My jawline is softening. XERF, Ultherapy or Potenza?
The short answer
All three stimulate collagen, but they are not interchangeable. Ultherapy uses microfocused ultrasound at discrete deeper points, and is usually where we start when the goal is more targeted lifting along the jaw. XERF distributes monopolar radiofrequency across multiple tissue depths, and suits broader firmness through the face and neck with no downtime. Potenza delivers radiofrequency through microneedles, so it improves texture, pores and scarring alongside firmness, but it creates surface injury and needs several days of recovery.
Which one makes sense depends less on the device and more on what is actually causing the change you are seeing.
First: it may not be your skin
A jawline loses definition for several different reasons, and only one of them is skin laxity. Volume can be lost higher in the midface, so the cheek no longer supports the tissue below it. Fat can descend. The bone itself changes position over decades. And the platysma muscle in the neck can pull downward in a way that reads as jowling.
Energy-based tightening helps with skin laxity. It does very little for the other three. This is why a consultation matters more than a comparison chart.
How the three differ
| XERF | Ultherapy | Potenza | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | Monopolar radiofrequency, delivered at two frequencies | Microfocused ultrasound | Radiofrequency through microneedles |
| Depth | Distributed across multiple tissue depths | Focused at set deeper points, including the SMAS layer | Adjustable, within the dermis |
| Often chosen for | Broader firmness across the face and neck | More targeted lifting along the jawline and brow | Texture, pores and scarring alongside firmness |
| Surface injury | None | None | Yes |
| Downtime | None | None | Usually several days |
| Comfort | No numbing required | Can be uncomfortable at depth | Topical anaesthetic required |
| Results develop | Over 2–6 months | Over 2–6 months | Over 1–3 months |
How we decide at Essential Bella
We start by working out what is driving the change, not by picking a machine. In practice, the decision usually falls out like this.
- If the jawline itself is the complaint and the skin has reasonable thickness, we usually begin with Ultherapy. Its depth is what makes it useful for lifting rather than surface improvement.
- If the skin is thin, lax and generally crepey across a wider area, XERF is often the better first step. It treats a broader region, and it asks nothing of your calendar.
- If texture, pores or old acne scarring bother you as much as the laxity, Potenza does two jobs at once, provided the recovery time is workable for you.
- If volume loss is the real driver, tightening alone will underwhelm. A biostimulator or filler higher in the midface may do more for the jaw than anything aimed at the jaw itself.
The reason we keep several of these is not to have more to sell. It is so that a patient whose skin does not suit one option still has a good one.
Can they be combined?
Often, though not in the same appointment. A common sequence is a tightening treatment first, then reassessing several months later once collagen remodelling has actually happened, before deciding whether a second approach adds anything. Doing two things at once makes it impossible to tell which one worked.
When energy is not the answer
Significant, established sagging is a surgical concern, and no energy device will substitute for that. We also avoid treating over active skin infection, during pregnancy, and near implanted electronic devices.
Medically reviewed by Seth Eberlin, MD, Medical Director at Essential Bella. Last reviewed 3 September 2026. This article is general information and not a substitute for an in-person assessment.