Endotine Ribbon Lift

July 24, 2008 9:29 AM

Does anyone have any experience with the minimally invasive jawline and neck sculpting procedure known as the Endotine Ribbon Lift?

My beloved is considering having this done and asked me to ask the question of the mighty Hive Mind. The procedure is designed to eliminate sagging facial skin. There's a bit about it here. And that's about all I can say because I really know nothing at all about it. But thanks in advance for any info that anyone may have.

posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit to health (3 comments total)

I'd suggest she look into Thermage instead
posted by TorontoSandy at 11:02 AM on July 24

Yeah, she has -- she's been looking into several options.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 11:51 AM on July 24

I don't have any direct experience (any temptation to indulge in such things is several years off) but other discussion forums on skin issues and laser treatments have made me very wary of both procedures.

This user feedback page on Thermage shows many people mentioning a lot of pain for no visible results. In addition, Thermage may cause localized and potentially permanent fat loss.

Endotine Ribbon Lift may possibly give good, minimal effects in the hands of a very capable surgeon, but many people report that the "ribbon" is visible through the skin. It's supposed to be "bio-absorbed" after a few months, making it less visible, but the first few pre-operative months, it can look pretty bad. Real Self has similar dismal reviews about the procedure (also known as a "contour thread lift").

My suggestion would be that if you really want to lift the lower face, save your money for a very reputable surgeon, with excellent before and after photos, plus a list of happy patients for you to contact. Be prepared for a proper facelift and maybe some neck liposuction if required. From what I can see, there are a lot of surgeons performing these minimally invasive procedures, but the results just don't seem to be worth it.
posted by wexford_arts at 1:01 PM on July 24