What is a Ribbon Lift?

asked 3 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Peter A. Aldea, MD
Question viewed 8,728 times

the celebrity blogs are talking about madonna getting a ribbon lift. They say a ribbon lift is “[A tube-like device] is tunnelled under the skin and has lots of tiny hooks that attach to the muscle and tissue,” plastic surgeon Alex Karidis explains. “We then pull it upwards to lift the whole area.” I also have sagging facial skin and wonder if I should seek this out or are there better methods.

11 answers to What is a Ribbon Lift?

Ribbon and thread lifts

You can see the satisfaction rates from threadlifts on the RealSelf website... only 13% of patients were happy with their decision to have a thread lift. 87% of patients were unhappy. A ribbon lift employs a similar philosophy of no undermining pulling on tissue. Experienced facelift experts know that thread lifts simply pull through, as the results slip away. The only thing remaining are the threads, which are troublesome to remove, especially if there are many of them. Typically,... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Ribbon lifts are ineffective as a solitary procedure

The ribbon is basically a specialized suture. The company initially marketed it as a stand alone noninvasive procedure but this quickly proved to be a poor procedure with a low success rate. The ribbons can be successfully use at the time of a real Facelift just to supercharge the tightening result. I typically use the ribbons in this way when people have thicker necks and more difficult anatomy because they allow for a powerful tightening effect.

Jason B. Diamond, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Ribbon lift

The ribbon lift is basically a midface cheek lift performed with Coapt's endotine device. It is a limited incision procedure...the long term results are not known.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Absorbable neck lift device - not to be confused with thread lifts

The 'ribbon lift' is a procedure performed with Coapt Systems 'Endotine Ribbon' device. The key to the procedure is not the device, but the surgeon and procedure that is actually performed. This is not the same device or the same procedure as the older thread lift. The ribbon device is like a collar with spikes on one side. The device is made of an absorbable material so that the body dissolves the device over time, unlike older thread devices which were permanent. The theory behind the... more

D.J. Verret, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

innovationsfps.com

Ribbon lift

The Ribbon lift is based on an implant that looks like a quarter inch "ribbon" of absorbable material with little teeth that grab at one end and. It looks like its made of plastic and similar in appearance to a cable tie. It is typically placed under the skin to snag the deeper tissues. It is then anchored at a higher location to lift and hold them in place. The extra skin is then removed. Over time the device is completely absorbed (usually 6-12 months. The advantages to these... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Pass on the "ribbon lift"

It was enticing a few years ago to try to produce some of the effects of a facelift without surgery. Thread lifts and ribbon lifts are all part of this concept. The problem with them is that they really didn't work much at all and even when there was a change it didn't last long. The procedure cost much more than it was worth because the company that made the threads priced them to the doctors at a very high level. Now, nobody is doing these anymore. A properly done facelift (not a mini... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Ribbon Lifts might not be for everyone

The ribbon lift use a multipoint fixation device to elevate and secure the deeper tissues of the face. It workes great in theory, however, the device has remained palpable for some for longer than three months. It seems to work best with a full facelift when it is placed deep to the muscle layer and fat as opposed to on top of the muscle and fat. We are seeing some great results with the ribbon lift of the brow and cheeks.

Charles Perry, MD
Sacramento Plastic Surgeon

www.chrysaliscosmetics.com

The Ribbon Lift Explained

We all recognize that facial aging is associated with the thinning and sagging of soft tissues of the face. Depending on the degree of sagging, various Facelift techniques are employed to reposition the tissues in their higher youthful positions. The vast majority of Facelift methods undermine the skin widely but differ in the extent of undermining of the next layer, the SMAS, which is then suspended higher, taking the tension off the skin closure. In recent years, we have witnessed a... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Ribbon Lift results

A ribbon lift is ay type of lift that uses the ribbon to fix the facial tissues into position. Ribbons can be used for facelift, mid-facelift, brow lifts, and neck lifts. Ribbons do not give you results. The surgeon does. The best way to think about this is that the ribbon is essentially a type of suture material. Excellent results are ultimately achieved by the surgeon and how he uses his instruments and materials in order to obtain the desired results. My best recommendation to you is... more

Jacob D. Steiger, MD
Boca Raton Facial Plastic Surgeon

Ribbon Lifts elevate the muscles of the face with a dissolvable device

In a face lift, the SMAS is the facial muscle that is tightened to reduce jowling and drooping of the face. This can be tightened with sutures after lifting, or by placing a ribbon device, attaching it to the muscle and then pulling on the muscle. This device dissolves away after 4 to 6 weeks under the skin.

Andrew Jacono, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

Forget about this. It's a gimmick.

Hi! Avoid any procedure with a catchy name or a trade mark. Poorly qualified practitioners try to make you think that they offer easier surgery or no scars or cheaper surgery with great results. It just isn't true. The vast majority of board certified plastic surgeons won't touch this procedure. So you don't really want it either, don't you think?