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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: November 8, 2026
Most people comparing MyEllevate vs neck liposuction think they have to pick one. Usually they don’t. Liposuction takes out fat. MyEllevate, a permanent suspension suture, holds up the muscle under your jaw. Those are two different problems, and plenty of necks have both.
Neck liposuction removes the fat pad under the chin through a thin tube called a cannula. MyEllevate places a nonabsorbable suture under the skin, guided by a light. It lifts the tissue just beneath the skin along with the platysma muscle. One takes volume out. The other adds support. The right choice depends on what’s causing the fullness.
Pricing and open neck lift technique aren’t covered here. Neither one changes which layer you’re treating, and that’s the choice this article is built around.
The difference is the layer each one treats. Liposuction works on fat, and MyEllevate works on muscle support.
Neck aging shows up across four layers, and Formation reads them in order. First comes fat. Then the platysma muscle and its bands. Then skin and the fibroseptal network, the web of connective tissue that ties skin to muscle. Last is the frame, meaning chin projection and jaw angle. Each layer has its own fix. These two procedures cover the first two layers and nothing past them.
Pinch the soft pad under your chin. If it’s thick and squishes between your fingers, that’s fat. It’s often genetic, and it doesn’t care how clean you eat.
At Formation, submental liposuction is done in the office under local anesthesia with an oral sedative. Tiny entry points sit under the chin and behind the ears. Fat comes out with restraint so the jaw angle keeps its natural shape. Then the skin is tightened so it settles over the new contour. Formation uses Renuvion, a helium plasma energy device, or FaceTite, a radiofrequency device.
One Formation patient, a fit professional in his 40s, had carried fat under his jaw his whole life. He hated how he looked in photos. After targeted neck liposuction, coworkers said he looked more rested, and he started stepping into pictures again. His plan was targeted fat removal with careful jawline contouring. No suture was part of it.
Liposuction doesn’t touch muscle. That limit matters more than most people expect.
Now clench your jaw and look in a mirror. Vertical cords that stand up between your chin and collarbone are platysmal bands. The platysma is a thin sheet of muscle. With age, its front edges can drift apart and show through the skin.
No amount of suction flattens a band. That’s the job for MyEllevate paired with platysmaplasty, which brings the muscle edges back together. A thin braided suture runs under the skin and forms a sling beneath the jaw. The lift is there the day it’s placed.
It isn’t a thread, either. Barbed PDO threads dissolve. This suture is nonabsorbable, and it can be taken out if a problem ever calls for it.
MyEllevate is FDA cleared, not approved, and the clearance is narrower than most marketing implies. The FDA clearance letter is dated July 6, 2023. It lists MyEllevate as a Class II nonabsorbable polyester suture system.
The cleared use is soft tissue approximation and elevation of the sub dermis and underlying muscle.
That’s a structural indication, and skin tightening isn’t part of it. No clinical tests were submitted either. The clearance rests on equivalence to earlier suture devices. It tells you the device matches what came before. It doesn’t mean the FDA reviewed data on how well it lifts a neck.
So pages that call MyEllevate “skin tightening” or “non-surgical” have it wrong. It’s a surgical suture placed under the skin, and Formation plans it that way.
The largest published series looks good for the right neck. It also has limits you should know before you book anything.
A multicenter study in Aesthetic Surgery Journal reviewed 391 patients treated with the light-guided technique across four centers. Recurrent platysmal bands showed up in 4.6 percent. Residual loose skin showed up in 1.8 percent. Four patients, about 1 percent, developed an infection at the suture site, and three of them needed the suture removed. The procedure studied also divided the platysmal bands rather than only suspending them.
Now the fine print. The study looked back at records instead of following patients forward. Mean follow-up was 240 days, which is short for something meant to be permanent. The technique’s developer was also one of the authors.
The authors were clear on one point. The suture doesn’t fix extensive skin laxity or excess fat under the chin. They noted it can be combined with liposuction, energy-based tightening or skin excision.
Not everyone reads the data the same way. A 2026 journal paper argued that results from the light-guided method may be modest and fade. It warned that looseness can come back over time or with jaw motion. Durability past the first year is still an open question.
Liposuction alone can leave a banded neck looking worse than before. The fat was hiding the cords. Take it away and the bands read sharper.
So if the clench test shows bands, liposuction alone is the wrong plan, and MyEllevate belongs in the conversation. Formation says so at the consultation, even when a patient walks in asking for lipo by name. Being willing to say no is part of the job.
Most practices skip that warning, because lipo is the easier sell. Dr. Grandhige’s view is that restraint beats aggression every time. Taking out too much neck fat causes its own damage, including hollows and visible muscle edges that age the neck.
The best result is the one nobody can pick out. A neck that looks corded after surgery fails that test.
Both belong in the plan when the pinch test finds fat and the clench test finds bands. The work isn’t bigger for its own sake. Each piece answers one finding.
Factor | Neck Liposuction | MyEllevate |
Layer treated | Layer one, fat | Layer two, platysma support |
What it does | Removes fat cells | Adds support, removes nothing |
What it can’t fix | Bands, hanging skin | Excess fat, extensive laxity |
Can it be undone? | No | Yes, the suture can be removed |
What durability looks like | Removed fat cells don’t return with stable weight | Largest series averaged 240 days of follow-up |
Neither one is a weight-loss tool. Liposuction is a contouring step for people near their goal weight. And a suture can’t hold up a neck that’s still changing size.
Recovery is active work, not waiting. Dr. Grandhige, a board-certified general surgeon, puts it plainly. Surgery is 60 percent of the result, and aftercare is the other 40 percent.
At Formation, most patients move through a steady, predictable timeline.
Most patients are cleared to train again at one week.
There’s no standard published recovery timeline for MyEllevate. Practice pages quote anything from a few days to two weeks, usually without data behind the number.
Adding MyEllevate changes ordinary neck liposuction recovery, because two things are healing at once. So Formation sets your timeline at the consultation, based on exactly what’s planned for your neck. A generic number fits nobody.
Both procedures also work near the marginal mandibular nerve, a small branch that moves the corner of the lower lip. In the multicenter study, about 1 percent had short-lived weakness of that nerve after the suture was placed.
Follow-up runs a full year at Formation. That’s longer than the 240-day average in the largest MyEllevate study.
Skin that hangs at rest, and a chin that sits too far back. Neither fat removal nor a suture reaches those layers. This is where a lot of disappointed patients end up. Nobody checked layers three and four before treating one and two.
Layer three is the skin and the fibroseptal network beneath it. When skin still has recoil, neck tightening with Renuvion reaches that foundation from underneath. Lasers and microneedling work from the surface down and can’t get there. The window for this runs roughly from skin age 25 to 55.
Try one more check. Look straight ahead with your jaw loose. If a fold still hangs below the jawline, it’s past what energy can shrink, and it has to come out.
Formation doesn’t perform skin-excision neck lifts. It stays in touch with surgeons who do that work well and points each patient to the right one. That referral is part of the plan, not a failure of it.
Layer four is the frame. A recessed chin blunts the jawline no matter how lean the neck is. Chin projection comes from structure. That can mean Radiesse, a calcium hydroxylapatite, or Juvederm, a hyaluronic acid, placed along the chin and jaw angle.
A trained exam settles this faster than any comparison chart. The in-office consultation carries a fee, because it’s a full surgical assessment. That fee applies toward any procedure or product at Formation. If you’re not ready to come in, book a complimentary virtual evaluation with Hanna, Formation’s patient coordinator. She reviews your goals and outlines a plan first.
Dr. Grandhige personally evaluates every patient and designs the plan himself. Before anything is placed or removed, your health and diet are assessed. Nutrition, supplements and peptides are adjusted in the weeks around the procedure. The goal is tissue that heals with as much structure as it can build. The suture and the cannula are the same at every practice. The thinking around them isn’t.
If your neck shows fat and bands, the honest answer to MyEllevate vs neck liposuction is usually both, planned together. See how Formation maps each layer on its neck contouring page for patients in Tampa.
It depends on what's causing the fullness. If the pad under your chin is fat, liposuction removes it. If the fullness comes from a loose platysma muscle and bands, MyEllevate adds support. Many necks have both, and the right plan treats both.
Liposuction takes fat out through a thin cannula. MyEllevate leaves a nonabsorbable suture beneath the skin to lift the tissue under it and the platysma muscle. One removes volume, and the other adds structure.
No. Suction removes fat and does nothing to muscle. Taking fat out over bands can make them look sharper, which is why bands call for MyEllevate paired with platysmaplasty.
No. The authors of a 391-patient multicenter study in Aesthetic Surgery Journal wrote that the suture doesn't address excess fat under the chin or extensive skin laxity. They noted it can be combined with liposuction.
It's FDA cleared, not approved. The FDA cleared it on July 6, 2023, as a Class II nonabsorbable polyester suture for soft tissue approximation and elevation of the sub dermis and underlying muscle. No clinical tests were submitted for that clearance.
Fat cells removed by liposuction don't come back, so the result holds as long as your weight stays stable. MyEllevate durability is less settled. Mean follow-up in the largest study was 240 days, and a 2026 journal paper warned that looseness can return.
Yes. The suture is nonabsorbable, and it can be taken out if a problem calls for it. In the multicenter study, three of the four patients who developed a suture-site infection had the suture removed.
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
