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Written By: Jeffrey Atlas, PA-C, Health Content Writer
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Gopal Grandhige, MD, FACS, Board-Certified Surgeon
Last Reviewed: October 23, 2026
For most people, the neck and jawline lift holds for several years. Providers commonly report three to five years, and some patients keep their result longer with stable weight and sun protection. That staying power comes from one detail: the suture is permanent, not the dissolving kind used in thread lifts.
But a permanent suture is not a frozen face. Your neck keeps aging around it. The result softens slowly over years, not overnight.
Most of the confusion starts right there. So let’s separate what’s permanent from what isn’t.
MyEllevate, a permanent suspension suture, is a minimally invasive way to lift the deeper tissue of the neck and jawline. It supports the muscle and soft tissue under the skin through a few tiny punctures, with no long incision and no skin removal. Most cases take about an hour under local anesthesia. The lift is there the day it’s placed.
Some people call it the “Zoom Lift,” a nickname it picked up when everyone started staring at their own necks on video calls.
The device was cleared by the FDA in 2023 as a nonabsorbable braided suture system for lifting the tissue beneath the skin. Nonabsorbable is the word that matters. It doesn’t break down and wash away.
One honest point up front. MyEllevate isn’t a shortcut version of a neck lift. It sits in the middle, between temporary threads and full surgery. It does one job well, and it has real limits.
This is the cleanest advantage MyEllevate has. A thread lift uses barbed dissolvable PDO threads that your body absorbs over several months. When the threads dissolve, the mechanical lift goes with them, and you keep only whatever collagen formed along the way.
MyEllevate does the opposite. The suture stays. It keeps supporting the tissue for years, and it can be taken out if a patient ever wants that.
A thread lift is a lease. MyEllevate is closer to owning. Both have a place. They don’t last the same amount of time.
The long-term data is thinner than the marketing suggests. The largest study we have, a multicenter study in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, followed 391 patients across four practices. The mean follow-up was only 240 days, which is under a year.
So the three-to-five-year numbers come mostly from provider experience, not from studies with photos at year five. That doesn’t mean you should distrust them. It means you should ask your surgeon what they see in their own patients.
What the study did show is reassuring on safety. About 4.6 percent of patients saw their platysmal bands, the muscle bands under the chin, come back, and a small group had a little loose skin left over. There were no major bleeds. For the right patient, results were predictable with a low risk of problems.
The takeaway is simple. MyEllevate is well studied for safety and short-term results, and its multi-year staying power rests on experience that points to years, not months. If you want the options that hold longest, it helps to weigh it against the longest-lasting non-surgical facelift approaches too.
Longevity isn’t one number that fits everyone. Three things move it up or down more than anything else.
Skin with good recoil holds a lift longer. As a rough guide, the sweet spot runs from skin age 25 to 55, when there’s still enough spring for the tissue to settle in a lifted position. Past that, heavier loose neck skin can outweigh what a suture alone holds, and the result fades faster.
Weight swings change your neck. Gaining and losing pulls on the tissue and shortens how long the contour stays sharp. Sun does its own damage by breaking down collagen. In Tampa, that part matters more than most people expect. Daily sun protection isn’t a small detail here.
MyEllevate lifts muscle. It doesn’t remove fat, and it doesn’t tighten skin on its own. When there’s fullness under the chin, pairing it with neck liposuction takes those fat cells out for good and sharpens the result. When skin needs firming, energy tightening gets added. A single tool has limits. A matched plan lasts longer because it treats the real problem.
We use a simple framework to predict how long any neck result will hold. A neck ages across four layers, and each layer has its own fix.
Why does this matter for how long it lasts? Because if your real issue is skin or fat and you only treat the muscle, the result won’t hold the way you hoped. Reading the layers correctly is what makes a result last.
The best candidate has mild to moderate laxity, prominent muscle bands, and skin that still has recoil. That patient can see years of improvement from one procedure. The study that tracked MyEllevate enrolled patients with that same profile, mild to moderate neck laxity and prominent platysma bands, which tells you a lot about who it actually fits.
Now the part that matters most, and it’s the honest one. If you have a lot of loose, hanging skin, MyEllevate is the wrong tool. A suture can’t shrink skin that droops at rest. Getting it anyway means paying for a result that fades fast and often leads to a neck lift later.
This is timely, too. In the 2025 ASPS report, 82 percent of surgeons reported consultation requests tied to GLP-1 weight loss, though the group notes this reflects more conversations, not proven growth in any one procedure. Many of those patients arrive with loose skin rather than extra fat.
Part of the job is saying no to the wrong patient. When someone needs skin removed, we say so and point them to the surgeon who does that work well, instead of selling a procedure that won’t hold.
Recovery is quick, which is a big part of the appeal. The neck timeline usually runs like this.
Most patients get back to training within about a week. What you see at two weeks isn’t the final result, so plan events and photos with the longer timeline in mind.
You have real control over how long this lasts. A few habits do most of the work.
Hold a steady weight. Wear sunscreen every day, and mean it in this climate. Keep a simple skincare routine that supports collagen. These sound basic. They’re the difference between a result that holds for years and one that slips early.
There’s one more piece that’s specific to how we work. Before treatment, health and diet are assessed. In the window right around your procedure, nutrition, supplements, and peptides are adjusted so your body builds the most structure it can while it heals. The suture is the same one used everywhere. The thinking around it is not.
Most patients keep their result for several years, with providers commonly reporting three to five years and some seeing longer. The suture is permanent, so the lift doesn't simply dissolve like a thread lift. Natural aging still continues, so results soften slowly rather than disappearing at once.
The suture is permanent and doesn't dissolve, which is different from most thread lifts. The result itself is long-lasting but not frozen, because your face keeps aging around the suture. Weight, sun exposure, and skin quality all affect how long the contour stays sharp.
A thread lift usually fades within several months to a year, because the threads dissolve and the lift goes with them. MyEllevate lasts far longer, often years, since the suture stays in place. That difference in staying power is the main reason patients choose one over the other.
Yes. Because the suture is nonabsorbable rather than dissolving, it can be removed if a patient ever wants that. In the multicenter study, three patients had the suture removed to treat an infection, which shows removal is straightforward when needed.
It can help with leftover contour, but it depends on how much loose skin remains. Many patients seek neck and jaw work after GLP-1 weight loss, and a lot of them have extra skin. When there's heavy hanging skin, skin removal is usually the better answer than a suture alone.
The lift is visible right away, but swelling takes time to settle. Skin tightening becomes clear around three months, and the final result usually shows between six and nine months. Plan any big events with that longer timeline in mind rather than the first two weeks.
The next step after losing 100 pounds.
After significant weight loss, the skin doesn’t always shrink back to match the body’s new shape. And no amount of exercise can remove that excess skin.
In this surgery, Dr. Gopal performs a 360° circumferential body lift to remove excess skin and reshape the patient’s waistline, abdomen, and lower back.
The approach involves lifting the skin on the back and pulling it downward on the front to create a smoother, flatter contour while positioning the incision low enough to be concealed by underwear.
This patient lost over 100 pounds. During surgery, Dr. Gopal explains how approximately 3 pounds of skin were removed from the back, with another 5 pounds planned for removal from the front.
It’s not just about removing skin. It’s about reshaping the body after a significant weight-loss journey.
📍 Dr. Gopal Grandhige | Formation, South Tampa
Interested in body contouring after major weight loss? Schedule a consultation to explore your options.
#BodyLift #CircumferentialBodyLift #ExcessSkinRemoval #WeightLoss #BodyContouring
There’s lean. Then there’s sculpted.
High-definition liposuction goes beyond traditional fat removal. It’s about strategically sculpting around the underlying muscles to create more visible definition in the chest, abdomen, and waist.
For this patient, the goal was a leaner, more defined, athletic appearance without an exaggerated look.
Dr. Gopal Grandhige specializes in male HD liposuction, customizing each procedure to the patient’s anatomy, muscle structure, and desired level of definition.
The result? A more sculpted physique that complements his natural build.
Interested in HD liposuction? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal at Formation Tampa. Link in bio.
Actual patient photos. Individual results vary.
#HDLiposuction #MaleLiposuction #HighDefinitionLiposuction #BodySculpting #Tampa
“That responsibility means everything to me.”
When a patient chooses a plastic surgeon, they’re placing an extraordinary amount of trust in someone else’s hands.
And that responsibility goes far beyond what happens in the operating room.
For Dr. Gopal, it means taking the time to understand each patient’s goals, carefully planning their procedure, making thoughtful decisions throughout surgery, and being there for them during recovery.
Every detail matters because there’s a real person behind every procedure, with hopes, concerns, and expectations.
And that person deserves to feel cared for every step of the way.
#Tampa #CosmeticSurgery #PatientCare #bodycountouring #hdliposuction
Every body needs a different plan.
An HD liposuction consultation with Dr. Gopal is much more than discussing which areas to treat.
He takes the time to evaluate each patient’s anatomy, explain what he’s seeing, and walk through exactly how he would approach the procedure.
Where should fat be removed? Where should it be preserved? How can the waist be sculpted while maintaining natural curves? And when might additional skin tightening be needed?
These are just some of the decisions Dr. Gopal walks patients through, explaining not only what he recommends, but why.
This Reel is a small glimpse into a consultation that typically involves a much more detailed conversation, with time for patients to ask questions and understand their options.
📍 Formation | South Tampa
Considering high-definition liposuction? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal to discuss your goals and explore what’s possible.
#HDLipo #HighDefinitionLiposuction #BodyContouring #Tampa
There’s lean. Then there’s sculpted.
For some men, even years of consistent training and cutting cycles don’t produce the abdominal definition they’re working toward.
Here’s what one patient shared in his Google review of Formation:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Waited a few months to write this because I wanted to make sure the results held up.
The HD technique did what years of cutting cycles couldn’t. Abs actually show now, even relaxed, even in bad lighting. If you’ve chased a six pack for years you know what that means. Recovery was more involved than I expected and the bruising was wild for a bit. But the result looks like me, just leaner and more defined. Doesn’t look surgical, which was my biggest fear going in. Would recommend, but only if you’re already putting in the work.”
Dr. Gopal Grandhige specializes in male high-definition liposuction, an advanced body-contouring technique that goes beyond traditional fat removal.
By strategically removing fat around the underlying muscles, HD liposuction can enhance natural muscle definition and create a leaner, more sculpted, athletic appearance.
The goal isn’t to create artificial abs. It’s to reveal and enhance the muscle contours already there, with the level of definition customized to each patient’s anatomy and goals.
📍 Formation, South Tampa
Interested in male HD liposuction? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal to explore your options.
Google patient review.
#HDLiposuction #MaleLiposuction #BodyContouring #Tampa
Crunches can only do so much.
You can spend hours strengthening your abdominal muscles, but that doesn’t guarantee visible definition.
A layer of fat sits between the muscles and the skin, and crunches can’t specifically target that fat.
For many people, exercise and reducing overall body fat can help reveal their abs. But even people who are already lean and fit can have stubborn fat that hides their natural muscle definition.
That’s where high-definition liposuction may help.
Dr. Gopal uses HD lipo to selectively remove fat around the natural contours of the abdominal muscles, helping reveal the definition that’s already there.
📍 Formation | South Tampa
Interested in HD lipo? Schedule a consultation to learn more.
#HDLipo #HighDefinitionLiposuction #AbdominalSculpting #BodyContouring
Which one had surgery 1 or 2? 👀
High-definition liposuction goes beyond traditional fat removal. Instead of simply reducing fat evenly, the surgeon strategically removes fat around the underlying muscles to make their natural contours more visible.
But here’s what makes it interesting: HD lipo doesn’t create the same six-pack on everyone. Each person’s anatomy, muscle development, and desired level of definition influence the final result.
Now take another look at these two patients.
Which one do you think had HD liposuction, 1 or 2?
Drop your guess below, then check the pinned comment for the answer!
#HDLiposuction #MaleLiposuction #BodyContouring #Tampa
There’s a story behind every decision.
Cosmetic surgery is a personal decision. Yet people who choose it often find themselves having to explain or defend that choice to others.
Some want to restore changes after pregnancy or weight loss. Others have worked hard to get in shape but still have areas they’d like to improve. And some simply want to feel more comfortable with their appearance.
The reasons are different for everyone. And they don’t have to make sense to anyone else.
At Formation, Dr. Gopal believes the decision to pursue cosmetic surgery should be guided by a patient’s personal goals, realistic expectations, and what’s medically appropriate for them.
Because ultimately, the person making that decision is the one who will live with it.
#Tampa #CosmeticSurgery #BodyContouring #Liposuction
Our first four-legged patient. 🐾
Dr. Gopal takes his liposuction and body contouring very seriously.
Even when his patients have four legs.
From loose skin and neck liposuction to a jawline that deserves its own before-and-after reveal, this might be his most dramatic transformation yet.
And yes, he even got the patient’s permission to share the results. 😂
A little Halloween fun from Dr. Gopal and his two very patient pups! 🎃🐶
No dogs underwent surgery. Just two willing participants and one very committed surgeon.
#SurgeonLife #tampa #necklipo
What weight loss can’t fix.
After losing over 100 pounds, this patient had achieved significant weight loss, but was left with excess skin around his abdomen and back that weight loss alone couldn’t address.
During an 8-hour surgery, Dr. Gopal performed a circumferential body lift, a procedure that removes excess skin around the entire midsection to improve body contour.
In this video, Dr. Gopal walks through the procedure, explaining how he removed approximately 3 pounds of skin from the back and estimated another 4–5 pounds would be removed from the abdomen.
He’s also using a small amount of fat collected during the procedure to add volume to the upper chest, improving its contour without performing a separate chest lift.
For patients who have experienced major weight loss, body contouring can help address the excess skin that remains after the weight is gone.
Considering surgery after weight loss? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal at Formation in Tampa to explore your options.
Actual patient footage. Individual results vary.
#BodyContouring #BodyLift #ExcessSkinRemoval
