LaserLift is the latest advance in neck and jawline contouring. Instead of using traditional liposuction to treat the fatty neck, we melt the fat and apply controlled laser energy underneath the surface of the skin with a tiny laser fiber. This allows for the systematic treatment of the undersurface of the neck and lower face to achieve skin tightening. With all other methods of skin tightening, such as ultrasound and radio-frequency, there is no way to tell what the actual temperature is at the sub-dermal layer which does not allow for optimal efficacy. However with this innovative procedure, we have the precise ability to apply a direct, measurable and controllable application of heat exactly where it is most effective, which makes it the gold standard for in-depth skin tightening.

​

The LaserLift procedure is performed using local, tumescent anesthesia in the office operating room. The patient may choose to have some pre-procedure oral sedation. After prepping and draping, a tiny 3mm incision is made just under the chin and each ear lobe. Anesthetic is infiltrated using a small, blunt infiltration cannula. The neck is marked in zones of 5 x 5 cm in the neck, and the lower face/jowl areas are added if desired. Laser energy is first applied to melt neck and jowl fat. The laser beam is directed first downwards until the fat is melted and all resistance to passage of the laser cannula is gone. The fat is then gently aspirated with a 1.4mm liposuction cannula. With the laser fiber beam directed up against the skin, each zone is treated to endpoints of energy and temperature, until the laser computer confirms that adequate heating and temperatures have been reached which is usually about 40-42 degrees Centigrade. A head wrap is then applied, and the patient is ready to go home. The head wrap is to be worn continuously for three days and then as much as work and social obligations permit during the following week.

​

Skin tightening continues for six months post treatment. The first few weeks are marked by some tightness and firmness. There are occasionally small fibrous lumps that do go away with time. Softening of the tissue occurs within two to six weeks. This treatment does not replace a traditional neck and facelift, but it is a very effective alternative for patients who do not wish to undergo surgery, and when the treatment is applied to patients with a lesser degree of laxity, most often in conjunction with treatment of excess fat in the neck, we anticipate better results with the Agape LaserLift skin tightening than are obtained with liposuction fat removal alone.

​

Many patients complain that loose neck and jowl skin is one of the first signs of facial aging that they experience, and it is one of their areas of most concern. External energy devices to heat and tighten the skin certainly continue to have their place in the treatment field, but for those patients willing to have a minimally invasive procedure that provides dramatic and excellent results, the Agape LaserLift could be an ideal solution!