Ina Pace
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Squamish Chief
A Squamish, B.C.-based physician, practising aesthetic medicine, has become the first to introduce skin tightening procedures on a national level, using radio frequency.
Aesthetic surgery isn’t for everyone. It is especially for those who want an enhancement, rather than a full transformation.
This is what Dr. Willem Gouws assures his patients, in consultation over advanced radiofrequency medical skin tightening, a non-surgical procedure newly available on the Canadian market.
Medical innovation in Squamish
According to Gouws, he was the first physician to introduce the radiofrequency brand QuantumRF to Canada in 2025, offering skin tightening locally in Squamish at his home-based clinic Lift Medical Esthetics, as well as training for other physicians.
He is currently the only official QuantumRF trainer in Canada, meaning that QuantumRF skin tightening and technology, which he said is garnering widespread national interest, was used and provided first in Squamish.
QuantumRF has been available in the U.S. for about a year and a half, also in Europe and the U.K.
“It’s been vetted and proven [to work],” Gouws said.
“This is why I thought it was a good fit: [treatment] that Canadians deserve to have access to.
“In aesthetic medicine, skin tightening has been a little bit overlooked, but it’s becoming more popular. It used to be focused on wrinkle reduction and filling, now patients want to look more natural and refreshed.
“Patients are moving towards non-surgical [options] because they’re busy and want everything done in a short period of time.”
In an emailed statement, he said, “my interest in bringing QuantumRF to the [Canadian] community was driven by its ability to [offer] a meaningful option for patients who are not ready for surgery, but want more than what traditional non-invasive treatments can provide.”
How does it work?
QuantumRF is a minimally invasive, aesthetic procedure designed to address both skin laxity and “stubborn fat,” or adipose tissue, by working from within its deeper layers, in only a single session, he said.
“It is designed to be a one-time procedure. You can repeat it if desired, but you won’t get the same level of contraction as your first treatment.”
Although radio frequency technology has been used in medicine for decades, Gouws said that this had had to be continually and time-consumingly monitored.
QuantumRF however, has been refined to enable precision.
“The research extrapolates what has been done before,” Gouws said, in relation to the procedure’s potential long-term effects.
Comparatively, other non-invasive procedures, such as fat removal injections, use an enzyme to dissolve fat with no control as to what level of fat may be removed. It can also take multiple sessions to see desired results, according to Gouws.
QuantumRF’s technology works by inserting a rod in and out of the patient’s skin, using “thermal injury” to contract the tissue. The energy emitted from the radio frequency, which is fired at three pulses a second, translates to heat, and that heat translates to skin contraction and fat reduction.
The body’s fat cells are sensitive to heat, and are reabsorbed by the body, Gouws said.
This energy is safe to increase at deeper layers, and ought to be decreased closer to the skin’s surface; in both scenarios the patient may typically feel a warming sensation, but not pain, he added.
Gouws provided a typical demonstration of a skin tightening procedure of the abdomen to The Squamish Chief, with a patient who chose to remain anonymous.
He explained the safety measures, and how the tumescent anesthetic enhances the procedure; the sodium bicarbonate solution injected into the patient in the initial stage helps to absorb the energy transmitted from the rod, thereby helping to protect the tissues.
Furthermore, the energy resistance is measured 1,000 times per second. If the device senses that the resistance is too high, “it won’t fire.”
For aftercare, he said the patient should apply compression to the treated area for about a week.
Results for patients typically take three to six months to be significantly visible, as the body takes time to remodel collagen and to tighten tissue.
The typically preferred areas for treatment include the lower face (which takes less than an hour to treat), the abdomen, and flanks.
Risks involved
With every patient having individualistic needs, and differing anatomy, Gouws emphasized that proper patient selection and technique are essential in how much fat tissue is removed, and how much the skin is tightened.
Each patient is required to have a detailed consultation and to give informed consent before their procedure begins; to have their needs assessed, and any potential risks explained to them in detail.
Risks include swelling, tenderness, and bruising. Serious complications, Gouws described as rare. A patient’s genetics, lifestyle, and skin quality are all factors which may affect the outcome of their treatment, with the most suitable candidates for the procedure having mild to moderate skin laxity.
“We never over promise anything, we have to keep our expectations realistic,” Gouws said.
Gouws patients travel nationwide to his home-based clinic , coming from as far as Arizona in the U.S.
The majority, he said, currently travel from Vancouver, or reside in Squamish.
“[QuantumRF] is not meant to replace surgery,” Gouws noted.
“Surgery will always have its place. This is simply a different option.”
Folks can find out more information about skin tightening in Squamish, and book a free consultation with Gouws via the Lift Medical Esthetics website.
Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief’s Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter.
This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.
The Squamish Business Beat was developed in response to local demand for more business-focused news. To be considered, please reach out to news@squamishchief.com.
