Exion is a radiofrequency platform made by BTL Industries with several applicators on one console. We use three. Exion Face and Exion Body deliver radiofrequency at 3.2 MHz through the handpiece, with a return pad on the body. It warms the skin and the layer beneath it to 40 to 45°C, the range in the US clearance summary. Both add targeted ultrasound, and together they heat the deep layers of the dermis, which BTL says increases blood circulation and stimulates fibroblasts, the skin's repair cells. Exion Fractional RF delivers radiofrequency at 1 MHz through a grid of 36 fine needles, so the energy is placed inside the skin at a depth the clinician sets. In the human study, skin treated with radiofrequency and targeted ultrasound together made more of its own hyaluronic acid; radiofrequency alone did far less. Every session is at Exion Clinic, 8 Devonshire Place, with the plan in writing at a free consultation.
The three applicators
- Exion Face: a handpiece moved over the face, neck or upper chest (décolletage) in slow passes, warm rather than hot. Four sessions of up to an hour, a week or two apart. In the 2025 study, hyaluronic acid in the skin was up 49% at one month and 68% at three months with radiofrequency and ultrasound together, against 7% and 10% with radiofrequency alone, with discomfort 2.3 out of 10 and no adverse events.
- Exion Body: a more powerful handpiece for larger areas, used on the abdomen and sides, the arms, the thighs, the buttocks, the knees and the upper back, with a massage attachment that the US clearance covers for a temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite. Four sessions. In the 2026 study of 23 patients, the fat layer on ultrasound was 16% thinner at one month and 22% at three and six months, and 71% reported an improvement.
- Exion Fractional RF: needles 0.5 to 4 mm deep in the US summary, with radiofrequency delivered through them, for acne scars, texture and the lines the surface treatments do not reach. One to three sessions four to eight weeks apart in our practice, after numbing cream, with redness for one to three days. At the higher energy levels the US clearance limits it to skin types I to IV, and the clinician sets the energy for your skin.
What the clearances say
In the US, the Exion applicators are FDA-cleared to heat tissue, for the temporary relief of pain and muscle spasm and an increase in local circulation. The Body massage attachment is cleared for a temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, and the Fractional RF tips, depending on the tip, for electrocoagulation and hemostasis or for fractional treatment of the skin. No clearance names wrinkles, loose skin or fat, and we do not claim one does. The cosmetic use rests on the heating the device is cleared for and on the studies above; BTL funded the face study and the pig study. The worth it page weighs that evidence plainly.
The session
Skin cleaned, a conductive gel for Face and Body, and the handpiece moved in passes while the console holds the skin temperature in range; you feel deep, even warmth and can talk. In our practice Fractional RF has numbing cream for about 30 minutes first, then the needle tip is stamped across the area in a grid. Face and Body sessions end with the skin pink and warm; Fractional RF ends with the skin red and warm for one to three days, sometimes up to five, in our experience, with sunscreen every day after. Nothing is injected and nothing is cut.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
Adults whose skin has lost firmness, glow or texture, or who have a soft area with a layer of fat to reduce. The manufacturer says Face and Body are not applied over hair or scar tissue, or with an electronic or metal implant, and that the skin can temporarily crust, blister or burn. In our practice we also do not treat in pregnancy or breastfeeding, over an active skin infection, open wound or active acne, or with autoimmune skin disease. For Fractional RF we also exclude recent isotretinoin (Roaccutane), a history of raised (keloid) scarring, and a bleeding disorder or blood thinners. A BTL trial of a related fractional device also excluded the eyelids and lips, and so do we. The clinician goes through the full list with you. Exion does not lift a face that has dropped, add volume or remove a fold of loose skin, and the Exion or EMface page explains what does.
Book a free consultation
Call Exion Clinic on 0207 043 8136 or use the form below. The clinician looks at your skin, names the applicator and the course, and gives you the price in writing. The full Exion guide covers the rest.
