Renuvion in Seoul, Korea

Renuvion is the brand name of a device that delivers helium plasma and radiofrequency energy under the skin to coagulate and contract subcutaneous tissue. Tanggle Plastic Surgery in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul offers this procedure. The questions patients ask most are answered below, each figure with its source and the date it was checked.

Where can I get Renuvion in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul?

Tanggle Plastic Surgery provides Renuvion in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The plan and its extent are determined at an in-person consultation.

What is the recovery time for Renuvion?

Recovery after Renuvion varies with the extent of the procedure and the patient's condition; the clinic provides an individual schedule at consultation.

How does Renuvion differ from other options?

Renuvion differs from other options in approach and recovery, so the choice is made at consultation based on skin and tissue condition.

What is specific to Renuvion?

Renuvion is the brand name of a device that delivers helium plasma and radiofrequency energy under the skin to coagulate and contract subcutaneous tissue. The U.S. FDA has cleared its handpiece for coagulation of subcutaneous tissue following liposuction and for lax skin of the neck and submental area; use on the skin surface is cleared only for a separate handpiece.

What is Renuvion?

Renuvion is the trade name of a device that delivers helium plasma together with radiofrequency (RF) energy. It is the name of equipment, not of a single procedure — so the area treated and the purpose can differ from clinic to clinic even under the same name.

The manufacturer is Apyx Medical. The US FDA has cleared it separately for different handpieces and different intended uses, which means the phrase "having Renuvion" does not by itself identify the treatment. Confirm the area and any accompanying procedure at consultation.

What is Renuvion cleared for?

The US FDA has issued separate clearances by handpiece and by intended use. Below are the clearance numbers and decision dates as recorded in the FDA 510(k)(a US FDA clearance confirming the device is equivalent to one already cleared) database.

• Moderate to severe wrinkles and rhytides — a surface indication. Note that it is limited to Fitzpatrick(a six-step scale of skin colour based on how skin burns and tans) skin types I, II and III. Dermal Handpiece · K211652 · 25 May 2022
• Lax (loose) skin in the neck and submental region — improving the appearance of loose skin beneath the surface. APR Handpiece · K220970 · 15 July 2022
• Neck and submental indication maintained — a follow-on clearance for the same APR handpiece. APR Handpiece · K223262 · 23 February 2023
• Coagulation of subcutaneous soft tissue following liposuction — a step that follows liposuction in cosmetic body contouring. APR Handpiece · K230272 · 27 April 2023
• General soft-tissue coagulation and contraction — a separate, smaller handpiece. Micro Handpiece · K230586 · 9 June 2023

There are three handpieces — Dermal (skin surface), APR (under the skin) and Micro — and the APR handpiece carries two separate indications, neck/submental and post-liposuction. Saying only that "Renuvion is FDA cleared" therefore does not tell you which item your own treatment falls under. Ask which handpiece, which area and which purpose, then match it against the list above.

The wrinkle indication (Dermal handpiece) carries a skin-type limit — Fitzpatrick types I, II and III. Depending on your type it may fall outside the cleared range, so if you are considering it for wrinkles, confirm your own Fitzpatrick type at consultation.

What safety information has the FDA issued about Renuvion?

In March 2022 the US FDA warned about using this device for skin resurfacing or skin contraction. The reports at that time described second- and third-degree burns that required extensive treatment and left permanent scarring.

The FDA subsequently issued several clearances specifying handpieces and purposes (May and July 2022; February, April and June 2023). In other words, whether the use falls within a cleared indication is the safety question — the warning remains in force for uses outside those indications.

The FDA updated this as a safety communication dated 10 May 2023 and advises clinicians to be familiar with the current indications and instructions for use.

At consultation, confirm which area, for what purpose, and whether that falls within a cleared indication.

How is Renuvion performed?

The U.S. FDA describes Renuvion as a device that uses radiofrequency energy and helium to generate plasma — a gas-like substance with high heat — to coagulate and contract tissue. Per the manufacturer, a thin wand is inserted just under the skin to contract collagen-rich tissue; it works in a different plane from a resurfacing laser.

Where, and together with what, is the core of this procedure.

• After liposuction — the use cleared by the FDA in April 2023 is 'coagulation of subcutaneous soft tissues following liposuction for aesthetic body contouring': the space under the skin is treated after the fat has been removed.
• Neck and submental area — cleared in July 2022; the instructions for use recommend three incisions (two behind the ears, one under the chin) large enough to let gas escape.
• Anesthesia — the manufacturer's FAQ says both general and local anesthesia are used, and the instructions warn that treating tissue without local subcutaneous anesthesia raises the risk of thermal damage.
• Undermining — the instructions say the tissue plane is created with a liposuction or blunt cannula, not with the handpiece itself. The handpiece is single-use.

Per the manufacturer's FAQ, results can take 6 to 9 months to fully appear. So the questions are clear: which handpiece for which cleared use, whether it is done the same day as liposuction, and which anesthesia. The FDA's advice to consumers is to ask which devices will be used.

How do you prepare for Renuvion?

The first step is confirming that the intended use is a cleared one. The FDA lists the APR handpiece's cleared uses as coagulation of subcutaneous tissue following liposuction and lax skin of the neck and submental region; surface treatment of wrinkles is cleared only for a separate Dermal handpiece, and only for Fitzpatrick skin types I–III. The instructions for use carry a warning against dermal resurfacing or any non-surgical skin use.

The instructions list these as cautions — tell your surgeon if any apply.

• Pregnancy — not recommended
• Active implanted devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators or neurostimulators — risk of interference
• Anticoagulants or substances that reduce tissue blood flow — not recommended
• Recent respiratory infection, respiratory distress or COVID-19 — careful evaluation
• Previous surgery or intervention in the treatment area — higher complication risk
• Collagen, vascular or autoimmune disease, or impaired wound healing — more scarring and slower healing
• A known hernia in the surgical area — consider repair first

The instructions state contraindications: none. So these items mean 'must be disclosed and evaluated', not 'cannot be treated'. When combined with liposuction, the liposuction preparation (conditions, medications, smoking, tests) applies unchanged.

What does recovery after Renuvion involve?

The manufacturer's FAQ puts recovery at a few days to a few weeks depending on the number of areas and the anesthesia plan, with results taking 6 to 9 months to fully appear. If done the same day as liposuction, recovery follows the liposuction course (garment, swelling, bruising).

The instructions for use list these as expected treatment effects: discomfort or pain, edema, erythema, bruising, reduced sensation, touch sensitivity, itching, temporary weight gain, temporary numbness or tingling, subcutaneous nodules or lumps (transient migratory firmness), and crepitus (a crackling feeling under the skin). The last two are unusual for other procedures, so it helps to know in advance.

In the neck/submental study (65 patients) reported in the instructions, edema occurred in 92% (mean 32 days), temporary sensory nerve injury in 86% (mean 76 days, up to 202), bruising in 55% (mean 14 days), crepitus in 40% (mean 5 days), nodules in 12% (mean 24 days) and temporary motor nerve injury in 6% (mean 48 days). In other words, reduced sensation is common and can last two to three months.

Contact the clinic promptly for worsening pain, heat or pus, spreading skin discoloration, or shortness of breath — pneumothorax and infection are on the instructions' risk list.

When should you contact the clinic after Renuvion?

Redness, swelling and a stinging sensation are commonly described after device-based treatments and usually settle within days. The following are signs to contact the clinic rather than wait for a scheduled visit.

• Blistering, or skin that looks burned
• Pain that improves and then worsens again
• Numbness or tingling that does not resolve
• Fever, or a treated area that keeps swelling
• Denting or a change in contour of the skin

The US FDA has issued a safety communication reporting burns, scarring and pigment changes with radiofrequency microneedling devices, and states that such treatments are medical procedures, not cosmetic care. Contact the treating clinic rather than managing it yourself.

Ask for out-of-hours and holiday contact details beforehand.

What are the risks of Renuvion?

Renuvion heats tissue beneath the skin, so its risks differ from both open surgery and surface lasers. In its March 2022 warning the U.S. FDA listed adverse events reported after aesthetic use — second- and third-degree burns, infection, change in skin color, scars, nerve damage, significant bleeding, and air or gas accumulation under the skin, in body cavities and in blood vessels — some requiring intensive-care treatment. Cleared uses were defined in 2022–2023, but the risk list in the instructions for use remains.

The manufacturer's instructions (2025 revision) list these risks of the device:

• helium embolism if gas enters a vein or artery
• unintended burns (deep or superficial)
• pneumothorax
• temporary or permanent nerve injury
• ischemia
• fibrosis
• infection
• pain or discomfort
• gas buildup causing temporary crepitus or pain
• bleeding, hematoma, seroma
• subcutaneous induration
• pigmentation changes
• increased healing time
• scarring
• asymmetry or an unacceptable cosmetic result

For use after liposuction (483 patients) the instructions report burn/skin necrosis 0.2%, hematoma/seroma 4.6%, wound-related problems 1.4%, and 0% death, embolism or infection — data submitted by the manufacturer, which is worth keeping in mind.

So the questions are whether the device is used within its cleared indications, whether the surgeon keeps to settings that avoid overtreatment (the instructions cap power and gas flow), and what the response plan is if problems occur. The FDA advises discussing these risks before consenting.

What determines the cost of Renuvion in Seoul?

Renuvion is cosmetic and therefore not covered by national health insurance; each clinic sets and posts its own price. Because it is usually performed the same day as liposuction, the first question is whether it is an added line or included in the liposuction quote.

What moves the price:

• The handpiece — single-use per the instructions; ask how the consumable is charged.
• Number and size of areas — same as the liposuction areas, or a standalone neck/chin treatment.
• Anesthesia — general or local (both are used, per the manufacturer's FAQ).
• Combined surgery — whether anesthesia, garments and follow-up are in the liposuction quote.

This site does not publish the listed clinic's prices; how to check non-covered pricing is explained on the guide page about non-covered pricing.

Who performs Renuvion, and how do you verify them?

Renuvion is a medical device, so 'who performs it' and 'what is used' are checked together. The FDA advises providers to follow the instructions for use and training, and the instructions warn against use without adequate training. What a patient can verify:

• The operator's board certification — search the name in the Korean plastic surgery society registries and check the clinic's specialists by field and registered operating rooms in the HIRA registry.
• Which handpiece for which use — after liposuction, neck/submental, or dermal. The FDA's advice to consumers is exactly this question: which device will be used.
• Korean approval — this site does not assert domestic approval status; the guide page on checking domestic approval explains how to look a product up with the Korean regulator (MFDS).
• The same surgeon as for liposuction — it is done in the same session, so confirm the consulting doctor operates.
• Follow-up plan — reduced sensation can last two to three months and nodules and crepitus are listed as expected, so agree the review schedule and contact route in advance.

Clinic information