Can J Plasma burn your skin?

J-Plasma Resulted in 2nd Degree Burns to my Face, Scarring, Fat Loss and Redness That Has Lasted 2 Years

• 2 Apr 2019

I had this done in 2017 with the hopes of fixing the texture of my facial skin, which had been damaged by laser 4 years previously. The laser gave me orange peel skin, large pores, little pin holes in places and rough skin. The plastic surgeon I saw told me that I could try J-Plasma to resurface my face. He said it was safe and wouldn't cause any of the issues laser caused due to the heat. He said the results were amazing. I had the J-Plasma procedure with just a local to my face. The burning was excruciating and the whole thing lasted about 30 minutes. After the procedure, my instructions were to wipe my face with vinegar and water every few hours and use aquafor. For 4 weeks my face was crusted entirely, weeping, blistering and cracking open, bleeding constantly-resulting in ongoing scarring.

I called the doctor on the 3rd day after the procedure and told him I could see a scar under my eye and another under my lip. I was told to just wait, it was too soon to tell. The vinegar and water washes did nothing to break up the full face scabbing. My face continued to blister and crack open and bleed-especially under my bottom lip. By the 6th week post procedure, the scabs were gone and my face was bright red. The scarring was noticeable and very much permanent.

The follow-up was poor and the doctor, kept blowing off my concerns. By week 8 I started to notice the fat loss because the swelling had gone down enough. The fat loss continued over the year. Where the J-Plasma was done above the creases on my eye lids, the fat from beneath my eyebrows to my eye creases was lost, causing the skin to droop over my eyelids.

I also ended up with denting in areas. I was still bright red. And by that point I realized the doctor was not going to do anything to help me. He just kept telling me to give it time at each follow-up.

I went to another plastic surgeon and explained what happened to me. The new surgeon examined my face and told me I likely had experienced 2nd degree burns in some areas. Over the next 2 years, I had 3 PRP treatments and 3 fat transfers with the new doctor. He did a light chemical peel to try to counter the bright red color of my face. This helped somewhat but the fat loss is still a problem and my face is still dented, scarred and red-two years later.

J-Plasma uses RF to ionize the Helium. Maybe the Radio Frequency and the heat of the procedure that caused the facial fat loss?

I highly regret doing this procedure. I would advise finding a doctor who has done the procedure many times and will not ignore you when or if problems arise. Be aware this can be a really damaging procedure, especially if you've done prior treatments in the past that have damaged your skin. I could not go in public for months, first because of the oozing crust and bloody blistering on my face. Once that cleared, no make up would cover my brick red skin. Make sure you can spare the time, if something goes wrong. Be aware, this procedure can cause fat loss.

Cosmetic skin surgery complications from Renuvion/J-Plasma devices may include burns, nerve damage, and other injuries the FDA warns.

March 16, 2022

By: Russell Maas

Federal health regulators are warning physicians to stop using certain Apyx medical devices to treat skin wrinkles, after receiving multiple reports involving severe burns, nerve damage and other potentially life threatening injuries.

The FDA issued a Renuvion/J-Plasma safety communication on March 14, indicating that the devices have not been approved for aesthetic skincare procedures, and urging doctors to stop using them for such purposes immediately to avoid causing serious harm to patients.

The Renuvion/J-Plasma systems by Apyx Medical use radiofrequency energy and helium to generate plasma, which is used to cut, coagulate and eliminate soft tissue with heat during general surgical procedures.

While the devices have been cleared by the FDA for use during open and laparoscopic procedures, the agency has become aware of multiple reported injuries arising from healthcare providers using these devices during cosmetic skin procedures, which the devices have not been approved for use, nor are they intended to offer aesthetic benefits to the skin.

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According to the warning, the FDA has received multiple reports indicating patients who underwent aesthetic skin care procedures using the Renuvion/J-Plasma devices suffered serious and potentially life-threatening adverse events.

Injuries from the Renuvion/J-Plasma devices included 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. The FDA has become aware of several incidents in which injuries caused by Renuvion/J-Plasma required treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU).

The agency recommends healthcare providers and physicians not use the Renuvion/J-Plasma device for dermal resurfacing or skin contraction, alone or in combination with liposuction, and to discuss the benefits and risks of all available aesthetic skin procedures with patients.

The FDA announced it will continue to work with the manufacturer to evaluate the reported patient injuries. Patients who have undergone aesthetic skin procedures using Renuvion/J-Plasma systems by Apyx Medical are encouraged to report any adverse outcomes or injuries to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program.

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