Information for CL / RF - Contraindications, Health Conditions, Medications & Waiting Times

Information for CL / RF - Contraindications, Health Conditions, Medications & Waiting Times

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many medications and many side effects to medication. These are some of the medications/skin issues we have encountered before. However, as always, please use your professional judgment to assess whether the client's skin is suitable for treatment and if you have any concerns do not proceed and refer to their doctor




The main questions to ask when a client is taking medication are;
            1. Does it cause any skin sensitivity?      
            2. Does it affect the skin's healing?
            3. Does it thin the skin?

For some medications you will need to either discontinue use or obtain a Dr's note to be able to treat. Be aware of medications which do the following;

Thin the skin - 
  1. Steroid Cream - 4 weeks discontinued use
  2. Steroid injections or orally - 6 months discontinued use
  3. Roaccutane/ Isotretinoin's and Retin A - 6 months discontinued use
Affects the skin's sensitivity -
  1. Antibiotics - wait for client to finish the course
  2. Nerve Blockers - affects how the skin feel the treatment - 4 weeks discontinued use
  3. Blood Thinners - makes the clients more sensitive to the heat, can also cause blood spotting to the surface of the skin
Affects the skin's healing ability - 
  1. Immunosuppressants - Stop the immune system activating itself
You can also look up medications following this link - https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/

Waiting Time between CL treatments is a minimum of 72 hours

Major Contraindication - Do Not Proceed

Pregnant - A pregnant therapist CANNOT perform the treatment
                  Must wait until 6-8 weeks after birth before having treatment

Pregnancy/Birth -  If client has had a C-Section - wait 6 months
                                If client has not had a C-Section - wait 3 months

Acne Vulgaris - As this is very active, the client needs to avoid CL/RF until the flare up has been addressed. If there is only a small area of the face affected by this, you can treat the rest of the face and PROCEED AVOIDING THE AFFECTED AREA/FLARE UP

Roaccutane / Isotretinoin - Must wait 6 months after discontinuing Roaccutane before CL/RF can be done

Prednisolone - Steroid medication used to treat allergies, auto immune disorders and cancer - Wait 6 months after discontinuing

Retinoid Cream / Retin A - Very high in Vitamin A, waiting period of 6 weeks before having CL/RF treatment

Kidney / Liver Disease (there are over 100 different diseases) - Some kidney diseases can turn auto-immune. we are putting strain on the kidney or liver through lymphatic drainage so they need to be healthy for us to achieve results. Do not treat without written medical consent. 

Heart Conditions - We are stimulating blood flow, once again putting strain upon the heart, some medications used to treat conditions can increase sensitivity to the heat. Do not treat without medical consent. You cannot treat anyone with pacemakers or metal stents

Chronic Respiratory Failure - They take in less oxygen and more Co2, generally they struggle with their health but they can also develop other contra-indications

Under 18's 

Benign / Malignant Tumours - RF can encourage growth

Inflammation or Infections - Ensure it has cleared before treating

Abnormal swelling or Oedema - Ensure it has cleared before treating

Diabetes -  ALL TYPES - Diabetes affects the nerves and circulation and the skin can take much longer to heal than normal. You cannot treat anyone with an implanted electrical monitor

Immunosuppressed Individuals - If the immune system is suppressed the healing process may be compromised

History of keloid scarring or abnormal wound healing - A history of keloid scarring is if there are more than one keloid scars on the body. If they are less than 5 years old do not treat

Inability to communicate - Client needs to communicate how the heat feels, if they are unable to do this you are unable to treat

Impetigo - A highly contagious skin infection

Surgery - Wait 6 months after surgery

Copper Coil - Do not perform treatment as the metal could heat up

Sunburn 

Arteriosclerosis Obliterans - Thickening of the arterial walls, complications can be caused

Varicose Veins - if on the body avoid body areas

Connected to vital signs monitoring - Usually electrical items - they are monitored via blood pressure/heart rate. Wait for the monitoring results and only proceed if it is safe to do so

Retinol - Discontinue use as thins the skin - 1% Retinol is prescription grade so we would advise to wait 6 months after last use. 0.5% - Wait 3 months

Hydrocortisone - Steroid medication - Wait 6 months after discontinuing

Steroids - Wait 6 months after last use (orally or injected) as they can cause thinning of the skin
                  Topic Steroid - wait 1 month
Steroid Inhalers - OK TO PROCEED

Pacemaker fitted to client 

Cochlear Implant - Unfortunately as radio frequency falls within the electromagnetic spectrum we advise not to proceed as this can be problematic for the CI user. 

Bell's Palsy/Cerebral Palsy - Type of facial paralysis/inability to control the facial muscles

Cancer (Radiation/Chemotherapy) - Either 6 months from cancer being removed, or 6 months in remission and not taking cancer medication

Why can we not treat a client with an auto immune disease?

Collagen induction works by triggering your bodies immune response. If someone’s immune system is compromised because of an auto immune illness then;
1. The collagen induction could cause issues with their auto immune medical condition
2. They may possibly get poor results due to their bodies lack of ability to effect the required collagen induction immune response


Vitiligo (Auto-Immune) - Affects the melanocyte activity which is what protects the skin. This means that the skin has no level of protection if it is damaged. If there was inflammation caused by CL (or MD) the skin wouldn't be able to heal properly.

Sjogren's Syndrome (Auto-Immune) - Affects parts of the body that produce fluids

Hydroxychloroquine (Auto-Immune) - Used for Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Celiac/Coeliac (Auto-Immune) - Disease of the small intestine

Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis - Chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine

Lichen Planus (thought to be Auto-Immune) - Inflammatory skin condition

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Disease (Auto-Immune) - Disease that damages the thyroid gland

Raynaud's Disease - Affects blood circulation - If secondary, it is Auto-Immune so do not proceed. If it is primary, you are fine to proceed. 

Lupus - Condition causing inflammation to the joints, skin and other organs (but we did have a query from a salon that said it had not shown up on blood tests for the past 4 months for a client...if this is the case the it is ok to proceed with CL/RF)

Multiple Sclerosis (Condition that can affect the brain & spinal cord) - Do not treat as can turn auto-immune

Urticaria (Auto-Immune) - Hives (needs antihistamine & cooling skin preps)

ME (Myalgic Encphalomyelitis) -      If caused by Auto-Immune - DO NOT PROCEED
                                                            If caused by other factors - MAYBE - GET A DR'S NOTE AND CHECK WITH INSURANCE
                                          Needs antihistamine & cooling skin preps

Grave's Disease (Auto-Immune) - Causes the thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone called Hyperthyroidism

Amitriptyline - This is a pain blocker so may not feel the true heat resulting in burns

Proceed with caution / Further advice needed

Methotrexate (Amethopterin) - Chemotherapy agent and immune system suppresant. Check with GP due to auto-immune disease, only proceed if you have permission from the Dr and your insurance

Skin Conditions such as Psoriasis, Eczema, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry/Fragile Skin, Moles or Skin Tags - Avoid the area

Anemia -  Not defined as auto immune , but can be caused by other auto immune diseases. You need to establish what has caused the anemia and if it is because of another contraindication - you will require a doctors note before treating

Glaucoma - Eye condition, avoid the eye area

Difene - Used to relieve pain/inflammation - fine to proceed unless related to auto-immune

Metal Plates/Pins/Implants - Avoid the area - Current concentration can be caused within the tissue around the metal - work a safe distance away

Broken Capillaries - avoid the are as heat may worsen the condition

Rosacea - avoid the area as heat may worsen the condition

HRT Pads - Avoid the return plate area and do not treat the area where the patch is located as some pads contain metal fibres

Dental Implants, braces, caps or metal fillings - For braces cover the metal to protect the inner cheeks. For caps, implants, metal (grey) fillings, if there is more than 4 in total, avoid the area, if there is less than four, cover the affected areas to reduce conductivity and pad with gauze

Blood Thinners (Warfarin) - proceed with caution as it can cause blood spotting and the client may be more sensitive to heat. If the client has been on them for a while it may be best to get a Dr's note. If the client bruises easily, we would advise not to proceed

Clopidogrel - Is a blood thinner used to prevent heart attacks and strokes for people who are at higher risk of these. Although this medication is not contraindicated, it would be better to obtain a sign off from a specialist or GP due to the heart/stroke risk

Areas of sensory impairment - e.g nerve damage - avoid the area

Herpes (Shingles/Cold Sores) -Wait for shingles to clear before treating, cold sores can be avoided

Bruises/ Abrasions or Wounds - fluid build up in any area can cause current concentration - avoid the area

Fibromyalgia - Fine to proceed as the condition is not auto-immune. However, a patient can suffer with a lot with pain with the disorder so we would recommend spacing the sessions at least 5-7 days apart

Lipoedema - we would recommend to get a doctors note to make sure the condition can be treated and also to make sure that the treatment will provide results for the client

Titanium Plate on hip - Safe to proceed as it is far enough away from the face. Ensure return plate is no lower than the shoulder. 




Asthma - fine to proceed

Breastfeeding - fine to proceed

Veneers - fine to proceed

Thread Veins - fine to proceed but avoid the area

Thyroxine - fine to proceed

Hiatus Hernia - fine to proceed




Antibiotics

If client is taking antibiotics, we would recommend not to window for an RF/CL treatment as it can cause antibiotic resistance when stopping and starting them


As a rule of thumb, if a client is on medication relating to a major contraindication (like the arthritis medication, it may be autoimmune so you need to check) then you will need to check with the doctor. Everyday types of medication for blood pressure, thyroxine, anti-depressants and most antibiotics are fine but as stated above, we do not recommend windowing around treatments due to causing antibiotic resistance. Having said that, if you are unsure then ask for doctors consent & speak with your insurance provider.

Other Treatments

Electrolysis / Electrocautery (Hair Removal) - Wait 4 weeks before having CL/RF

Ultrasonic Cavitation - Wait 6-12 weeks after the last treatment before having CL

Tattoo's - Wait until completely healed (4-6 weeks) or avoid the area

Weight Loss Injections in the Stomach - Fine to proceed with Facial

Lemon Bottle - 4 weeks waiting time

Mesotherapy - Wait 1 month after treatment before proceeding with CL treatment

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) - If treatment is in the same area wait 4 weeks, if it is a different area, you are fine to proceed.

Liposuction - Wait 6 months after treatment, or obtain a letter from the surgeon

HIFU Treatment - Wait 1 week after single treatment 
                                 Wait 4 weeks after a course of treatments

Caci Microcurrent - As long as the client has built up muscle tone through Caci Course then you can combine them together as Caci uses probes to stimulate microcurrent and essentially pincer the facial muscles and cause muscle contractions (like a workout for the facial muscles).Caci can help strengthen the skin but it dosnt lift and sculpt like the CL does.

Laser / IPL - Wait 4 weeks before having CL/RF
                      Wait 4 weeks after CL/RF before having an IPL treatment

Microcurrent - Wait 72 hours before having CL/RF

Dermabrasion - Wait 4 weeks before having CL/RF

Dermaplaning - Wait 1 week before having CL/RF

Derma Rollers - If it is a lighter treatment wait 2 weeks before having CL/RF
                           If it is a deeper treatment wait 4 weeks before having CL/RF

Lip Bleeching - Wait 72hrs before having CL/RF

Lighting Cream -  Wait 72hrs before having CL/RF

SPMU/Microblading/Microneedling - Wait 4 weeks before having CL/RF (wait until completely healed). Fine to proceed when avoiding the affected area

Male Clients - Advise clients to shave the night before for a morning appointment, or in the morning for an afternoon/evening appointment

Chemical Peels -       If 20% strength, clients need to allow 1 week before having CL/RF
                                   If the percentage is stronger, they need to wait 4 weeks

Fillers - Wait 6 months before having CL/RF as the heat can degrade the fillers

Botox - Wait 1 month before having CL/RF
              After having a CL treatment, wait 48-72 hours before having Botox
              If having Botox by the eyebrows, you can perform CL but on the lower face only (cheekbones and below)

Seventy Hyal 2000 (Hyaluronic Acid (HA) skin booster) - Wait 4 weeks

After CL - Wait 48 hours for any injectables

Facial Waxing - Wait 24 hours either way

Profhilo (injectable) - Wait 4 weeks

PDO Threads - Wait 6 months



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