You know your face better than anyone. You notice when the jawline softens, when lines that once faded now linger, when the skin around your mouth stops bouncing back the way it used to.
Fillers restore volume. Lasers refine the surface. Beautiful treatments, both, but neither removes skin, and sometimes that is precisely what the lower face is asking for.
Ellacor 2.0 does exactly that. At NewEra Medical Aesthetics in Vienna, Dr. Liliana Manrique uses it to refine the lower face by removing skin so fine it is invisible to the eye, letting your skin draw itself tighter as it heals. No heat. No scalpel. No general anesthetic.
Ellacor uses something called Micro-Coring. Very fine hollow needles remove microscopic columns of skin from the treatment area, each one far too small to see. Take away enough of them, and the skin has less area to cover, so it draws together as it heals.
Nothing else in aesthetics works quite like it. Lasers and radiofrequency tighten by heating tissue. Ellacor tightens by taking a little away, with no thermal energy involved at all, which is why it appeals to patients whose skin does not love heat.
Ellacor is FDA-cleared for moderate to severe wrinkles in the mid and lower face, in adults 22 and over, across Fitzpatrick skin types I through IV. Precise indications like that are a good sign. They tell you the treatment was built for something specific rather than sold as a cure-all.
Ellacor works on the mid and lower face. If your concern is above the cheekbones or below the jawline, this is not the treatment for it, and Dr. Manrique will tell you what is.
If more than a couple of these sound like you, Ellacor is worth asking about.
The lines that stay visible when your face is completely relaxed.
Where filler alone has not given you the result you wanted.
The downward lines that can make a resting face look tired or stern.
Fine vertical lines around the mouth, including lipstick bleed.
Skin that has lost its snap but has not yet dropped significantly.
Where the jaw and cheek no longer read as separate.
Softening along the jawline, treated before it progresses.
The fine crinkling that appears when skin thins.
Surface irregularity that makeup settles into.
Skin that feels thinner than it used to.
The change underneath all of the above.
The most common reason people come in asking about Ellacor by name.
Most women considering Ellacor are weighing it against something else. Dr. Manrique will talk you through all of it at consultation, but here is where each one fits.
We would rather you hear this now than discover it after. Ellacor asks something of you in the first week, and knowing that upfront is what lets you plan properly.
Ellacor leaves visible healing. Immediately afterward, you will have tiny pinpoint marks across the treated area, along with redness and swelling. Over the next several days, those marks scab and flake off. It is not subtle, and it is not something makeup fully covers in the first few days.
Most women feel like themselves again after about a week. Some sooner. Look at your calendar before you book, and if there is a wedding or an event coming, give yourself two weeks rather than one.
One week of healing for tightening that no non-invasive treatment can match. For most of our patients, that is a trade worth making.
Not right away, and that is worth knowing so you are not watching the mirror too early. The first two weeks are healing, not results.
The change becomes visible around the one-month mark and keeps developing for several months as collagen remodels. Most patients say the difference at three months is noticeably bigger than the difference at one. Take a photo before you start, because gradual change is difficult to judge in the mirror.
You can see how the treatment looks on real patients in our before and after gallery.
Ellacor tightens skin. It does not add volume, relax muscle, or fix pigment, so it usually sits alongside something else in a plan.
Ellacor is still new enough that experience varies widely between practices. Depth, density, and the number of passes are all judgment calls, which means who holds the handpiece matters as much as the technology itself.
Treated by Dr. Manrique Herself: Dr. Liliana Manrique is a board-certified physician with over 25 years in aesthetic medicine, trained in France, Colombia, Spain, and the United States.
A Fellow of the ASLMS: She is a Fellow of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and an active member of the French Association of Aesthetic Medicine.
A Conservative European Approach: Dr. Manrique is known for natural, age-appropriate results. If you are worried about looking overdone, that instinct is the reason to come here.
Honest About Downtime: You will hear what the first week looks like before you book, not on the day.
Honest About Fit: If your laxity has gone past what Ellacor can address, you will be told that rather than sold a treatment that underdelivers.
Financing Available: We accept Cherry and CareCredit, so a $3,500 treatment can be spread across monthly payments.
NewEra Medical Aesthetics and Laser Center proudly serves patients in Vienna, VA, welcoming patients from surrounding communities seeking Ellacor 2.0. Our centrally located office allows us to serve clients from:
No. Ellacor 2.0 is not a laser treatment. It uses Micro-Coring® technology to remove tiny columns of skin without heat, which makes it different from laser resurfacing or radiofrequency-based procedures.
Ellacor 2.0 is FDA-cleared to treat moderate to severe wrinkles in the mid and lower face. It is often considered for areas where skin laxity and wrinkling are more noticeable, such as around the mouth, cheeks, and jawline.
Good candidates are typically adults who want to reduce visible wrinkles and mild to moderate skin laxity without surgery. Candidacy also depends on skin type, skin quality, and treatment goals, which will be evaluated during your consultation. The official indication includes Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV.
While both treatments can support collagen stimulation, Ellacor 2.0 actually removes tiny columns of skin rather than simply creating controlled micro-injuries. This allows it to address skin laxity and wrinkles in a more structurally targeted way.
Recovery varies depending on the treatment plan and your skin’s healing response, but temporary redness, swelling, bruising, roughness, and visible healing are expected. Most patients can return to many normal daily activities within a few days, though Dr. Manrique may recommend avoiding heat, strenuous exercise, sun exposure, and irritating skincare during the initial healing period. Following your aftercare instructions closely is important for the best outcome.
The investment for Ellacor 2.0 at NewEra Medical Aesthetics starts at $3,500. Pricing may vary based on the treatment area, the severity of wrinkles or skin laxity, and the number of treatments recommended. We accept Cherry and CareCredit financing, which lets you spread the cost across monthly payments.
Many patients get the result they want from a single treatment, which is unusual in aesthetics and part of the appeal. Others do a second, spaced a few months apart, particularly where wrinkles are deeper or laxity is more established.
Dr. Manrique will give you a realistic expectation at your consultation based on your skin rather than a standard package. If a second treatment would help, that is a decision made after you have seen how your skin responded to the first.
A facelift lifts and repositions tissue surgically. It achieves more, lasts longer, and involves general anesthetic, incisions, and weeks of recovery. Ellacor removes skin without any of that.
The honest answer is that Ellacor is not a facelift substitute and should not be sold as one. It is the right treatment for someone with mild to moderate laxity who wants meaningful tightening and is not ready for surgery. If your laxity is advanced, Dr. Manrique will tell you that a surgical option would serve you better.
Give it a month. The first two weeks are healing rather than results, and judging your outcome during that period will only worry you.
Visible change usually appears around four weeks and continues developing for several months as collagen remodels. Most patients find three months looks better than one. Photographs are more reliable than the mirror for tracking that kind of gradual change.
The skin removed does not come back, so the tightening from the treatment itself is lasting. What continues is normal aging, which affects everyone regardless of what treatment they have had.
Most patients maintain their result for a few years before considering another treatment. Looking after your skin, staying out of the sun, and keeping a stable weight all extend it. Dr. Manrique will discuss a realistic long-term plan at your consultation rather than leaving you to work it out.
If the lower face has begun to soften and surgery feels like more than you are ready for, come and talk to us. Dr. Manrique will tell you honestly whether Ellacor will take you where you want to go, and what she would suggest if it will not.
Call 703-638-0091 or book a consultation at NewEra Medical Aesthetics, 8100 Boone Blvd., Suite 330, Vienna, VA 22182. We are open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
