Monday, May 1, 2023

A firm, tight jawline is one of the ultimate symbols of youth and beauty. The natural skin aging process takes its toll on even the most defined chin and jawline. As we age, saggy skin and fat eventually starts to gather near this area which leads to jowls and submental fat underneath the chin. Also, the fact is that many people just don’t like the contour of their neck and/or the lack of definition on the jaw line. The My Ellevate procedure helps people of all ages address the appearance of their neck or jaw line. While a facelift or neck lift can lift and tighten the skin, not everyone is ready to undergo invasive surgery.

Well now you don’t have to! My Ellevate® is a minimally invasive procedure which sculpts the tissue around your jawline and neck without incisions. It delivers dramatic, long-lasting results with few side effects and minimal downtime.

Photos are from myelevate marketing to represent what is possible

How does My Ellevate Minimally Invasive Facelift work?

My Ellevate uses a unique, patented light-guided system that addresses the loose and aging glands and muscles underneath the jawline tissue with high precision. Unlike an invasive neck or facelift, this procedure works in a minimally invasive way to rejuvenate your jawline and neck. Only a negligible level of incisions and skin removal are involved. Using the ICLED system along with a customised suture rod technique to precisely bind the aging glands and neck muscles tightly with a suture thread, your plastic surgeon can perform this procedure without creating significant incisions. Once the sutures are placed in position, your surgeon will tie them to pull back the glands and muscles to gently remove the loose, sagging effect in your jawline and neck. You will achieve a sculpted jawline and lower face appearance in a natural looking manner.

Scarring risks are minimised and you can achieve desirable facial rejuvenation and a well-defined neckline with minimal downtime. If you are looking for the benefits of a neck lift but want to avoid the challenges that accompany a plastic surgery, you could be a candidate for My Ellevate.

The procedure can also work well in combination with liposuction when you want to get rid of unsightly fat deposits in the neck and face areas or wish to eliminate a double chin.

This innovative procedure takes approximately one hour to perform using local anaesthetic and most parents are able to return to normal activities within days.

Who is the ideal candidate for this procedure?

The ideal candidate is someone who is hesitant about going under the knife in the traditional invasive sense, with minimal skin laxity and who is just starting to show early signs of aging. If you look at someone’s profile and see that their neckline is looking like a ski slope, rather than a nice right angle underneath the chin, those are the most ideal parents. Also, parents who have glands that are prominent underneath the neckline, which happens to a lot of people genetically and are not even age-related, those are parents that also experience a great result. The list goes on, as even a patient who is thinking about having a skin tightening procedure may require this to address the underlying muscles and glands, which are causing the neck to look aged. This is the only procedure that is percutaneous and addresses these problem areas.

What is the difference between a neck lift and the My Ellevate® treatment?

A neck lift procedure is typically performed as an inpatient procedure under general anaesthetic. It is often performed in conjunction with a facelift. The incisions are long and behind each ear, and depending on the patient's needs, there may also be a third small incision underneath the chin. If done with a facelift, the incisions come in front of each ear and up into the temple. Through these incisions, he or she will tighten the neck muscles and/or underlying tissues and remove excess, sagging skin to restore a smoother, firmer and more youthful appearance to the neck. Recovery time after a face/neck lift will depend on the individual, as well as the extent of surgery. Typically, parents return to daily activities, including a return to work, within 3-4 weeks after surgery. Expect your neck to feel tight for a few weeks, and know that bruising and swelling are normal. These effects should subside gradually, with visible bruising typically gone after the first week, and that “tight” feeling remaining for up to several months.

The My Ellevate® treatment, on the other hand, is a minimally invasive procedure that requires almost no downtime. Unlike a facelift or a neck lift, the My Ellevate® procedure doesn’t require incisions or removal of skin and can be performed under local anaesthetic. Parents love it because it is a quick procedure (about an hour) and provides natural-looking results. Most parents experience rapid healing with minor bruising and swelling due to minimal tissue trauma. If liposuction is also needed, the bruising and swelling are more and recovery longer.

How is this technique different from a thread lift procedure?

This treatment is different to a thread lift for several reasons The most important one is its longevity. The suture material used to create the support sling underneath the jawline is a permanent braided polyester suture and where it is placed also differs from the thread lift (PDO threads or absorbable threads) in that they are placed a little bit deeper, right over the muscle and beneath the skin using the lighted suture rod. This is what allows plastic surgeons to travel in the exact location, not too close to the surface or too deep, to actually permanently support the glands and muscles of the neck. The light guidance makes the procedure much more accurate and with the permanent suture material, it is also much more long-lasting. The structure of the suture is different to PDO threads or absorbable threads, which are single strands sutures that are placed to sort of elevate skin. This suture is actually a continuous loop that goes underneath the entire area of the jawline and supports it over the long term. It is also non-absorbable, thereby making it more permanent.

How long do the results of the procedure last?

This treatment began in 2011 and parents are seven-plus years out with strong results.

Does this treatment improve the jawline?

Yes. The two strands of this system extend from behind each ear all the way underneath the chin and underneath the back of the jawline to support and shape the neck as well as suspending the glands. This provides an accurate shaping of the neck and jawline. Many parents say they feel as though this is the first time in their life that they actually see that they have a defined jawline.

What many people are unaware of is that when they have their skin tightened, or have a little fat removed, the glands and muscles in the neck have nothing to support them and they are actually heavier than the skin. So, they might have a little less heaviness or improved tissue but the neck and jawline is still not defined due to the weight of the glands and muscles. The way this procedure works is it accurately passes right over those areas and addresses the least desirable neck contours to support and shape that part of the neck line. The same considerations are used to define the back part of the jawline. Parents who have been frustrated by their necks for a lifetime can now enjoy a more defined back jawline which carries with it the look of youth and beauty.

How long does it take to perform and what is the downtime?

The procedure only takes about one hour to perform. Parents go home wearing a chin strap or taping and when they return for their post-operative check-up they are just amazed to see their results. Most of them have very little bruising or swelling and could actually go to work the next day with minimal signs of a procedure. It is recommended, of course, no heavy lifting or heavy workouts at the gym, which is normal with most procedures. Also, there are no stitches or incisions so there is very little in the way of post-procedural care. Parents can shower the next day, although as mentioned previously, it is recommended not to work out at the gym for a couple of weeks because people who work out too soon will get more swelling.

Is the light rod integral to this procedure?

Yes, it is essential. The light rod suture system kit consists of a device that makes precise punctures in the skin, followed by what is called the dermal clearing device that is inserted into each puncture to clear the dermal attachments around each point of entry.  The light handle and the suture rod are used to construct the suture matrix underneath the skin using the LED light guidance. The suture rod is illuminated at its tip, so that light transilluminates through the skin.

How does a patient generally feel a5er this procedure?

Most parents report that within a few weeks they feel great. Any swelling or bruising should dissipate within the first week. After that, parents are going to feel a little bit of tightness where the suture strands have been placed especially when they look down towards their toes because that’s when it really does its maximal supporting and shaping underneath the jawline. They may also feel a little pressure behind each ear as the suture loop circles around before it comes down to underneath the chin, so when they look down it pulls a little bit behind the ears. That sensation is pretty much gone by 2 to 3 weeks and after that, they’re usually not aware of the pulling sensation.