A surgical facelift is the most effective and common method for eliminating those jowls, smoothing out the jawline and sharpening the neck angle. It does so by moving the loose skin that has fallen down off of the face and shifting it back towards the ears were it can be trimmed off, leaving fine line scars in the hidden areas of the ears and tightening the face. But it is surgery and is not inexpensive. The Facelift Bungee is an interesting product that allegedly provides some amount of a facial rejuvenative effect. This is a $25 bungee cord with a comb at each end that fastens to the sides of the face and pulls the skin back. It is applied by making two small braids on each temple and then fastening a comb to each braid. A bungee cord is then attached between the two combs, pulling the face backward. Based on the location of the pull in the temporal area, the skin tightening effect is seen in the cheeks and in front of the ears. This is very similar to what happens if one creates a pony tail and pulls it very tight. It is a milder effect than seen in the original Men In Black movie where one of the aliens wearing a human camouflage pulls his face backward to tighten it. I suspect for a short-term effect that this device does provide some aesthetic benefit, provided a woman has adequate hair that can be braided. And for a few short hours the pulling stress on the hair and skin can be tolerated. Prolonged use of this device may cause potential hair loss. Based on where the skin is pulled back, this product should be more accurately called the Cheeklift Bungee.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana