 42% |
| One-year study in 20 people | Blinded raters 43% versus patient satisfaction 95-100%. Quantified lift peaked at 90 days, 22-33% at one year |
Physician, patient and blinded observer disagree about the same moment. That is why we photograph before treatment under fixed light and angle and repeat the photograph under the same conditions. Photographs taken under different conditions cannot be compared.
So when do we treat again
We decide from the face rather than the calendar, because no trial has compared retreatment intervals for XERF.
- We hold off on any judgement until two to three months have passed, since visible change settles at about twelve weeks.
- If laxity remains at that review, we design again, with the same device or another.
- If the change is holding, we do not hurry. People age at different speeds.
- If the problem is lost volume rather than laxity, we look at volume treatment instead of a device.
This is clinical judgement at Miso Clinic, not a criterion drawn from a trial that compared intervals. Fees depend on the area and extent of treatment and are explained by phone or at the clinic. Miso Clinic is at 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, in front of Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital station. Phone 053-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00 with no lunch break, closed Sunday and public holidays.
Summary: what is established and what is not
Established
- The three human studies of XERF made their last measurement at 12 weeks, 90 days and 3 months
- They enrolled 16 to 39 people each
- In the 2026 systematic review of radiofrequency, one of 15 studies was a randomised trial
Not established
- Any XERF data at six months or one year
- Any comparison of XERF against another device under the same conditions
- Any trial comparing retreatment intervals for XERF
XERF duration: common questions
How long do XERF results usually last?
The longest human follow-up for XERF is 90 days. Nothing beyond that has been measured, so we do not promise a number of months.
Does that mean the effect disappears after 90 days?
No. It means nobody looked after 90 days. Absence of data and absence of effect are different things.
I was told XERF lasts six months to a year.
That figure comes from older studies of monopolar radiofrequency in general rather than from XERF. Those studies had no control group and used different devices.
Which lasts longer, XERF or Density?
No study has compared the two under the same conditions. The 2026 systematic review also stated that no direct device-to-device comparison was identified.
How many months apart should XERF be repeated?
There is no established interval. Miso Clinic looks at the face two to three months after treatment and decides then.
How many people were in the XERF studies?
Twenty, thirty-nine and sixteen, in three studies, none of them with a control group. One was manufacturer supported.
Where can I discuss XERF in Daegu?
Miso Clinic is at 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, in front of Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital station, 053-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00-19:00, Saturday 10:00-16:00, closed Sunday and public holidays.
Read next
Product pages
Product pages: XERF · Density · Oligio Kiss
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Three human studies of XERF — Hwang JK, Medical Lasers 2025;14(1):23–30 (20 people · 12 weeks) · Weiss RA et al., Cureus 2026;18(3):e104546, PMID 41930066 (39 people · 90 days, manufacturer supported) · Erlich G et al., Lasers Med Sci 2026;41(1), PMID 42611100 (retrospective, 16 people · 3 months). None had a control group and the longest follow-up is 90 days.
- Density human data — Oku K, J Cosmet Dermatol 2025;24(10):e70504, PMID 41090512. 16 Japanese participants · one session · followed to 24 weeks. Tightening 0.82 mm, lower-face thickness −0.89 mm, pain 1.4/5. No control group, single author, and nothing measured beyond 24 weeks.
- Timeline of radiofrequency results — Cosmetics 2024;11(3):71 (20 Korean women · one session · 4, 12 and 24 weeks: device-measured elasticity moved at 4 weeks, clinical scores were not significant at 4 weeks but were at 12 and 24) · Fitzpatrick 2003 and Edwards AF et al., Dermatol Surg 2013;39:104–110 (peak at 4-6 months, slight decline at 7-10). All uncontrolled, and none of them studied Density or XERF.
- Evidence for comparing devices — Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum 2026 systematic review (15 studies · 1,230 people, one randomised trial). Heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis and the review states that no direct device-to-device comparison was identified.
- Improvement rates depend on who is looking — review of 16 ultrasound lifting studies (IJERPH 2023;20(2):1522): at 90 days physicians rated 92% improved while patients rated 42%. Werschler 2016 (20 people): at one year blinded raters said 43% while patient satisfaction was 95-100%, and quantified lift peaked at 90 days then fell to 22-33% at one year. Ultrasound data, cited here only for the rater gap.
- XERF specifications — Lutronic published data: monopolar, 6.78 MHz plus 2 MHz, handpieces i05 (5×10 mm · 400 shots) · i10 (10×10 mm · 300 shots) · E40 (20×20 mm · 600 shots) · E60 (20×30 mm · 600 shots). The shot count is sealed into the tip; it is not a recommendation for how many shots a face needs.
- Medical advertising law — Medical Service Act of Korea, Article 56(2), which prohibits testimonial advertising, comparison with other clinics, superlative claims and advertising that guarantees or implies a guaranteed treatment effect. That is why this column reports mechanisms and data without ranking devices.
- Miso Clinic practice guidance — indication criteria, site-by-site design, and the explanation and consent procedure. This is the source for every sentence marked as clinical judgement.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.
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