Thread lifts are a minimally invasive alternative to a surgical facelift, offering immediate results that can last up to 18 months. The procedure involves the insertion of temporary sutures beneath the skin, which pull and tighten the skin while encouraging collagen production. Depending on the individual patient's age, lifestyle, skin type and how quickly their body breaks down the sutures, thread lifts can last anywhere from 12 to 18 months. Compared to other injectable cosmetic treatments, thread lifters stand out for their long-lasting results.
Botulinum toxin injections and many dermal fillers generally offer results that last less than a year. Facelift surgery will generally produce longer lasting results than a thread lift, with results that can last up to a decade. However, because the thread lift procedure is such a low risk, patients who like the results of their thread lift can usually choose to place a new set of temporary sutures once their old sutures are absorbed by the body. The actual yarn used in the procedure will be around 4 to 6 months before it is absorbed by the natural hydrolysis process.
As such, it pulls and tightens the skin throughout this period, after which the skin remains in place and collagen continues to be produced. Most patients see the results of their thread lift, which lasts about 12 to 15 months in total. Threads used in thread lifts come in various shapes and sizes, such as “heart spikes”, tornado, or “twin screw”. Serrated threads have a barbed texture that adheres to surrounding facial tissue more tightly and encourages collagen production, while screw threads with interlocking sutures help improve facial volume.
No one knows exactly how long the results of thread lifts last, since everyone metabolizes threads differently, and threads are subjected to different forces in different people and in various areas. The best candidates for a thread lift are healthy people who do not suffer from certain diseases such as diabetes or autoimmune diseases. If you are more concerned about static lines and wrinkles, dermal fillers are the perfect complement to your PDO thread lift. Fortunately, because the threads that are placed under the skin during a thread lift are so small, the patient will not feel that any of this is happening.
A specially designed fine needle is used to insert the threads into the skin, which minimizes patient discomfort. For many patients, the biggest advantage of having a thread lift instead of a facelift is the greatly reduced recovery time associated with thread lifts. There may also be some visibility of the thread under the skin, especially in older patients with thin skin.
