Exilis in London: what it is, what the studies show, and what it costs

This guide is written by the team that provides Exilis at our clinic at 130 Harley Street, London, W1G 7JU, and reviewed by the doctor who treats. It sets out what the device is and what it is cleared for, what the studies measured and what they did not, every area it is used on, how a session feels and what to expect afterwards. It also covers how we price it and the questions people ask most, including whether Exilis works on the face, how it compares with HIFU, and whether it causes fat loss in the face.

What Exilis is

Exilis is BTL's radiofrequency treatment: monopolar radiofrequency heats the tissue under the skin. A handpiece is moved over the area, the energy passes through the skin to a return pad and warms the deeper layers, and the temperature of the skin surface is monitored as it goes. Heat makes existing collagen fibres contract at once, and over the following weeks the skin lays down new collagen, which is the gradual firming people see. On the body the aim is a smaller measurement around the treated area as well as firmer skin. BTL's Ultra 360 model adds ultrasound to the radiofrequency. BTL's provider page describes the treatment as monopolar radiofrequency for more than twenty body areas with no downtime.

What it is cleared for

In the United States the Exilis is cleared by the FDA through the 510(k) route, a finding of equivalence to devices already on the market; it is cleared, not approved. The Exilis clearance is for the "non-invasive treatment of wrinkles and rhytids" (K092191, 2009, cleared without a clinical test), and BTL's XP200 and XP300, monopolar devices of the same design, are cleared for periorbital wrinkles (K122966, K143109). The Exilis XP and XP II are cleared for heating "for selected medical conditions such as temporary relief of pain, muscle spasms, and increase in local circulation" (K143040, K163176). Their massage head is cleared for "a temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite". BTL's circumference clearances for the abdomen and thighs (K143559, K152731) are for its XP1000 RF and XP1100 RF, a hands-free bipolar device the summaries never call Exilis, so we do not quote them as Exilis results. No FDA wording says skin tightening or fat reduction. BTL's UK page gives the Ultra 360's intended purpose as the reduction of fat cells and the treatment of vaginal laxity after delivery, and does not name the face. "Tightening" is the maker's marketing word, and the studies below are where it is measured. The clinic is CQC registered, and we make no claim about any other registration.

Does Exilis work? What the studies show

• Face, arms, thighs and abdomen, 34 people (2017). Four weekly treatments with a combined radiofrequency and ultrasound device. Three months later, blinded evaluators picked out the after photograph in over 90% of cases, and patients rated satisfaction and comfort 4.1 out of 5.
• Abdomen, thighs and arms, 64 people (2021). A retrospective series with the same kind of device: four weekly sessions, circumference significantly lower a month after the fourth in every area, satisfaction 4.48 out of 5 and no adverse events. The authors advise telling patients to expect "moderate degrees of improvement".
• Face, 30 people aged 25 to 65 (2022). The one face study that names Exilis: three weekly sessions, checked at four weeks. Every item on the scale improved, and the change was statistically significant only where the starting grade was the worst, for fat loss, hollows and puffiness.
• Animal data. In pigs, collagen rose from 9.0% to 25.9% of the sample at three months, about 2.9 times, and fat-cell death was seen in a three-pig study. We quote these as what they are: animal studies, linked to the maker, not a measurement in people.
• The maker's own figures. BTL's page quotes "35% improvement in skin laxity" and "37% increase in elastin production", marked data on file, with no study named.
• What is missing. No sham-controlled Exilis trial on any area; no follow-up beyond three months; no published burn or blister rate; no head-to-head trial against HIFU.

Taken together: in a 64-person series with a combined radiofrequency and ultrasound device, four weekly sessions gave a measurable fall in circumference on the abdomen, thighs and arms. On the face the evidence is small and uncontrolled, and it found a visible, modest improvement that builds over a course. Results are read one to three months after the last session, and nothing published measures beyond that.

Which areas Exilis treats

Our rule is simple: every area the device is used on, we treat. The level of evidence differs by area and we say which is which.

• Abdomen, the most studied: two series with a combined radiofrequency and ultrasound device (40 and 9 people) and two pig studies. The measured change is circumference; we never describe it as fat loss.
• Thighs, front, back, outer and inner: two series with a combined radiofrequency and ultrasound device (18 and 8 people).
• Upper arms: two small series with a combined radiofrequency and ultrasound device (7 people each), circumference measured in one, and no FDA area wording.
• Face, cleared for wrinkles and rhytids, and for wrinkles around the eyes: two small, uncontrolled studies. Exilis is used to tighten loose skin on the face, and the small studies found a visible, modest improvement that builds over a course. The forehead, around the eyes, cheeks, jawline and under the chin pages take each part on its own.
• Neck, décolletage, flanks, buttocks, knees and hands: no Exilis study and no FDA area wording, so no result figure; Exilis is used on them, and the doctor advises at the consultation what to expect. Each has its own page: neck, décolletage, flanks, buttocks, knees and hands.
• Intimate area: a separate applicator, studied on the labia of 17 women with 94% reporting mild or no discomfort; BTL's UK intended purpose for its Ultra 360 model names vaginal laxity after delivery. The doctor discusses it at the consultation, we make no promise about it, and the intimate page explains.

Who Exilis suits, and who it does not

In our practice Exilis suits an adult with mild to moderate loose skin, or a stubborn area of the abdomen, thighs or arms close to the shape they want. In our experience it suits someone who prefers a course of comfortable half-hour sessions with no downtime to a single stronger treatment, or who wants the face, the neck and a body area planned together. It is not a weight-loss treatment, and it does not remove fat the way surgery does.

Exilis is not given with a pacemaker, an internal defibrillator or any other internal electronic device, with metal implants in or near the area, in pregnancy or breastfeeding, or over an active skin infection or inflammation. A consent form used in the US also lists poor wound healing, weak immunity, collagen disease, isotretinoin within a year, cancer therapy, a deep peel within three months, bleeding disorders, fever, and kidney, liver or heart disease. We screen for all of these at the consultation. No published study covers Exilis over fillers or tattoos, so the doctor plans the order and the gap.

A session, step by step

1. Free consultation. In our practice Dr Marie Duggan examines and measures the area, agrees the areas and the course, explains what the studies say for your area, goes through your history, and gives you the price in writing.
2. Preparation. In our practice the skin is cleaned and a thin layer of gel or oil is applied so the handpiece glides, and a return pad is placed on your skin.
3. Treatment. The handpiece is moved over the area while the energy builds the heat beneath the skin. You feel warmth that builds, and we adjust the level with you; most patients find it comfortable, and in a published study of a combined radiofrequency and ultrasound device, comfort was rated 4.1 out of 5. About 30 minutes per area.
4. Straight after. The skin is pink and warm. There is no planned downtime, and you go straight back to your day; the pinkness settles over hours and any tenderness within a day.
5. The course. Usually four weekly sessions per area, set at the consultation.
6. Results. The skin firms and the measurement falls gradually over the course, and the studies read the result one to three months after the last session.

How many sessions

A course is usually four weekly sessions of about 30 minutes per area, which matches the four weekly sessions of the published series; your plan is set at the consultation. The face study used three weekly sessions. Results are read one to three months after the last session, and nothing published measures beyond that, so, in our practice, a maintenance session is a choice some people make at the review rather than a schedule.

What Exilis costs

We set out the price of Exilis in writing at a free consultation, and we price match any comparable written quote. Consultations and follow-up reviews are free whatever you decide. The price depends on the areas and the number of sessions, and the written plan shows both before anything is booked.

Results you can check

In our practice the area is measured and photographed at the consultation and again at the review after the course, so you see your own change rather than a brochure's. Our patients review the clinic on review.clinic, where it scores 4.9 out of 5 from 47 reviews in November 2026. The study figures in this guide come from the FDA records and the published papers named by size and year, and can be checked.

Exilis compared with the alternatives

• HIFU and Ultherapy. HIFU, such as Ultherapy, delivers focused ultrasound to set depths in lines; in our experience it is usually one session that feels sharper. Exilis heats the tissue in passes across the whole area over a course of gentler sessions. No trial compares Exilis with HIFU head to head. In our practice Exilis is the choice for someone who wants the gentlest sessions and a body area; Ultherapy, which we also provide at this address, for lift at the brow, under the chin and on the neck.
• Fat freezing. Cryolipolysis treats a fat bulge with cold and is for a bulge rather than loose skin; Exilis is heat, over a course, for circumference and skin firmness together.
• EMsculpt NEO. Radiofrequency with muscle stimulation in one device, for fat and muscle; Exilis is for skin and circumference without the muscle work, and the doctor advises which suits you at the consultation.
• Surgery. A tummy tuck, an arm lift or a facelift removes skin and does what no energy device does. In our practice, for a modest change with no downtime, Exilis is the right scale.

Side effects and safety

The expected effects are redness and warmth for hours and tenderness for up to a day. In the published series that report it, no adverse events were recorded. Reports to the US regulator naming Exilis between 2011 and 2021 number seven, without a denominator. They describe a hard, tender nodule that settled with antibiotics, two injuries or infections at the navel after abdomen treatments, and stomach pain after an abdomen treatment with the cause not established. Two concern the vaginal applicator and one a staff injury from the console's stylus holder; no burn was reported. A consent form used in the US lists redness, numbness, swelling, blistering and, rarely, scarring. People ask whether Exilis can cause fat loss in the face: no study has measured it, and the doctor goes through it with you at the consultation. We do not give Exilis with any internal electronic device or with metal implants in the area.

How to choose a clinic

Ask which Exilis model the clinic runs and which applicators it holds, and have them named. Ask who gives the treatment and for their registration number; this guide is reviewed by Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, who treats every Exilis patient here, in a CQC registered clinic. Ask how the area will be measured so you can see the change in centimetres rather than in a photograph alone. Ask for the price in writing before you book, and what happens at the review if the result is less than you hoped.

Aftercare

In our practice: drink water through the day of the session, keep the skin clean, and go back to normal activities straight away. Avoid very hot baths, saunas and hard exercise on the day if the area feels warm or tender. Sunscreen on a treated face. Keep your weight steady through the course. Call us about any blister, a patch that stays tender or hard, or a change in sensation; the doctor will see you.

Frequently asked questions