Thread Lifting is a minimally invasive procedure that uses absorbable, barbed sutures to offer a tighter, more youthful aesthetic appearance to the face and neck. It works by stimulating the production of collagen in the skin in order to produce healthier, firmer skin. It can also mechanically lift tissues where the barbed sutures are placed.
What causes skin sagging?
As we get older, our bodies gradually produce less and less collagen, which leads to an 80% reduction in skin thickness by about age 70. This loss of volume and strength is a large factor in the creation of excess skin and wrinkles. As the skin grows weaker, it’s no longer able to support the tissues beneath it adequately, meaning that gravity pulls it downwards and stretches it.
In the past, facial skin laxity such as jowls and drooping cheeks was only remedied with facelift surgery. The bad news is that not many are willing or able to have surgery but now the good news is that there’s a procedure that fills in the gap between non-invasive facial rejuvenation and facelift surgery. It’s called Thread Lifting.
How Thread Lifting works
Temporary sutures are used to produce a subtle but visible “lift” in the skin. Instead of removing the patient’s loose facial skin surgically, the specialist simply suspends it by stitching up portions of it. This has the effect of pulling the skin back slightly and therefore lifting and tightening the face.
In addition to being ideal for lifting the skin, threads combat aging in another way: by provoking the body’s “healing response” and causing the body to direct large surges of collagen to treated areas. This is important because of the vital role collagen plays in the aging process.
How a Thread Lift is done
You can have the procedure done in our Lead Specialist’s office. It usually takes about an hour. You will be awake and able to talk to him during the procedure. He may offer you the chance to look at what they are doing so you can tell him if you want adjustments.
First, the Lead Specialist will numb your skin with local anesthesia. Then, they’ll slide small hollow needles called cannulas under your skin where they plan to set the threads. Your doctor will use the cannulas to guide the threads into place. They will decide how many threads you need based on how large the treatment area on your face is.
Your doctor will take out the cannulas once the threads are in place. You may have some irritation but you won’t have any scarring.
What does Thread Lifting treat?
- Early loosening of the facial structures
- Jowls
- Sagging eyebrows
- Premature loosening of the neck skin
Why choose Thread Lifting?
- Reduced recovery time compared to surgery. Patients can drive themselves home and look after themselves immediately after having their procedure.
- Due to the non-invasiveness, Thread Lifting is low risk with virtually no risk of scarring, severe bruising, bleeding.
- If one experiences irritation, infection or their sutures becoming visible under their skin, they can simply be removed and the patient’s face will return to its prior state.
- Because thread lifts are much easier to perform than facelift surgery, they are much more affordable.
How long a Thread Lift lasts
It takes a few months for the full effects of the collagen boost to be noticeable. The initial tightening from the threads will help your skin look younger. The improvements will continue as your skin makes more collagen. The threads will dissolve under your skin after about 6 months.
Some people have longer effects thanks to the extra collagen that their skin produces after the lift. Consult with our Lead Specialist if you are considering a thread lift. They will be able to discuss your goals and whether it’s the right treatment for you.
Risks of Thread Lifting
Thread lifts can cause complications, such as:
- Skin texture changes. Some people have bumps or dimpling in the skin over the threads. This effect may fade over time.
- You may have redness that lasts after the procedure.
- In some cases, the threads make a person’s face feel stiff or hard to move.
- There is a risk of infection from a thread lift since it is a medical procedure.
What are the advantages of having a thread lift instead of a facelift?
For many patients, the biggest advantage of having a thread lift rather than a facelift is the greatly reduced recovery time associated with thread lifts. When a patient has facelift surgery, he or she must be heavily sedated; as such, the patient must arrange for someone to drive him or her home from the hospital. Most facelift patients also require around the clock assistance from a caretaker for at least three days after they have surgery. Furthermore, if the patient still has children at home, childcare aid may also be needed. Facelift patients usually need to take one to two weeks off of work, too, in order to heal.
Recovery from a thread lift, on the other hand, is comparatively easy. Thread lifts can be performed under local, rather than general anesthesia, meaning that thread lift patients can drive themselves home and look after themselves immediately after having their procedure. While some patients will experience a little bit of soreness, redness and swelling after having a thread lift and therefore wish to take the rest of the day off, most can return to work immediately. Strong pain medication is seldom needed after having a thread lift, making it easier for patients to return to their normal routine. This procedure is therefore ideal for people who have children at home or those who have busy, demanding careers.
While thread lift recovery is not particularly intensive, patients will still have to take a few minor precautions while healing. It’s important to make sure that you don’t rub your face vigorously while cleansing it or applying moisturizer for at least a week after having threads placed. You should also try to prop your head up slightly so that you don’t roll over directly onto your face while sleeping.
Thread lifts are low risk, thanks to how non-invasive they are. There is virtually no risk of scarring, severe bruising, bleeding or other complications after having a thread lift. In rare cases, patients may experience irritation, infection or their sutures becoming visible under their skin. If this occurs, however, the sutures can simply be removed and the patient’s face will return to its prior state.
Finally, because thread lifts are much easier to perform than facelift surgery, they are much more affordable.
Advantageous though thread lifts are, it’s important for patients to maintain realistic expectations for this procedure. While thread lifts certainly produce visible changes, they will generally only lift the face by a few millimeters; as such, they create a more subtle and natural looking end result than facelift surgery. Thread lifts are therefore best suited to patients who are dealing with mild to moderate, rather than severe, signs of skin laxity.
The ideal thread lift candidate is usually in his or her late thirties to early fifties, whereas most patients over the age of about 55 will benefit more profoundly from facelift surgery. Thread lifts can, however, provide a facelift alternative for older patients who are unable to have surgery for medical reasons. Because thread lifts can be performed under local anesthesia, many people who have age-related conditions that make them ineligible for surgery (like high blood pressure, type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease) can safely have this treatment. If you have any outstanding health conditions, make sure to talk to your doctor about whether or not a thread lift might be right for you.
It’s important to understand that while no lifting technique can produce permanent results, facelift surgery will usually produce longer lasting results than a thread lift. The results of facelift surgery can last up to a decade, whereas a thread lift will generally last from one to three years. However, because the thread lift procedure is so low-risk, patients who like the results of their thread lift can usually opt to have a fresh set of temporary sutures placed once their old sutures are absorbed by the body.
THREAD LIFTING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
1. What does Thread-lifting mean?
A thread lift is ideal for tightening the skin and repositioning the skin volume. After local anesthesia, special sutures are inserted into the subcutaneous fatty tissue in the desired area of the face. After anchoring, the threads in the facial area are stretched and the face is reshaped.
2. Which material is used for the threads?
The thread components used by our Lead Specialist are degradable or non-degradable, depending on the type of thread. The degradable threads are completely absorbed by the body and are biocompatible.
3. At what age is a thread lift particularly recommended?
Basically, the gentle thread lift is ideal for women between 35 and 80 years. The natural lifting effect is achieved without a scalpel and has a rejuvenating effect of about ten years.
4. Is a Thread Lifting painful?
Generally, no. After the thread lift, regular cooling with cooling pads is advisable. Ideal is 20 minutes every hour on the first day of the thread lifting. To combat pain, it is advisable to take an analgesic such as paracetamol.
5. What should I do after the Thread Lifting treatment?
You should be careful not to make any violent or strong facial or neck movements within the next 14 days. After two days you are already socially acceptable again.
6. How often should I perform the Thread Lifting?
How often you should take advantage of this treatment will be discussed with you in detail during a consultation with the Lead Specialist. This also depends on the type of treatment. Basically, when the facial skin begins to sag, even a thread lift can show a visible skin rejuvenation.
7. When can the first positive results of Thread Lifting be expected?
Depending on the degree of severity, small visible successes can be seen after the first thread lift in your face, chin or neck, if the skin sagging is slight. The success of treatment also depends on the condition of your skin. Some treatment combinations that require different thread guides may require smaller fixations with sutures or staples in the hairy head area.
