Skin laxity that causes wrinkles and creases has multiple causes, including time, weight fluctuations, sun damage, and other factors. Many treatment options—including surgical procedures—have developed over the years to address changes to facial skin, but there’s now a highly effective minimally invasive alternative to surgery for people who are not quite ready for that option.
What Is Ellacor® and How Does It Work?
Ellacor® is an FDA-cleared treatment for addressing moderate to severe wrinkles on the middle to lower face. The device is made up of hollow needles that move up to four millimeters into the facial tissue and precisely remove thousands of microscopic columns or “microcores.” The small amount of skin removed is below the threshold for scarring, so there will be no lasting marks.
This is the first and only cosmetic device that removes skin on the microscale. It works similar to fractional laser resurfacing in the sense that bridges of normal skin are left intact in between the microcores.
The micro-injuries caused by Ellacor® encourage collagen production, the skin’s natural healing function, and tissue remodeling. This may seem similar to microneedling, but it is important to note that the two treatments are not the same thing. Microneedling uses tiny needles to cause pinpricks in the skin, resulting in a controlled injury that stimulates collagen production. Skin is not removed. Instead, it is temporarily displaced.
Patients usually only experience minor discomfort during an Ellacor® session. You will be given local anesthesia and a numbing cream before the mechanical handpiece is moved methodically over the treatment area.
No laser, heat, cold, radiofrequency, or ultrasound energy are involved, and there is no intentional thermal injury to the skin. On average, a single Ellacor® procedure will be completed in just 30 minutes or less.
