MYEllevate

MYEllevate is an innovative, minimally-invasive neck lift system. MyEllevate uses a single suture woven underneath the skin to lift the sagging skin that occurs just below the chin. It tightens the muscles of the neck to create a defined chin and jawline. If you’ve been frustrated with a “turkey neck” or “weak chin” but aren’t willing to undergo the invasive surgery and long recovery that accompanies a traditional neck lift, MYEllevate may be the procedure for you. MYEllevate isn’t just an anti-aging treatment. It can restructure your profile, tighten your jawline, and with addition of liposuction, take pounds off your appearance. 

We spend a lot of time looking at ourselves from the shoulders up these days. In fact, MyEllevate is also called the “Zoom Lift,” because it targets the area that’s often the most conspicuous during teleconferencing. And while humans have always invested time and energy into caring for the appearance of our faces, the delicate but vital skin of the neck is often neglected. Unfortunately, even the firmest, most radiant facial skin can be in vain if the neck beneath it looks weathered and deflated. Taking care of your neck’s appearance is an important part of caring for your overall appearance. And, a comprehensive approach to aesthetics is exactly what Dr. Amber Allen does best. Dr. Allen combines an artistic eye and advanced medical training to create beautiful, revitalized results. To learn more about whether MYEllevate is right for you, schedule a personal consultation at Allen Aesthetic Surgery in Raleigh. Call (919) 676-5052 or reach out online at your convenience. 

About The Aging Neck

With age, the muscles of the neck loosen. The skin begins to sag, and deposits of fat accumulate around the jaw and neck. But the deposits of fat that have the greatest impact on the profile, and are the source of the most frustration for many people, are in the submental area: under the chin. 

Over time, the body produces less collagen and elastin. These compose the scaffolding that maintains healthy, taut, vibrant skin. When collagen and elastin are depleted, the skin loses its youthful firmness. The delicate skin of the neck is especially vulnerable to these signs of aging and becomes loose and banded.

As skin becomes loose, it hangs farther and farther away from the fine musculature of the neck. Lax skin also causes the jawline to lose definition and brings an aged and drooping appearance to the lower face. Facelifts can tighten the cheeks and raise loose skin on the forehead, but they do nothing to treat the area below the chin. ⁽²⁾ Neck lifts, or cervicoplasties, involve the surgical removal of loose, excess skin, and leave scarring in their wake. 

The area under the chin demands unique considerations. This area is home to the platsyma muscles, two sheet-like swathes of muscle that stretch from the clavicle to the underside of the jaw on each side of the body. As we age, the space between the platysma muscles separates, relaxing the formerly taut surface. Along with fat deposits and skin laxity, older people see a change in their “cervical angle”: where the neck meets the underside of the chin. What was formerly a well-defined L shape loosens into a V, or in more dramatic cases, an outwardly bowed line from the tip of the chin to the suprasternal notch – where the clavicles meet in the center of the chest.  

Surgeries to address this involve an incision that allows the surgeon access to this part of the neck. In some procedures, the fat deposit between the platysmal muscles is removed, and the muscles are stitched together to create a sharper angle underneath the chin. ⁽³⁾

A Minimally-Invasive Solution

One of the things that make aesthetic surgery such an exciting field is the constant innovation that occurs. 

The MYEllevate system was developed by Dr. Gregory Mueller in Beverly Hills. He was looking for a better way to address the jawline and submental area. Previous procedures involved extensive surgery. Many people aren’t willing to trade chin definition for a set of scars- nor should they. While other procedures removed skin and fat, and directly manipulated the muscles, Dr. Mueller was able to directly lift and tighten the underside of the jaw by using a system of threading underneath the skin. This system acts as a kind of corset for the sagging area under the chin. By using the connective structure under the skin, the thread has anchor points to suspend, lift, and tighten the sagging jawline and platysmal muscles underneath the chin. However, weaving this supportive structure beneath the skin would be impossible without Dr. Mueller’s other invention: the ICLED. This device is similar to a long, double-sided needle with a tiny flashlight attached. When performing a MYEllevate procedure, the surgeon can see where the needle and thread are going by following the light, which is visible through the skin. In this way, rejuvenating effects are achieved without large incisions.

Candidates

Candidates for a MYEllevate procedure are frustrated with “turkey necks,” double chins, or the other signs of aging that have changed their profile. They also don’t want to endure an invasive surgery and long recovery. As with any cosmetic procedure, candidates should be in good health and plan on living a healthy lifestyle that will ensure that their results remain for the years to come. 

Personal Consultation

Your personal consultation at Allen Aesthetic Surgery is a chance to ask questions and learn more about what MYEllevate can do for you. Dr. Allen will listen to your goals, review your medical history, and determine whether MYEllevate is a good solution to your neck woes. She’ll also perform a physical examination of your chin, jawline, and neck to ensure that the procedure will yield satisfactory results. She’ll take into account any skin laxity, the thickness of your skin, the amount of fat in the deposits under your chin and around your jawline. ⁽⁴⁾  If you’re a good candidate for MYEllevate, you’ll be given personalized instructions on how to prepare, and exactly what to expect. To learn more about the other services that Dr. Allen offers her patients in Raleigh, follow her blog!

Procedure

MyEllevate procedure is a part of a combined procedure involving many steps for the best outcome possible. First, tumescent anesthetic is placed in the neck to numb the area so that the procedure can be done without IV anesthetic.  Next, Liposuction removes any extra fat in the neck. Following liposuction, Renuvion subdermal skin tightening is performed in order to further stimulate the collagen and provide maximum skin retraction.   Lastly, it is time for the suture placement. The MyEllevate procedure uses a matrix of suture thread underneath the skin. In fact, it’s similar to the lacing of a shoe! One long thread is inserted beneath the skin at the meeting point of the neck and underside of the chin. Dr. Allen then uses the innovative ICLED to weave each end of the thread in a criss-cross pattern, using anchor points along your jawline. The thread is laced from near your ear forwards, until each end of the thread meets in the middle, near your chin.  The matrix is then tightened until your neck is lifted adequately, the ends are tied, trimmed, and the resulting knot concealed under the skin. This procedure is usually performed in about an hour and a half, and because it’s minimally invasive, the recovery period is minimal. Patients remain comfortable during a MYEllevate lift using only local anesthesia, which allows them to avoid the risks of general anesthesia and return home more quickly.

Recovery and Results

MYEllevate allows patients to enjoy a more youthful profile and tighter submental area. This procedure is a fast, minimally invasive way to see better jawline definition. Dimpling at the suture’s anchor points typically diminishes within a day or two of the procedure, and final results are visible after a month, when the minor swelling or bruising subsides. ⁽¹⁾ Patients are required to wear a chin strap for at least a week or two as part of their recovery. MYEllevate results can last up to 5 years. 

Corresponding & Complementary Procedures 

MYEllevate is a highly adaptable procedure that can be performed on patients that have undergone other facial rejuvenation treatments previously. It can also be combined with liposuction for patients with large submental fat deposits, or Renuvion for those with more extreme cases of skin laxity. Dr. Allen will be able to recommend the perfect combination of rejuvenating treatments for your unique profile during your personal consultation. 

FAQ

References

1. Mueller GP, Leaf N, Aston SJ, Stone CW. The Percutaneous Trampoline Platysmaplasty: Technique and Experience With 105 Consecutive Patients. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2012;32(1):11-24. doi:10.1177/1090820X11429939
2. Rooijens PP, Zweep HP, Beekman WH. Combined use of ultrasound-assisted liposuction and limited-incision platysmaplasty for treatment of the aging neck. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2008;32(5):790-794. doi:10.1007/s00266-008-9215-x
3. Langsdon PR, Renukuntla S, Obeid AA, Smith AM, Karter NS. Analysis of Cervical Angle in the Submental Muscular Medialization and Suspension Procedure. JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2019;21(1):56-60. doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2018.1097
4. Balaji SM, Balaji P. Plication of Neck Strap Muscles and Platysma for Double Chin Correction – A Retrospective Study. Ann Maxillofac Surg. 2020;10(2):417-421. doi:10.4103/ams.ams_355_20