Morpheus8 is one of the most-searched for and discussed non-invasive treatments in the UK, and it’s easy to see why. The list of celebrities who are apparently fans of Morpheus 8 runs and runs like a who’s who list of dream skin inspo. Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston, Chrissy Teigen and Hailey Bieber are all reported to be (or have outed themselves as) fans of the Morpheus8 procedure. So, as I hit 40 and was not quite ready for anything that erred on the “invasive” end of the spectrum just yet but offered the chance to try Morpheus8 at the prestigious Dr Medispa, I jumped at the chance.
Morpheus8 is anti-ageing and helps with skin resurfacing (tick, tick), and Dr Medispa was the first UK clinic to do the procedure, so I was assured I was in the right place. Morpheus8 combines radiofrequency technology with fractional micro pins – the idea is they create tiny injuries to the skin, which stimulates a healing response, producing collagen and elastin fibres to tighten and smooth the skin. Radiofrequency energy is delivered deep into the dermis, allowing for even more skin tightening. So, in terms of what Morpheus8 can do, it’s about creating a youthful glow, treating wrinkles, reducing scarring and uneven skin tone and tightening. As well as skin appearance, the procedure is liked by many for its ability to pull in the skin around the jaw and chin area, reducing saggyness – and it can actually be used all over the body, for instance on knees.
To find out about how painful Morpheus8 is, how long my downtime was, what difference I saw before and after having the procedure and how much it costs, read on.
About Morpheus8
How to Use Morpheus8
But in reality, what does that all look like? What is Morpheus8. Well, in more layman’s terms, there’s a laser gun-shaped tool with a head around the size of a 5p piece, but square. The clinician (after wearing numbing cream for an hour in my case) places the tool on your skin, clicks and tiny needles, 5 to 8mm long, are shot into the skin while the laser flashes. This is then repeated over and over (around 45 minutes for my face) until the skin (aside from eyes and your nose) is covered.
There’s then a downtime, where your skin, depending on your reaction, looks red and sore and you can use no make-up and minimal plain cleansers and moisturisers. It’s staggered so for the first 48 hours, it’s just a plain cleanser and moisturiser like Cetaphil, building up to a few days in when some more skincare like vitamin C can be introduced, then SPF – it was seven days until I wore make-up and returned to a more normal skin routine. This is just a guide, follow the guidelines set out by your clinician – as mine explained, the guidelines can change, and will be different for different skin types.
As for the results of Morpheus8, they aren’t instant – you need to wait a few weeks for skin cycles to take place until you see the results on the glowiness side, and longer until you might notice any tightening. I know, you’re impatient, but to me I found this reassuring, as it made sense scientifically, instead of me getting snake oil vibes. And the good news is that improvement can continue for months, as can the results, as long as you take good care of your skin.
What I Like About Morpheus8
I’m not a person who has ever really dipped a toe into this world, so the first thing I really liked about the Morpheus8 treatment at Dr Medispa was that I had a full facial scan, which looked at everything from pigmentation and UV damage to skin smoothness. The clinician analyses and takes you through the scans which was absolutely fascinating, and I was thrilled to get a “face age” below my actual age. I also found the clinician super-knowledgeable and she talked through any other questions or concerns I had about my skin.
One of my main issues I’ve noticed recently is a crease line down the sides of my cheeks (yes, I’ve tried silk pillows, yes I’m definitely dehydrated most of the time) and I wanted to know if the Morpheus8 could help with that, I’ve also had some clear bumps come up I wanted to ask her about. In both cases she was super-knowledgeable and honest about what might be achieved, and while we’d have to see, likely I wouldn’t see much change in those areas. I liked that she was honest. If you’re looking into getting these treatments, it can all look exciting and “yes I’ll have some of that”, but I think it’s really important, especially given the money concerned, that you go, have consultations, are honest about your concerns and then see what is recommended for you. I also think it’s important to know that many of the celebs who have things like Morpheus8 are also having other things done to their skin (both invasive, non-invasive, regular facials, specialist diets and dermatologists) so you will have different experiences to them.
I’m also going to add the pain of the procedure in this section because it was very minimal. It’s important to know these procedures take time, especially once you add in an hour of numbing and consultation time. But the numbing cream really did work and was worth it. I’d say I have quite a normal pain threshold, verging on low, but the procedure itself was surprisingly fine, I really didn’t feel discomfort. There were a few bits that felt a bit more tender than others, but on the whole it was ok.
I didn’t really go into Morpheus8 for this reason, but when I looked online, a lot of people have the procedure for sagging around the jaw and chin. I didn’t think there was much I could do about my chin(s) to be honest outside of diet and exercise. But I do think that I have noticed a difference in that area, especially when it comes to the dreaded Zoom face. I didn’t document this area, to be honest, so I’m telling you anecdotally, but there are plenty of before and afters and testimonies online that have noted the procedure for this. And I would say for older customers, this is a big plus as it’s something that can really get people down and it does seem to have efficacy in pulling in saggyness.
Now, the glow. Did I see more glow? Seeing as I’m talking about what I liked about Morpheus8 I’m going to cite the fact that two days after having the procedure, I walked up to my friend, who was sat outside a pub, and the first thing she said was, “Your skin looks amazing, what have you done?”. Now, that’s what you want, right? But I would say that two days in I was still taking really good care of my skin, and it had nothing on except for a very thick later of Cetaphil moisturiser and I found that the procedure did make my skin a bit sweaty/oily… and honestly, I’m putting it down to that.
The day before Morpheus8 and almost a month later
Aside from that, I’ve not had much else in the way of compliments or anyone noticing the difference. But I do think that also says a lot about skin and your face – really, no-one notices changes good or bad as much as yourself in the morning in the mirror. Take from that what you will, I’m taking it as a good thing. In the coming weeks then, did I notice a difference? I would say that yes I felt a little more glowy. But, having had to take such good care and notice of my skin immediately after Morpheus8, I was prompted to try and be better and more consistent with my skincare routine. I think that did help and, as our associate editor Lauren Ezekiel repeatedly says, double cleansing is key. Taking care of my skin better, prompted by the procedure, definitely helped improve the look of my skin.
What to Consider Before Trying Morpheus8
But is that enough? A bit more glowy and better at doing your skincare? Probably not for the cost (around £900 per session). I would say that the clinic does recommend having a course of three (costing £2,430 for the face and neck), so perhaps one procedure wasn’t enough to know for sure. But I think to invest not just the money, but the time, maybe you would want to see a little more change. Though, as I said above in reference to the celebrities, if you have that money and time and Morpheus8 is specifically the best treatment for an issue you personally have, you may feel after consulting with a specialist, it’s the route for you.
Immediately after Morpheus8
Speaking of the time… I spoke earlier about the pain during the procedure. The pain afterwards was also manageable, but did feel like sunburn that evening and some of the following day. While my face seemed to bounce back relatively quickly (though I was still very sheepish and delicate during my cleanses for three or four days) the neck area took longer to heal and I did end up using some thicker creams on this area in the next week to encourage healing.
The day of the procedure, and the following day
It didn’t look great, either. The day of the procedure, you will not want to be going anywhere, the skin feels sensitive and it looks it. I’d recommend doing the procedure personally in cooler months when that’s less of an issue and you feel safer not wearing SPF for a few days. The skin was bright red and looked sunburned. But by Wednesday (my procedure was on the Monday) I felt fine going into the office, the skin looked fine even if it still felt a bit sensitive. I will say I rarely wear much face make-up, so it didn’t bother me to just wear a light lick of mascara and have some redness patches still on my neck. All that said, was I tempted to do it again two more times to see if a three course trial would work? Probably not, I’d say the total “down time” for me was around a week and that’s quite a while if you’ve got a busy calendar.
Where is Morpheus8 Available?
Morpheus8 is available at clinics up and down the country, but do your research. I had the procedure at Dr Medispa in Loughton. For the face and neck it’s £900 per session, or £2,430 for a course of three.
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