ENDOLIFT

Pros

• Endolift treatment doesn’t require incisions. 
• There’s minimal downtime. “Patients usually look fine in two or three days,” says Dr. Rosenthal.
• It’s suitable for all skin types and tones.
• It pairs well with other anti-aging and skin rejuvenation procedures, such as dermal fillers or PDO threads, to further stimulate collagen production. “The combination of Endolift laser and PDO threads is amazing,” says Dr. Rosenthal. 

Cons

• Collagen remodeling is a gradual process, so it can take up to 6 months to see optimal results. 
• Results are temporary. They typically last 1-2 years, though there are reports of results lasting up to 5 years.
• Not everyone is pleased with their results. Some reviewers on RealSelf have reported long recovery times and disappointing results.
• Endolift is popular in some parts of the world, especially Europe and Brazil, but not many providers in the U.S. currently offer it. “A year and a half ago, there were only 25; now there are more, but they’re still not plentiful,” says Dr. Rosenthal.

RealSelf Tip: It’s important to have realistic expectations about the level of lift this treatment can achieve. The procedure is often marketed as a nonsurgical facelift, but Endolift can’t deliver the same benefits as a surgical procedure. 

“If someone wants a facelift, they’re not going to get one,” says Dr. Rosenthal. “Will they get tightening? Will they get skin rejuvenation? And with fillers or threads, can you get more of a rejuvenation? Of course.” But if someone has prominent bands in the front of the neck or loose facial muscles, facelift surgery may be a better option.

Endolift typically costs $2,000 for one treatment session, but prices can vary significantly.  

Your cost will depend on:

• your provider’s credentials and level of experience
• their practice location
• the details of your treatment plan, including the number of areas and whether you’re having both tightening and fat reduction 
• whether you have any complementary treatments, such as fillers

During your initial consultation, ask for a written price quote.

Also keep in mind that you’ll need to budget for occasional maintenance treatments, if you plan to keep up your results. 

This outpatient procedure is performed in the provider’s office. Depending on the number of treated areas, it usually takes between 15 and 90 minutes.

Here’s what to expect:

• Your skin will be cleansed
• Local anesthesia will be injected into the incision site to numb the treated areas and make the procedure more comfortable. This may sting for a few seconds.
• If your lower eyelids will be treated, corneal shields will be placed to protect your eyes.
• Your provider will then use a fine needle to create an incision point, and insert a single-use fiber under the skin.
• The beam of the lasemar 1500 will be emitted through this fiber. “Unlike other lasers, which work outside the skin and try to get into the right depth, with Endolift, we deliver the energy to the correct depth from inside the skin via this microfiber,” explains Dr. Matin Ahmadi, a provider at the Pulse Light Clinic in London. Your practitioner will move the laser fiber around to treat the whole area.

Thanks to the anesthesia, the procedure itself should be relatively painless. “On a scale of 0 to 10, most patients have a discomfort level of between one and two,” says Dr. Rosenthal. Occasionally, you might feel something a little more when your provider has to go through scar tissue.

Once it’s finished, your provider may apply topical antibiotics to the entry sites. The tiny openings will close on their own in 24-48 hours.

Endolift requires minimal downtime, usually between 1 and 3 days. You can also resume most normal activities shortly after treatment, but you won’t look “restaurant ready” right away. Expect moderate swelling and, potentially, bruising from anesthetic injections.

If you’re treated on the lower eyelids, where swelling is harder to hide, you might see puffiness for about a week after treatment.

Post-procedure pain is virtually nonexistent, according to Dr. Rosenthal. “No one complains of pain afterward.”

Your provider should provide aftercare instructions, including skincare. For instance, using arnica cream can help minimize bruising. Be sure to follow them.

“Patients must realize this is an extensive procedure, although it’s through pinsticks,” says Dr. Rosenthal. “So, it requires their cooperation.” 

He advises his patients to avoid vigorous exercise, avoid salty foods, ice the treated area, and gently massage it in the first few days post-treatment.

Those who have multiple treatment areas and a combination of skin tightening and fat reduction may be advised to wear an elastic band at night, to support the skin as it heals.

Endolift can cause immediate skin retraction by heating the skin’s collagen fibers, but the skin tends to relax again over the next week, says Dr. Rosenthal. 

New collagen formation begins in 3 to 6 weeks and continues over the coming months.

You can expect your final “peak” result about 6 months post-procedure.

According to Eufoton, the manufacturer of the Endolift device, results last up to two years. 

However, the longevity of results can vary, depending on factors like age, skin condition, and how well you take care of your skin. 

“If you’ve lost elasticity and have poor skin tone, your results might not last as long,” says Dr. Rosenthal. 

Maintenance treatments are recommended to keep up results. “The nice part of Endolift is that it can be redone,” he says. “You can touch things up in 6-8 weeks or redo it in 6 months, a year, or 2 years.”

Endolift is considered safe in the hands of an experienced provider. But if it seems like a relatively straightforward procedure, think again. “It is not a simple procedure that you can just pick up and do,” says Dr. Rosenthal. “Getting a good result requires a lot of expertise, finesse, and understanding of anatomy.”

During your consultation, your provider should discuss these potential side effects.

• The most common side effects are minor to moderate redness, swelling, and bruising. This resolves within 3 days for most patients, but it can last for up to a week.  
• Temporary nerve injury to the sensory branches is also possible, with numbness in the treatment for a few weeks to several months. 
• The mandibular nerve, which goes to the lower lip, may be bruised by the laser’s heat and not fully functional for six to eight weeks or longer. “If you have a full-toothed smile, the lower lip doesn’t drop as much when you smile,” says Dr. Rosenthal. “If you have a moderate smile, the change is really not noticeable.”

More serious complications are also coming to light. A recent article by a group of Brazilian providers reported burns, infections, and fat necrosis. (Necrosis, the death of fat tissue due to injury and loss of blood supply, can cause hard lumps to form under your skin.) Some patients have visible scarring at the entry points.

These providers conclude that “a lack of fundamental knowledge” on how to use the device was one of the main reasons for Endolift complications.

The bottom line: It’s important to find a provider with the experience to perform the procedure safely, deliver a good result, and manage any complications.