AccuLift: What You Need to Know
Pros & cons
What to expect
How long results last
Fast facts
AccuLift, often referred to as a “laser facelift,” is a minimally invasive treatment that uses laser liposuction to remove fat, tighten skin, and contour the lower face, neck, and jawline. The laser liquefies fat cells and heats the surrounding tissue, stimulating collagen production to firm and tighten the skin.Â
It's considered a less invasive, less painful alternative to a surgical mini lift. The procedure can deliver a significant improvement, but it can’t produce the same results as a surgical facelift or neck lift.Â
If you have loose skin, you might not be an ideal candidate for AccuLift. The laser treats only excess fat, not excess skin, and the skin tightening benefits of collagen production aren’t significant enough to eliminate sagging.
Pros
- AccuLift is minimally invasive and performed under local anesthesia, so recovery time is short.
- The procedure can eliminate a double chin or reduce the look of jowls.Â
- It can be used either as early intervention, to slow the signs of aging and delay the need for a traditional facelift, or as a touch-up after a previous surgical procedure.
- Just one treatment can produce significant results.
Cons
- While skin tightening from AccuLift can be substantial, patients with significant sagging may need a surgical facelift instead.
- AccuLift can’t reduce wrinkles, like a facelift can.
- This procedure focuses on the lower half of the face, not the full face.
This one-time treatment takes between 30 minutes and an hour. Your doctor first applies local anesthesia to the area, to ensure maximum comfort, before making tiny incisions (usually four to six). They insert the AccuLift laser fiber through these small punctures and liquefy the fatty tissue. The fat is then removed via liposuction, using a small cannula. Any damaged fat that isn’t removed is eliminated over the next three to six months.
Because only local anesthesia is used and the incisions are tiny, AccuLift recovery time is typically between 24 and 48 hours. During this time, you may experience minor discomfort, swelling, and bruising, but these side effects will likely subside within a few days. In most AccuLift reviews, RealSelf members report returning to work and normal activity within two to five days. Results are immediate (once the swelling goes down), and they continue to develop over time as collagen builds.
The fat cells removed in an AccuLift procedure are gone for good, but you'd need other skin-tightening treatments down the road to maintain the benefits of the stimulated collagen growth.
Updated June 13, 2024