Thread Lifts
Thread Lifts
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A THREAD LIFT?
Patients will notice a steady improvement in their skin tone and firmness with a thread lift. While the threads are in place, the body will want to “heal” the sutured areas by stimulating the healing cascade. As the threads are small, the patient will not feel this happening. Most people cannot feel their sutures once the skin has healed around them.
The biggest advantage is having results comparable to a facelift but without downtime. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia (versus heavy, general anesthesia for a facelift). There is virtually no risk of scarring, heavy bleeding, or severe bruising (although minor bruising is likely).
Clear expectations are vital before having this treatment performed. While thread lifts produce visible results, they will generally only lift the face by a few millimeters, creating a more subtle and natural-looking result rather than a facelift surgery. Thread lifts are therefore best suited to patients dealing with mild to moderate, rather than severe signs of skin laxity, ideally between thirty and fifty years of age. Thread lifts can also be a safe and effective alternative in older patients with complex medical conditions that prohibit them from general anesthesia.
Treatments with PDO threads include, but are not limited to:
- Reduction in sagging skin of the cheeks, jowls, and jawline
- Eyebrow lifts/shaping
- Lifting corners of the mouth
- Lip enhancement and definition
- Neck lifting
- Improvement of skin tone and texture
Thread Lifts FAQs
A thread lift is a procedure where temporary sutures made of polydioxanone are placed strategically in the skin to produce a subtle but visible “lift” in the skin.
These sutures are specifically designed to be reabsorbed by the body over 4- 6 months. Instead of a more invasive facelift, where the patient’s loose facial skin is removed surgically, this treatment is done in-office and has the immediate effect of pulling the skin back slightly and therefore lifting and tightening the face. Over the course of 4-6 months, the threads elicit the body’s “healing response” and stimulate collagen production.
This is important, as collagen helps keep our skin strong, voluminous, and supple, and the loss of collagen is one of the significant contributors to the aging process.
Thread lifts are most suitable for patients with mild to moderate skin laxity signs rather than severe signs. A thread lift candidate is usually in their late thirties to early fifties, whereas patients over 55 will benefit more from a surgical facelift.
Typically, a PDO thread lift requires a 2-week recovery period, but you'll experience most of your restrictions and limitations immediately following your treatment. During this time, temporary soreness or swelling of the face can be expected, but it will disappear within a week.
You can expect the effects from PDO threads to last a long time. The thread itself is present for 4-6 months before being absorbed by the natural process of hydrolysis. The skin is pulled and tightened during this entire period, after which the skin stays put and collagen continues to be produced. A thread lift typically lasts 12-15 months on average for most patients.
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