Radiofrequency-assisted contouring for simultaneous fat reduction and skin contraction in selected face and body areas — often positioned between liposuction alone and excisional surgery.
Anesthesia
Local / Sedation
Duration
1–3 hours
Hospital
Day case
Work
3–7 days
Compression
4–6 weeks
Final result
3–6 months
"RFAL addresses what liposuction alone cannot — the skin. Contraction is built into the procedure, not left to chance."
Dr. Serkan Kaya · BodyTite · FaceTite · AccuTite
RFAL
What is RFAL?
Precision remodelling, not excision
Radiofrequency-assisted lipolysis (RFAL) delivers bipolar radiofrequency energy simultaneously from an internal cannula and an external surface handpiece. The thermal energy facilitates fat reduction while contracting the overlying skin — a dimension that conventional liposuction cannot reliably address. The result is volume reduction combined with meaningful skin tightening, achieved through small access incisions with less downtime than surgical excision in appropriately selected patients.
The InMode RFAL platform offers three distinct devices — BodyTite, FaceTite, and AccuTite — calibrated for different anatomical scales. The underlying mechanism is similar; the difference lies in cannula diameter, energy parameters, and the size of the treatment area. Selecting the appropriate device, or combining them, is a clinical decision based on anatomy, tissue quality, and the degree of correction required.
Why skin contraction matters in body contouring
Conventional liposuction removes volume but does not address skin laxity. In patients with moderate skin looseness, liposuction alone can worsen the surface appearance — the deflated skin has no structural support. RFAL solves this by delivering controlled thermal energy to the subdermal fibroseptal network, stimulating collagen contraction and neocollagenesis. The skin tightens as tissue heals over the following months. This is not a substitute for skin excision in cases of significant laxity — but in the right patient, it may avoid excisional surgery entirely or reduce its extent.
Three platforms
BodyTite · FaceTite · AccuTite
BodyTite — body
Designed for larger body areas — abdomen, flanks, inner and outer thighs, arms, back. Delivers high-volume fat reduction with simultaneous skin contraction. Frequently combined with SAFELipo or VASER when additional structural sculpting is required. Suitable for patients with mild to moderate skin laxity who may not yet require excisional procedures such as thigh lift or arm lift.
FaceTite — face & neck
Calibrated for the face and neck — jawline, jowls, submental fat, and lower face laxity. Addresses structural changes of early facial ageing that do not yet warrant a facelift, or complements a facelift by treating areas the surgical approach does not directly reach. The submental area is one of the more consistent treatment areas.
AccuTite — precision
The smallest cannula in the RFAL family — designed for confined or anatomically sensitive areas: upper and lower eyelid laxity, perioral region, brow area, nasolabial folds, and small fat pockets that require precise, targeted treatment. Where FaceTite addresses the lower face broadly, AccuTite works at a finer scale with greater anatomical control.
Are you a good candidate?
Who is RFAL right for?
RFAL works best for patients with localised fat deposits and mild to moderate skin laxity — where skin quality is sufficient for a meaningful contraction response. It is not appropriate for patients with significant excess skin requiring excision, or for those with very poor skin elasticity where contraction response will be limited.
Localised fat with mild to moderate overlying skin laxity
Submental fullness and early jowl formation
Abdominal or flank contouring without significant skin excess
Inner arm or thigh laxity not requiring excisional surgery
Periorbital or perioral laxity requiring precise small-area treatment
Post-weight-loss patients with moderate residual laxity
Recovery
What to expect after treatment
Recovery is significantly lighter than excisional surgery. Most patients manage swelling and bruising with compression garments for 4–6 weeks. Most patients return to social activity within a few days to one week, depending on the treated area. The skin contraction response continues to develop over 3–6 months as collagen remodelling progresses — the final result is not visible immediately after treatment.
3–7 d
Return to work
4–6 wk
Compression
4 wk
Sport
3–6 mo
Final result
FAQ
Common questions
This depends on your baseline skin quality and the degree of laxity present. Patients with good skin elasticity and mild to moderate laxity see the most consistent contraction results. Patients with significant skin excess, heavily sun-damaged skin, or poor elasticity will see less contraction — and in those cases, surgical excision may be the more appropriate solution. This is assessed honestly at consultation.
No — and presenting it that way would be misleading. RFAL is appropriate for patients who do not yet need a facelift or body lift, or who wish to defer excisional surgery. For patients with significant skin excess or advanced ptosis, surgical excision remains the more effective approach. RFAL and surgical procedures are not competing options — they address different degrees of the same problem.
Yes — and it frequently is. BodyTite is commonly combined with SAFELipo or VASER in the same session: the liposuction addresses volume and structural sculpting, while BodyTite contributes skin contraction to the treated area. In patients with moderate laxity, the combination can produce a more complete result than either technique alone.
FaceTite uses a larger cannula and is designed for the lower face and neck — jawline definition, jowl reduction, submental contouring. AccuTite uses a much finer cannula suited to anatomically constrained areas: the eyelid region, perioral lines, brow laxity, and small isolated fat pockets. Both deliver bipolar RF energy; the difference is scale and anatomical precision. In some patients, both devices are used in the same session for different areas.
For isolated RFAL procedures, most international patients stay in Istanbul for around 4–5 days. If RFAL is combined with other surgical procedures, a longer stay is planned accordingly. Consultation, the procedure itself, and the first post-operative review all take place during this period. Follow-up continues via scheduled video calls and direct WhatsApp access after you return home.