Medically reviewed by Scott Bradley Burris, MD. Reviewed June 2026.
Physician-directed Non-Invasive Skin Tightening with Forma in McKinney, TX
What Is Forma?
Forma is an FDA-cleared non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) skin tightening treatment by InMode. The Forma applicator delivers controlled bulk RF heating to the dermis, stimulating new collagen and elastin production without breaking the skin surface. No needles, no ablation, no anesthesia, no downtime. Most patients describe Forma as one of the most comfortable treatments in the aesthetic menu, similar in sensation to a warm stone massage.
Forma is the "Good" tier in Hartwater's Good/Better/Best skin tightening framework, sitting alongside Morpheus8 (Better) and FaceTite (Best). All three are radiofrequency-based skin tightening treatments performed at Hartwater under one roof. Forma is the right starting point for patients seeking mild-to-moderate skin tightening with zero downtime. It is also the right treatment for patients seeking ongoing maintenance, pre-event refresh (the "Red Carpet Facial"), or a non-invasive alternative for patients who cannot accept the pain or downtime of more aggressive options.
Forma at Hartwater is performed as a package of 6 sessions spaced 1-2 weeks apart. Most patients pursue Forma on the full face and neck, the most common Forma treatment areas. Chest and hands are also offered. The Forma-i periorbital applicator, a specialized smaller applicator for the delicate eye area, is covered in Section E below.
Every Forma treatment at Hartwater is performed by Stephanie Robertson, CLT or Tiffany Byres, LMA, CLT, our two Certified Laser Technicians, each with thousands of energy-based procedures. Initial consultations are conducted by our Clinical Manager, Lindsey Burris, RN, with every treatment plan reviewed and approved by our full-time on-site Medical Director, Scott Bradley Burris, MD.
HOW FORMA WORKS: THE HARTWATER 60-MINUTE PROTOCOL
Forma uses bipolar radiofrequency energy delivered through a non-invasive applicator passed over the skin in a continuous gliding motion. The RF energy heats the dermal tissue to a controlled therapeutic temperature, sustained over the course of the session. The heating stimulates fibroblast cells in the dermis to produce new collagen and elastin, gradually restoring skin firmness, tone, and quality. The skin surface is not broken, no needles enter the tissue, no anesthesia is required, and there is no downtime.
Here is where Hartwater's Forma protocol differs from most providers. The standard InMode-recommended Forma session is 30 minutes. Hartwater runs Forma sessions for 60 minutes, at moderate energy levels rather than maximum energy. The clinical reasoning is well-established in radiofrequency therapeutics: with non-invasive bulk RF heating, time is more impactful than temperature. Most providers run Forma at 30 minutes and try to crank the energy up as high as possible. This is not actually ideal. Cranking the energy up high produces surface discomfort and unpredictable depth penetration. Sustaining moderate energy over a longer session produces more uniform, deeper tissue heating, which translates into more effective collagen stimulation and a more comfortable patient experience.
Think of it like cooking a turkey. You don't crank the oven to 500 degrees for an hour. You set it to a moderate temperature for a longer time, and you get a more thoroughly and evenly cooked result. The same principle applies to Forma. The Hartwater 60-Minute Protocol delivers a deeper, more uniform thermal stimulation than a shorter, hotter session can. This is the kind of protocol refinement that comes from clinical experience with the device and a willingness to deviate from the manufacturer-default settings when patient outcomes are the priority.
The Hartwater 60-Minute Protocol is part of the energy-based platform protocols our Certified Laser Technicians help teach to outside providers nationally through Hartwater's affiliated provider-training organization, the CARE Institute.
COMMON FORMA TREATMENT AREAS
Forma is most commonly performed on the full face and neck, but the same RF technology can address several additional areas where surface treatments have historically been disappointing. Below are the most common Forma treatment areas at Hartwater Aesthetics. Forma-i, the specialized periorbital applicator for the area around the eyes, is covered separately below.
Full Face and Neck (Most Common)
The full face and neck is the most common Forma treatment area at Hartwater and the flagship application of the platform. The treatment addresses overall facial skin laxity, jawline definition, neck laxity, and underlying skin quality. The common patient profile is broad: late 20s through 40s patients seeking preventive maintenance before more aggressive treatments become necessary, and older patients seeking maintenance between Morpheus8 or FaceTite series. Most patients seeing Forma for the first time start here.
Décolletage (Chest)
The chest is one of the earliest visible aging zones because the skin is thinner than facial skin and the area receives years of sun exposure that often goes unprotected. The result is crepiness, fine wrinkling, and visible laxity that surface treatments and topical skincare cannot meaningfully address. Forma's deep RF heating stimulates collagen and elastin in the dermal layer of the chest, restoring firmness and reducing the appearance of crepiness over the course of the 6-session series. Chest Forma is often combined with a full face and neck series, or pursued as a standalone treatment for patients focused specifically on chest concerns.
Hands
The hands are another commonly overlooked aging zone where surface treatments have limited effect. The thin skin on the back of the hands shows volume loss, crepiness, and dermal aging that is often more visible than the patient's facial aging. Forma's RF heating stimulates collagen in the dermal layer of the hands, addressing crepiness and skin laxity without surgery and without disrupting the surface of the skin.
FORMA-i FOR PERIORBITAL SKIN TIGHTENING AND DRY EYE RELIEF
Forma-i is the periorbital applicator within the broader Forma family, a specialized smaller applicator designed to safely deliver RF energy in the delicate eye area. Forma-i delivers the same controlled bulk RF heating that the facial Forma applicator delivers, calibrated for the unique anatomy around the eyes.
The primary reason most patients pursue Forma-i at Hartwater is the periorbital skin tightening benefit. Forma-i addresses crepiness around the eyes, fine lines, mild laxity of the upper and lower eyelid area, and undereye skin texture. The area around the eyes is one of the earliest visible aging zones and one of the most challenging non-surgically because the tissue is delicate. Forma-i delivers controlled thermal stimulation that this tissue tolerates well, producing meaningful firming and quality improvement over the course of the 6-session series.
Forma-i is also FDA-cleared for the treatment of chronic dry eye driven by Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), the most common underlying cause of chronic dry eye disease. The RF energy delivered around the eye area helps clear obstructed Meibomian glands, restoring the normal lipid layer of the tear film. Patients with chronic dry eye symptoms (burning, itching, blurry vision, discomfort while blinking) often report meaningful symptom relief after a Forma-i series. At Hartwater, the dry eye benefit is meaningful but secondary. Most patients pursuing Forma-i are motivated by the periorbital skin tightening benefit, with dry eye relief developing in parallel across the series.
Forma-i follows the same 6-session protocol as facial Forma, spaced 1-2 weeks apart, with sessions performed by Stephanie or Tiffany under the same Hartwater 60-Minute Protocol approach. Forma-i is priced identically to facial Forma at $1,850 for the 6-session package.
THE RED CARPET FACIAL: PRE-EVENT FORMA FOR YOUR BIG MOMENT
Forma has long been called "the Red Carpet Facial" in aesthetic medicine because celebrities and high-visibility professionals have historically used Forma and similar non-invasive RF treatments as a pre-event refresh before major moments. The reasoning is straightforward: Forma's results are visible quickly, the skin looks more lifted and firmer, and there is no downtime to interfere with the event. Cameras notice, the patient feels confident, and there is no recovery to plan around.
At Hartwater, we recommend scheduling your refresh treatment session 1-2 days before an event. The reason: Forma's immediate post-treatment effect includes a temporary "lift" from the controlled thermal stimulation, which peaks within 24-48 hours of the session and combines with the ongoing cumulative collagen-building benefits of the treatment series. Scheduling your Forma session 1-2 days before a wedding, photo shoot, anniversary, vacation, reunion, or major social moment produces a visible refresh that the patient can capture in photos and feel during the event itself.
Common Red Carpet Facial scenarios at Hartwater include the bride, mother of the bride, and mother of the groom (and bridal party) before a wedding, high school or college reunion attendees before their event, holiday photo session participants, professional headshot session preparation, anniversary or milestone birthday celebrations, vacation kickoffs, and public-speaking or media engagements. If your event has a date, Forma can be timed to that date.
The Red Carpet Facial session is the first session of a full 6-session Forma package rather than a standalone single treatment. Hartwater does not sell individual Forma sessions; the 6-session protocol is the standard treatment course because that's what produces a complete Forma result. Patients who start the package with their pre-event session continue the cumulative collagen-building benefits across the remaining 5 sessions over the following 1-2 months, with a meaningful firming and quality improvement that compounds across the series.
THE GOOD / BETTER / BEST SKIN TIGHTENING FRAMEWORK AT HARTWATER
Hartwater Aesthetics is the only McKinney-area practice offering all three tiers of InMode RF skin tightening for the face under one roof. The three treatments sit on a clear good-to-best spectrum, and the right tier for any given patient depends on the patient's specific skin laxity concerns, downtime tolerance, and aesthetic goals. The comparison below maps the three tiers so you can understand which may be right for your specific case.
Forma is the right tool for patients with mild-to-moderate skin laxity, patients who cannot accept downtime for professional or personal reasons, patients seeking preventive maintenance before more aggressive treatments become necessary, patients seeking maintenance between Morpheus8 or FaceTite series, and patients seeking pre-event refresh.
Morpheus8 is the right tool for patients with moderate skin laxity who are willing to accept a few days of social downtime in exchange for a stronger result than Forma alone can produce. Morpheus8 is the gold standard non-surgical skin tightening treatment in aesthetic medicine, and Hartwater is a three-time InMode Top Provider in the Nation for Morpheus8 (2023, 2024, 2025).
FaceTite is the right tool for patients with significant skin laxity who want the most aggressive non-surgical option available, or for patients who would otherwise be considering a surgical lift. FaceTite is a surgical-adjacent procedure performed under local anesthesia with light sedation, and the result is the closest non-surgical alternative to a facelift currently available.
Most patients arrive at consultation with some uncertainty about which tier they need. Lindsey will give you a candid assessment based on your specific anatomy, your goals, your downtime tolerance, and your budget. The right tier for you may not be the tier you arrived expecting, and we will tell you so. Some patients who arrive certain they want FaceTite leave with a Morpheus8 recommendation because their actual laxity is best addressed at that depth. Some patients who arrive certain they want Morpheus8 leave with a Forma recommendation because their concerns are mild enough that a non-invasive approach is the appropriate starting point. The right tier for your situation is the one that matches your actual concerns and your actual life schedule.
WHICH PILLAR OF AGING DOES FORMA ADDRESS?
Hartwater Aesthetics organizes facial aging into Three Pillars: Skin Quality (Pillar One), Skin Laxity (Pillar Two), and Volume Loss (Pillar Three). Forma is a Pillar Two (Skin Laxity) treatment, sitting at the entry tier of the intervention spectrum alongside the more aggressive Morpheus8 and FaceTite treatments. Forma's non-invasive RF heating stimulates new collagen and elastin in the dermis, which produces meaningful firming and tone improvement over the course of the 6-session series. The effect is gradual and cumulative rather than dramatic, which is appropriate for the patient profile Forma is designed to serve.
Many Forma patients also benefit from Pillar One (Skin Quality) and Pillar Three (Volume Loss) treatments as part of a comprehensive aesthetic plan. The Hartwater approach is to evaluate patients across all three pillars during consultation so that Forma integrates with whatever else needs to be addressed across your broader aesthetic strategy. The right tool for each pillar, sequenced in the right order for your situation, produces a stronger overall result than treating any single pillar in isolation.
WHY HARTWATER FOR FORMA IN MCKINNEY?
Five credentials distinguish Forma at Hartwater Aesthetics from any other Forma provider in the McKinney market.
The Hartwater 60-Minute Protocol
The single most distinctive Forma credential Hartwater holds. Sessions run 60 minutes at moderate energy levels rather than the standard 30 minutes at maximum energy. The clinical reasoning is well-established in radiofrequency therapeutics: with non-invasive bulk RF heating, time is more impactful than temperature. Longer sessions at moderate energy produce more uniform, deeper tissue penetration than shorter sessions at maximum energy, which translates into more effective collagen stimulation and a more comfortable patient experience.
Good/Better/Best Skin Tightening Framework
Hartwater is the only McKinney-area practice offering all three tiers of InMode RF skin tightening for the face (Forma, Morpheus8, FaceTite) under one roof. The framework gives patients access to honest tier assessment rather than upsells to whichever device the practice happens to stock. Some patients are right for Forma. Others should be on Morpheus8 or FaceTite. Lindsey will tell you honestly which tier fits your specific situation.
Performed by Certified Laser Technicians
Forma at Hartwater is performed by Stephanie Robertson, CLT or Tiffany Byres, LMA, CLT, both certified laser technicians with thousands of energy-based procedures. Both also help teach energy-based protocols to providers from other practices through Hartwater's affiliated provider-training organization, the CARE Institute. Initial Forma consultations are conducted by our Clinical Manager, Lindsey Burris, RN, so your Forma plan is integrated into your broader Pillar One, Pillar Two, and Pillar Three treatment strategy.
Full-Time On-Site Medical Director
Every Hartwater treatment plan, including non-invasive RF treatments, is reviewed and approved by Scott Bradley Burris, MD, our Medical Director with more than 35 years of clinical experience. Dr. Burris is on-site at the practice full-time, in stark contrast to the typical med spa model where the medical director is an absentee physician who rarely sees patients in person. This level of physician oversight is increasingly rare and increasingly important as the aesthetic industry grows.
InMode Advanced Remodeling and Tightening Center
Hartwater is designated by InMode as an Advanced Remodeling and Tightening Center, a facility credential awarded to practices with demonstrated expertise across the complete InMode RF platform. The Forma program at Hartwater is part of a broader InMode platform depth that includes Morpheus8, BodyTite, FaceTite, EvolveX, and Evoke. Patients who choose Hartwater for Forma are working with a practice that holds the depth of platform-wide expertise to recommend the right tool for every layer of skin laxity treatment.
WHAT TO EXPECT: YOUR FORMA TREATMENT EXPERIENCE
Your initial consultation is with Lindsey Burris, RN, who will design your Forma treatment plan based on your specific concerns, anatomy, downtime tolerance, and goals. The consultation also confirms that Forma is the right tier for you in the Good/Better/Best framework. If Forma is not the right tier (because your laxity is more significant than Forma can effectively address, for example), Lindsey will say so and recommend Morpheus8 or FaceTite instead. If Forma is the right starting point, you leave the consultation with a clear treatment plan and quoted pricing.
Treatment day is performed by Stephanie or Tiffany. Arrive with clean skin (no makeup on the treatment area). Settle into the treatment room, where ultrasound gel is applied to the treatment area to facilitate the smooth movement of the Forma applicator across the skin. The applicator is then passed over the skin in a continuous gliding motion for the duration of the session, delivering controlled bipolar RF energy at a sustained therapeutic temperature.
The sensation is warm and comfortable. Most patients describe it as "like a warm stone massage." Pain-free. Many patients fall asleep during the treatment. Session time at Hartwater is 60 minutes for facial Forma (the Hartwater 60-Minute Protocol), with shorter session lengths for the smaller Forma-i periorbital application.
Immediately after treatment, your skin appears slightly pink or flushed for an hour or two, which resolves quickly. There is zero downtime. You can return to work, errands, exercise, or social commitments immediately. There are no activity restrictions and no special aftercare requirements beyond your normal skincare routine.
The initial visible effect of Forma is a temporary "lift" and refresh from the controlled thermal stimulation, peaking within 24-48 hours of the session. This is the immediate effect that makes Forma the appropriate choice for pre-event refresh (the Red Carpet Facial). The cumulative Forma result builds across the 6-session series as new collagen and elastin develop in response to the RF stimulation. Most patients see meaningful improvement by the third or fourth session, with peak results reached approximately 3 months after the final session. Most patients return for a maintenance session every 6-12 months to preserve their results.
HOW MUCH DOES FORMA COST IN MCKINNEY, TX?
Hartwater Aesthetics publishes transparent Forma pricing. Forma is priced at $1,850 for a package of 6 sessions. The same pricing applies regardless of whether you are pursuing facial Forma (full face and neck), Forma on the chest or hands, or Forma-i for the periorbital area. One simple price, one simple protocol.
Hartwater does not sell individual Forma or Forma-i sessions. The 6-session protocol is the standard treatment course because that's what produces a complete Forma result. The collagen and elastin response to bulk RF heating is cumulative across sessions, and the protocol is calibrated around that biological reality. Selling singles would short-change patients on the outcome.
Compared to Morpheus8 ($3,850 for the Full Face and Neck 3-session package) and FaceTite (priced significantly higher at consultation), Forma is the most accessible price point in the Hartwater skin tightening tier structure. The pricing reflects the protocol intensity and the result range: Forma delivers a mild-to-moderate result at an accessible price; Morpheus8 delivers a moderate-to-significant result at a mid-tier price; FaceTite delivers the most significant non-surgical result at a premium price.
MEET YOUR MEDICAL TEAM
Forma at Hartwater Aesthetics is performed by our two Certified Laser Technicians, Stephanie Robertson, CLT and Tiffany Byres, LMA, CLT, each with thousands of energy-based procedures. Both also help teach energy-based protocols to providers from other practices through Hartwater's affiliated provider-training organization, the CARE Institute. Initial Forma consultations are conducted by our Clinical Manager, Lindsey Burris, RN, so your Forma plan is integrated into your broader Pillar One, Pillar Two, and Pillar Three treatment strategy. Each treatment plan is reviewed and approved by our full-time on-site Medical Director, Scott Bradley Burris, MD, ensuring that every Forma visit is supervised by an experienced physician.
Frequently Asked Questions
Serving McKinney, Prosper, Frisco, Plano, Allen, Celina and Collin County
Hartwater Aesthetics is located at 7200 W University Drive, Suite 110, McKinney, TX 75071, and serves patients across the greater Collin County area, including McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Prosper, Celina, Anna, and surrounding communities. Forma at Hartwater is performed by our two Certified Laser Technicians under the Hartwater 60-Minute Protocol, which is not currently available at any other practice in the McKinney market.
