Threadlift
What is a ThreadLift?
- A ThreadLift is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure
- Providing a firmer, fresher, rejuvenated, natural look similar to a facelift
What exactly are Threads?
- Threads are absorbable barbed sutures comprised of a SUTURE material (PDO, PLLA).
- These barbs grab onto the sagging tissues beneath the skin, lifting and supporting them.
What can be treated with a ThreadLift?
- Threadlifts can be used to lift or balance out sagging or asymmetric eyebrows,
- Lift sagging cheeks and laugh lines
- Lift mid and lower face, jawline and neck soft tissue, and to smooth aging skin.
Who is a good candidate for the procedure?
- Good candidates are men and women ranging in age from the thirties to the sixties who have mild to moderate drooping in the brow, face and neck.
- Patients should be physically healthy and realistic in their expectations.
- This procedure is ideal for those looking to enhance their appearance without having to undergo a full face or brow lift.
How is the actual ThreadLift performed?
- For a ThreadLift, small surgical sutures are used to lift and support drooping areas of the face, brow, cheeks and neck.
- They are a barbed suture product with tiny, teeth-like cogs. They are inserted beneath the skin using a long cannula.
- Once inserted, the threads grab onto the soft tissues, providing a support structure that lifts and repositions the tissues. The cannula is then removed and the end of the thread is pulled.
What to expect after threadlift?
- Feeling of the thread tips poking at your skin. REMEDY is to just massage it so as to help the thread sink in.
- Skin irregularities (dimples, puckering, bunching) may occur temporarily. Because whereas before you had a (sagging) but smooth flat skin, you now have lifted, but potentially with some depressions on it.
- Feeling soft tissue slightly bunched up under your skin. Not visually but palpable area of firmness.
- Threads can snap, especially on extreme muscle movement, but this would not create unevenness. Tightness from threads will improve over 4 weeks.
- Initially, when you do the procedure, swelling and skin changes may take some time to settle.
- With subsequent treatments, the healing process/time gets much shorter.
- Post care, try to be gentle when cleansing your face. No forceful scrubbing motions.
How long does the actual procedure last?
- A ThreadLift typically takes between thirty to sixty minutes to complete.
- This includes the numbing process with LA.
Is anesthesia used for a ThreadLift?
- Local anesthesia is typically used for the procedure.
- You will not need sedation.
Is the ThreadLift painful?
- The ThreadLift involves minimal pain or discomfort.
- The procedure itself is typically performed using local anesthesia.
- After the procedure, ice compresses are also recommended during the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
What is the recovery like after a ThreadLift?
- In general, patients will need to avoid activities that risk dislodging or otherwise causing trauma to the threads for the first three weeks after the procedure.
- Smiling widely, laughing stretches the thread, hence some discomfort may be noted.
What happens if the Thread breaks?
Dear frauleinm,
Thank you for your question.
Threadlift is a minimally invasive treatment, and it appeals to people because of this fact. In Korea, absorbable thread lift is the most popular treatment.
PDO threads are completely absorbable, on average it takes 3 months.
You need not be overly concerned as even if the thread breaks, it still stimulates neocollagenesis to help tighten your skin.The pull will settle with time, so do not worry.
After a threadlift procedure, it is best to wait for swelling to settle, which may take up to a month, to see your final result.
Can the threads be seen after the procedure?
- Threads are inserted beneath the skin.
- Because they are also clear, they cannot be clearly seen even when inserted beneath thin or fair skin.
Threads can be visible if placed too close to the skin surface, or if you have thin skin. However, if threads are placed too deep, then they would be ineffective.
Thread Lift removal | Is it advisable?
Threads can be divided into absorbable and non absorbable sutures. The trend now is for absorbable sutures, of which we have PDO and PLLA.
Threadlift is a minimally invasive treatment, and it appeals to people because of this fact. Removal of a thread is not so straightforward. It causes further tissue trauma, swelling, bruising and pain, which can last 1 -2 months, so many doctors feel it is much better to give time to allow for the threads to dissolve.
After a threadlift procedure, it is best to wait for swelling to settle, which takes up to a month, before doing any further work.
After 3 months, neocollagenesis occurs. PDO sutures would have dissolved to a good extent, while for PLLA sutures, there is a core of collagen around the suture, making it extremely traumatic to remove.
In general, it is best to not remove absorbable threads unless there is a strong medical reason, for example infection. Skin irregularities will resolve with time so there is no need for thread removal.
How safe is the procedure?
- ThreadLifts are very safe, minimally-invasive, non-surgical procedures.
- The threads themselves are comprised of a polydiaxanone, or PLLA material.
- This material has been used in other medical products used in the body for years and has been proven safe and effective. Complications rarely occur and are typically easily corrected.
Are there any risks associated with a ThreadLift?
- Complications rarely occur following a ThreadLift and most are temporary and can be corrected.
- Common side effects are skin dimpling which improve within a month.
How much actual lifting can the ThreadLift achieve?
- In general, patients can often achieve a 30% improvement after a ThreadLift.
When are the results of a ThreadLift be apparent?
- The results of the procedure are immediately apparent.
Are the results of a ThreadLift permanent?
- The threads themselves are non-absorbable and will not dissolve. It can last for up to a 1 year.
- The length of results will vary from patient to patient.
- Additional threads ARE RECOMMENDED in some cases as top up to further optimise the result.
Does threadlift work?
Threadlifts have had mixed reviews in the past. This can be partly attributed to the use of permanent sutures and inferior techniques then.
I find that Thread Lift, when combined with fillers and toxin, helps to improve an ageing face beyond what fillers and toxin can do.
Threads can be divided into absorbable and non absorbable sutures. The trend now is for absorbable sutures, of which we have PDO and PLLA.
Threadlift is a minimally invasive treatment, and it appeals to people because of this fact.
After a threadlift procedure, it is best to wait for swelling to settle, which takes up to a month, before doing any further work.
PDO threads last 6 months to a year, while PLLA threads last longer. Both stimulate neocollagenesis, further tightening and firming your skin.
Of course, there can be side effects which may prompt patients to remove their threads.
In general, it is best to not remove absorbable threads unless there is a strong medical reason, for example infection. Skin irregularities will resolve with time so there is no need for thread removal.
How to improve droopy face?
With ageing, it is very common to have heavyness in both your nasoabial folds and slight heaviness in your mouth corners.
It is best to utilise a 2 step approach.
Step 1: Fillers to your nasolabial fold and mouth corners to provide volume, structure and support.
Step 2: Thread lift to reposition the overlying tissue.
Thread lift received mixed reviews in the past, because in those days, we used permanent sutures and the technique was still relatively new.
The trend now is for absorbable sutures, of which we have PDO and PLLA.
Threadlift is a minimally invasive treatment, and it appeals to people because of this fact.
After a threadlift procedure, it is best to wait for swelling to settle, which takes up to a month, before doing any further work.
Skin irregularities may occur but these resolve with time as the threads are completely dissolvable.