Every treatment under the skin carries risks, and Endolift's are worth knowing before you book. The expected effects are swelling, tenderness and bruising for days, with some redness at the entry points. The rarer effects come from studies of 1470 nm lasers passed under the skin, most of them with other devices, and we give the figures as they are. Every treatment is given by Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, at Endolift Clinic, 8 Devonshire Place, London, W1G 6HP, after a free consultation.
The expected effects
In the Endolift series on 20 patients, mild swelling and redness were gone in one to two days. Most people are back to normal in a day or two, with the swelling and bruising settling over several days, sometimes longer; in a study of a 1444 nm laser, swelling and bruising lasted 17.5 days on average. A 2026 review of Endolift lists bruising and swelling that settle within a few days.
The rarer risks, by study
- Burns: around the lower eyelid, with a device using 1470 nm and 1064 nm, 3 of 261 patients (1.15%) had a burn and 9 (3.45%) a temporary reduction in sensation.
- Prolonged swelling: on the arms, 11 of 45 patients treated with a 15-watt laser had prolonged swelling.
- Nerve irritation: temporary numbness near the jaw has been reported and usually settles within two to four weeks.
- During the treatment: in one series of 22 patients with a 1470 nm laser, the commonest complaint was a burning sensation, reported by 59%, and 27% reported pain. That is why the anaesthetic matters, and why in our practice the doctor plans comfort with you and adjusts as you go.
- Zones of care: a 2026 review asks for particular care between the eyebrows, at the temples, under the eye, on the nose, the lips and the folds beside the nose. It names the marionette lines and the front of the neck over the thyroid as zones where the fibre is not inserted, although one published series treated the marionette lines.
The downsides that are not risks
The evidence is small: fourteen reports, mostly from one research group, on 115 patients, 105 of them treated with Endolift, with no untreated comparison group and no follow-up beyond six months. The result is a tightening rather than a lift, and for heavy jowls or a loose neck surgery does what no fibre does. And the recovery, though short, is real: a few days of swelling and bruising that you plan around.
What reduces the risks
The fibre's depth and path, the energy, and the hands holding the handpiece. A 2026 review lists metal implants, active infection, pregnancy, bleeding disorders, skin disease and cancer as reasons not to treat, and the doctor goes through your history at the consultation. The downtime page sets out the recovery day by day, and the full guide covers the rest. The price is in writing at a free consultation, with a price match on any comparable written quote.
