Potenza downtime and why the next session is set four weeks later

"Doctor, how many days will I be red after Potenza?" This is the first question from people who come in about pores or skin texture. With work and plans to keep, many hesitate to book because they worry their face will stay red.

On the other hand, some people want results faster and ask, "Can't I have it every two weeks?"

When you look in the mirror after treatment, there is redness like a light sunburn and some warmth. Potenza places very fine needles into the skin and releases radiofrequency heat from the needle tips, which is why.

A 2026 study from China followed 20 people for four weeks after one full-face RF microneedling session. Everyone developed redness, and 13 of the 20 felt burning or stinging. Redness settled on its own within 1 to 4 days and burning within 2 to 4 hours, with no major side effects such as pigmentation. It used a different device, not Potenza, and only 20 people, so the numbers cannot be carried over as they are (Ann Med 2026 · PMID 42522676).

A 2026 review of 20 RF microneedling studies (558 people) also found side effects were mostly mild, short-lived redness and swelling. Some of its authors work for a device company, which is worth keeping in mind (J Cosmet Dermatol 2026 · PMID 41947517).

Somsei Clinic sets Potenza energy conservatively as a rule. Over more than 10,000 Potenza treatments so far, lowering energy and settings to suit the skin has also shortened redness and recovery time.

"Will I be OK to go to work the next day?" Many people worry about this. Gentle cleansing and make-up are usually fine the same day or the next. Potenza is not a laser that shaves the skin surface, so there is generally no separate period of scabs forming and falling off. If you are flying home soon after, plan around the 1 to 4 days of redness.

Activities that raise body heat, such as exercise or saunas, are best avoided for about 2 to 3 days. For a few days afterwards the moisture in the skin can drop briefly, so apply moisturiser more generously than usual. In the 20-person study, skin hydration also dipped early and then recovered.

"When do I come back after the first one?" This is the most common question. Potenza changes the skin less on the day itself than over the weeks of recovery, as collagen fills in.

In the same study, physician ratings of improvement kept rising from the next day to one, two and four weeks. There was no difference between the next day and day 4, and the difference became clear from one week. These ratings came from a single physician comparing photos, a limitation the paper itself notes.

Put simply, the effect of Potenza fills in slowly over the four weeks after treatment. So Somsei Clinic sets the next session on a four-week cycle. Keeping to this interval, people notice changes like these.

• Enlarged pores look less obvious
• Rough texture becomes smoother
• Skin feels firmer and make-up sits better
• Shallow dented scars fill in more evenly

Wanting to shorten the interval to see results sooner is completely understandable. But adding another strong treatment while the skin is still sensitive can make redness and dryness last longer. Stimulating again before collagen has filled in only shortens the time the skin has to recover. Skin changes while it recovers, not at the moment of treatment.

For the same reason, harder is not better. Especially for pores, spreading heat slowly and widely hurts less and evens out texture better.

"My jawline is sagging and my pores bother me too. Can I have everything at once?" Many people come with this question. Packing strong treatments into one visit can put more strain on the skin. So Somsei Clinic spreads the four below in order over four weeks.

• Liftera 3,000 shotsfirming stimulus for a sagging jawline
• Potenza with nano-needle subcisionregenerating stimulus for pores and scars
• PDRNsupports recovery of stimulated skin
• LDMsoothing and hydration

Liftera has little downtime and a lifting effect you feel right away, so it fits easily into a schedule with Potenza. Rather than doing jawline, pores and texture hard all at once, the program checks skin condition in four-week units and goes in order; it is called Somsei 4-week cycle care.

Many people come in unsure whether to start with the jawline or the pores. Four-week cycle care suits people like these.

• Your jawline and firmness seem lower than before
• Pores and uneven texture bother you together
• You have acne scars but strong scar treatment feels like too much
• Redness and dryness after treatments tend to last a while

If many inflamed acne spots are coming up now or the skin barrier is very sensitive, calming the inflammation and barrier first before starting is recommended.

Liftera shots are distributed according to the direction of sagging. Facial fat, skin thickness and the direction of sagging are checked first. Potenza settings are matched to whether pores or scars are the main concern, and whether the skin is oily is also considered when choosing the tip, depth and energy.

Before the next session, whether the skin has recovered enough is checked. If redness or dryness remains, the strength is adjusted again. Potenza leaves a few days of redness but lets you carry on with daily life without a scabbing period, and keeping to the interval gives better results than having it often and hard. Which area needs care first can be decided together at the consultation.