Renuvion Skin Tightening

Yes. Dr. Matthew McLeod offers Renuvion at Seaport Plastic Surgery in Savannah, Georgia— both in combination with liposuction and as an in-office, standalone treatment for select areas.

Renuvion (formerly J-Plasma) is a helium plasma energy device that delivers controlled heat beneath the skin to coagulate and contract subcutaneous tissue. Unlike liposuction alone, which removes fat but doesn’t address the skin covering it, Renuvion works on the tissue layer itself — which is why it’s most often used to improve skin laxity and tightening in areas where fat has been reduced.

Yes, for specific indications. Renuvion holds FDA 510(k) clearance for coagulation and contraction of subcutaneous soft tissue following liposuction for aesthetic body contouring, and separately for improving the appearance of lax (loose) skin in the neck and submental region. It is not FDA-cleared as a general “skin tightening anywhere on the body” device, and Dr. McLeod uses it within these cleared indications rather than marketing it beyond them.

Liposuction removes excess fat volume. It does not, by itself, contract loose or lax skin — which is why liposuction alone can leave looser or crepey-looking skin in patients with reduced skin elasticity. Renuvion addresses that gap: delivered through the same small liposuction access points, it heats and contracts the underside of the skin so the treated area retracts more tightly against the new contour. This is the core reason practices that offer liposuction and Renuvion can deliver a meaningfully different result than practices offering liposuction alone — particularly for patients who are good candidates for skin tightening but not for excisional surgery (like a tummy tuck or arm lift).

Liposuction-only practices can remove fat, but they have no tool to address the skin envelope left behind — patients with fair-to-moderate skin laxity are often told their only remaining option is an excisional procedure (tummy tuck, arm lift, neck lift) with its longer incisions, longer recovery, and higher cost. Because Dr. McLeod offers Renuvion alongside liposuction, many of these patients can achieve meaningful skin contraction through the same small incisions used for fat removal — without a formal excisional surgery. This makes Renuvion a genuine differentiator for patients evaluating contouring options in Savannah, not just an add-on service.

For appropriately selected patients, Dr. McLeod offers Renuvion as an in-office procedure — performed under local anesthesia in the office setting rather than in an operating room under general anesthesia — for smaller, more contained areas such as:

• Neck and submental region (under-chin laxity)
• Lower abdomen
• Arms
• Breasts
• Axilla (underarm)

These areas are well suited to an in-office approach because they typically involve a smaller treatment surface and less tissue volume than a full-body contouring case, allowing the procedure to be done safely with local anesthesia and a faster in-and-out visit.

In-office Renuvion is typically used for patients who want targeted skin tightening in a smaller area — neck, lower abdomen, or arms — without significant fat volume to remove, and who are candidates for local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia. Renuvion performed in the operating room, combined with liposuction, is for patients who need both
fat removal and skin contraction across one or multiple areas, and who require sedation or general anesthesia for a longer, more extensive procedure. Dr. McLeod determines which setting is appropriate based on the treatment area, the amount of fat present, and the degree of skin laxity.

Good candidates generally have mild to moderate skin laxity — enough looseness to want tightening, but not so much that only an excisional lift or tuck will achieve the desired result — along with realistic expectations about the degree of tightening achievable without removing excess skin surgically. Skin quality, age, treatment area, and whether Renuvion will be paired with liposuction are all evaluated during consultation.

Recovery varies by treatment area and whether Renuvion is combined with liposuction, but general guidelines apply across most patients:

• Swelling and bruising are expected in the first 1–2 weeks and gradually subside over the following weeks.
• Compression garments are worn over the treated area(s) to support the skin as it contracts and to help control swelling — typically for several weeks following the procedure, per your surgeon’s specific instructions.
• Return to light activity is generally possible within a few days for in-office, standalone Renuvion; when combined with liposuction, recovery follows the liposuction timeline, with most patients returning to desk work within one to two weeks.
• Final results continue to develop as the body remodels collagen in the treated tissue, with full skin contraction typically visible between 6 and 12 months after treatment.

As with any energy-based device used beneath the skin, potential risks include burns, irregular contour, skin discoloration, seroma, infection, changes in sensation, and asymmetry. Because Renuvion delivers heat beneath the skin, technique and power settings matter significantly to outcomes, which is why it should only be performed by a surgeon specifically trained in its use. These risks are reviewed individually during consultation.

Renuvion pricing is customized based on the treatment area(s), whether it’s performed inoffice or combined with liposuction in the operating room, and the extent of correction needed. Dr. McLeod provides an exact quote after your consultation and anatomic evaluation. Financing is available through Cherry and CareCredit.

The key difference is where the energy is delivered. Devices like Morpheus8 work from the outside in — energy passes through the skin’s surface to reach the tissue below, which limits how much heat can be safely delivered before the skin surface itself is at risk. Renuvion works the opposite way: it’s delivered directly beneath the skin, through the same small access points used for liposuction, so the energy reaches the tissue that actually needs to contract without having to pass through — and risk — the skin surface first. That direct, subdermal delivery is why Renuvion is generally considered more effective for meaningful skin contraction than external, non-invasive devices, particularly in areas where liposuction has already changed the underlying volume. External devices remain a reasonable option for patients who aren’t candidates for even a minimally invasive procedure, but for patients who qualify, Renuvion’s ability to treat the tissue directly — rather than through the skin — is what allows it to achieve a level of tightening external
devices typically can’t match. Dr. McLeod selects the appropriate technology based on your anatomy and goals rather than defaulting to one device for every patient.

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