Our skin goes through so many changes as a part of the aging process. As facial fat pads shrink and collagen production decreases, we often notice sagging skin, jowling, and wrinkles that weren’t there before. Though these are a natural—and beautiful—part of the aging process, it’s also normal to feel frustrated and disconnected with these changes in your appearance.
Facelifts may help many patients create a refreshed and youthful appearance, but these surgical procedures aren’t for everyone. Oftentimes, facelift procedures can create a “windblown” or stretched-out appearance, leaving you looking even less like yourself.
If you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror, lifted your cheeks slightly upwards and back, and thought, “This is what I need…” you are the perfect candidate for Ellacor near Knoxville. Ellacor tightens your skin by physically removing thousands of tiny columns of skin, all without stitches or large incisions. The final result is a stunning, tighter-looking appearance that still reflects your natural beauty.
Continue reading to learn why our skin becomes looser with age and what you can expect from the Ellacor process at Shea Aesthetic Clinic. If you’re ready to meet Dr. Bass and the rest of the team, give us a call or request an appointment online.
What Happens to Our Appearance as We Get Older?
Though the aging process varies from person to person, there are a few key changes that you may notice as you get older.
Bone Loss
Bone loss is fairly common with age, particularly in the upper and lower jaws. This is often caused by a gradual loss of calcium and other minerals in the bones, leading to increased resorption.
Loss of bone density is especially common among female patients who have already gone through menopause, which happens when a woman no longer has a menstrual cycle. This is because estrogen deficiency is also linked to bone loss.
Fat Loss
We also lose some of the pillowy fat pads in our faces with time. All adults have nice, plump fat pads, otherwise known as buccal fat, in our cheeks that create the structure, shape, and contours of our face.
But as bone and fat pads shrink with age, we lose some of the supporting structure beneath our skin. This causes the skin to become lax and sag, leading to jowls, loose skin under our chin, and wrinkles.
Decreased Collagen and Elastin Production
Collagen and elastin also play an important role in our skin’s health! Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, provides the skin, muscles, bones, and other tissues with support. Collagen also gives our skin its thickness—and thick, collagen-rich skin is less prone to wrinkle.
Elastin makes our skin springy, allowing it to stretch and retract with ease. Skin that has plenty of elastin is perky and tight because elastin fibers prevent it from sagging.
Our bodies produce less collagen and elastin with age. Other factors that cause collagen and elastin to break down at a faster rate include:
- Sun damage
- Lack of adequate protein
- Lack of vitamins and minerals (vitamin C, zinc, and copper)
- Loss of estrogen
- Stress
- Poor sleep
- Environmental factors
- Cigarette and marijuana smoke
Defining Ellacor
Although it can feel discouraging to get older and notice changes in your appearance, you have the power to age with confidence with Ellacor near Knoxville. Ellacor is the best way for patients to diminish wrinkles, lift and tighten jowls, smooth out nasolabial folds, and tighten up other areas of loose skin throughout the face and body—all without surgery.
How Does Ellacor Work?
Ellacor tightens your skin by physically removing micro-cores, or tiny columns of skin.
We compare the micro-coring process to having your lawn aerated. This process involves having someone drive over your lawn with a roller to pull small plugs of dirt and grass out of the ground. Usually, you can see these little dirt plugs laying around in the grass after the lawn treatment.
The micro-coring process is very similar to having your lawn aerated, only we use a set of 3 small, hollow needles that go into the skin, through the epidermis, dermis, and just barely down into the fat to pull out tiny plugs of skin. The needles are also hooked up to a vacuum that sucks up and removes all the tiny plugs of skin.
These plugs are called micro-cores. The more skin we remove, the tighter your treatment area is after the procedure.
Cleared by the FDA
Ellacor near Knoxville is an FDA-cleared treatment for use on the face, ranging from the cheeks to the jawline. We can also use Ellacor on any area with wrinkled, sagging skin. Some of our most common treatment areas include:
- Face
- Neck
- Arms
- Abdomen
- Thighs
- Above the knees
Patients with wrinkles and sagging skin are good candidates for Ellacor. We especially recommend Ellacor to patients with minimal skin laxity and who want a nonsurgical facelift alternative.
Ellacor cannot treat patients with severe sagging skin. This degree of skin laxity requires more invasive solutions, such as excess skin removal surgery. Dr. Bass can help you determine whether Ellacor can treat your wrinkles or if surgical solutions better suit your goals during your introductory consultation.
Skin Tightening Without Scars
Where facelift procedures cause extensive scarring and require intense recovery, Ellacor near Knoxville creates a more youthful complexion with zero scarring, without large incisions, and with minimal downtime!
Ellacor uses 22-gauge needles to remove small columns of skin. The diameter of the hole made by the needle is about 0.4 mm, which is small enough to extract small portions of skin without creating a scar.
The scientists who created Ellacor tested a variety of needle sizes and found that a hollow needle of 0.5 mm diameter or less, when used to pull out a tiny plug or core of skin, did not leave a scar. Larger needles caused a pigmented scar to form, leaving dark- and light-colored marks, depending on the patient’s skin type.
By using needles that are smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter, Ellacor tightens loose skin without leaving scars behind. This is a breakthrough in tightening technology, helping patients rejuvenate their skin without more invasive solutions or scarring.
Why Choose Shea Aesthetic Clinic for Your Ellacor Treatment?
When searching for the right practice to perform your Ellacor skin tightening procedure, you need a team of professionals with a deep understanding of the treatment technology. Fortunately, Dr. Kirk Bass was the first physician to provide Ellacor near Knoxville, and knows just how to help you achieve the firmer, more youthful-looking skin you want!
Dr. Bass is a double board-certified physician with an extensive background in patient care. He works tirelessly to create a welcoming, accepting environment for every patient who walks through his doors. He also has years of experience in the aesthetics industry and is dedicated to helping you feel your most confident in your own skin.
Because it’s a minimally invasive procedure, Dr. Bass performs all Ellacor treatments. This helps ensure you have a safe experience with as little downtime and recovery as possible.
Ellacor on its own is phenomenal, but when combined with the other services included in Shea Aesthetic Clinic’s treatment package, you can truly revolutionize your look. This package includes several red light therapy sessions, a post-procedure kit of products, and regular IPL and Ultra laser skin resurfacing treatments. Your first IPL and Ultra laser skin resurfacing treatments are both complimentary when you book your Ellacor appointment, with any additional IPL or laser treatments offered at 50% off for the following year.
The Ellacor Experience at Shea Aesthetic Clinic
If you’re looking for a skilled and friendly team of professionals to help you refresh your appearance, you can trust the experts at Shea Aesthetic Clinic. Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect from the Ellacor treatment process.
Comprehensive Consultation
Like all other treatments provided at Shea Aesthetic Clinic, you first begin your aesthetic journey with a consultation with Dr. Bass.
During your initial appointment, Dr. Bass listens carefully to your concerns. He takes the time to learn more about your story, asking questions about your hopes, goals, and how you want to look after the procedure.
Be prepared to discuss your medical history and any medications you take with Dr. Bass. This information helps guide the development of your treatment plan, as Dr. Bass and our team always take time to ensure you’re a good candidate for any of our treatments.
Next, Dr. Bass analyzes your treatment area to determine which skin tightening solutions can best address your concerns and goals. He then offers a variety of treatment plans that range from noninvasive and simple to more high-level and complex.
If the two of you decide that you may benefit most from Ellacor near Knoxville, Dr. Bass then walks you through the treatment process and recovery expectations. At this time, we highly encourage you to ask questions and voice any concerns you may have to ensure you feel confident for the steps ahead.
Preparing for Ellacor
The most important thing you can do to prepare for your Ellacor treatment is to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Unprotected sun exposure can lead to burns, which would prevent you from receiving treatment. Wear long clothing while in direct sunlight and regularly apply a 30 SPF sunscreen. We also have a variety of sunscreen options available in our skincare shop to help ensure your skin is fully prepared for treatment!
Avoid blood-thinning medications, alcohol, and tobacco products in the weeks leading up to your Ellacor treatment. These substances can increase your risk of bruising and slow the healing process. Instead, we recommend drinking plenty of water, as hydrated skin typically responds better to treatment.
Your skin will heal faster if it is in excellent condition prior to the procedure. We recommend consulting with our aesthetic team to discuss your at-home skincare regimen at least a month prior to the procedure.
Daily use of the right products supports the health and condition of your skin. This can then translate into better results than just undergoing the Ellacor treatment alone.
Your Treatment
On the day of your Ellacor procedure, a member of our team leads you back to our treatment room and helps you get situated. Dr. Bass comes in to apply local anesthetic and administer lidocaine injections to ensure you are completely comfortable during the procedure.
Once you’re fully numbed, the treatment will begin. Most of our patients describe the procedure as comfortable, but you should alert Dr. Bass immediately if you experience any pain.
Immediately after finishing your Ellacor procedure, Dr. Bass applies platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to your skin. This serum, which contains growth factors derived from your own blood, helps your skin heal faster and creates a smoother complexion. From there, Dr. Bass applies Tegaderm, or transparent medical dressing, to your newly treated skin. We also provide a kit of skincare products to use at home to help you heal after Ellacor.
Most Ellacor appointments take 3 to 4 hours to complete, depending on the size of your treatment area and if you incorporate additional services into your plan.
Ellacor Recovery
Ellacor involves more downtime than most treatments offered at Shea Aesthetic Clinic. On average, patients experience swelling, redness, and mild tenderness for the first 5 to 7 days after treatment. This is a normal part of the recovery process. Dr. Bass usually clears patients to cover up this redness with makeup after 4 to 5 days.
Over the next 6 to 9 months, your skin continues to heal by gradually producing more collagen and elastin. Most of our patients notice firmer, lifted results within 3 to 6 months after treatment.
We typically recommend patients undergo anywhere from 1 to 3 Ellacor treatment sessions, depending on their unique aesthetic needs and amount of skin laxity and wrinkles. Typically, a person in their 40s needs 1 treatment session, those in their 50s usually need 2, and patients in their 60s need 3. Dr. Bass can provide additional guidance on how many treatment sessions you may need during your introductory consultation.
Ellacor near Knoxville turns back the clock to help you look like the most vibrant and youthful version of yourself. Using medical-grade skincare products daily, including sunscreen, and undergoing maintenance treatments like RF microneedling every 6 to 12 months will allow your results to last for years.
Having youthful skin takes work and regular care. The providers at Shea Aesthetic Clinic can make recommendations on how to best maintain your results based on your skin condition and your goals.
Giving You the Answers You Need
Dr. Bass and the wonderful team at Shea Aesthetic Clinic want to ensure your Ellacor experience goes as smoothly as possible—because you deserve results that enhance your natural beauty. We’ve provided answers to some of our most frequently asked questions so you can make the right decision for your aesthetic needs.
Is Ellacor painful?
Our entire focus is on making sure you are numb and comfortable during the procedure. You’ll start by taking Xanax and hydrocodone when you arrive, followed by topical numbing cream that’s applied to your skin. We can also give you nitrous oxide if you are concerned about pain or feel unable to relax.
Then, Dr. Bass and his physician’s assistant will inject lidocaine into the treatment area. They then go over the area again with more injections of lidocaine to ensure that you are completely numb. We take our time so that we can ensure your comfort during the numbing process.
Because patients are completely numb, the procedure itself is relatively pain-free. Most of our patients describe the pain as a 1 to 2 out of 10, and several have reported that they don’t feel any discomfort.
You will be fully awake during your Ellacor procedure. We like to keep things lively at Shea Aesthetic Clinic by playing music, talking about lots of fun topics, and always having a good time during Ellacor.
Since patients receive Xanax, hydrocodone, and possibly nitrous oxide, you must coordinate a ride home.
Can Ellacor replace a facelift?
Ellacor near Knoxville is the best nonsurgical alternative to facelift procedures. Facelifts also remove skin, but often alter the appearance of the patient. Depending on your degree of skin laxity and wrinkles, Ellacor can replace a facelift, but the result may be less drastic.
Ellacor is a minimally invasive skin tightening treatment, which creates less dramatic results than a surgical procedure would. However, many patients prefer Ellacor because it doesn’t fundamentally change their appearance in the way that a facelift does, and does not leave behind any scars.
If you’ve had a facelift and have noticed that your skin is starting to sag and wrinkle, Ellacor is a great treatment to help tighten your skin. We can also use Ellacor to address wrinkles around the mouth, which is an area that a facelift cannot target.
Explore Ellacor at Shea Aesthetic Clinic
Dr. Bass and the team at Shea Aesthetic Clinic are proud to offer patients Ellacor: an innovative development in skin tightening technology.
You deserve to love what you see in the mirror and age with confidence. Ellacor near Knoxville helps you lift and revitalize your features, so you can walk through life feeling great in the skin you’re in.
Come visit the experts at Shea Aesthetic Clinic to learn how Ellacor suits your needs. Schedule your consultation or give us a call to get started.
Interested in seeing Ellacor before and after pictures? Want to learn how Ellacor compares to other treatments like RF microneedling? Our blog has all the details you need to inform your next visit.
