If you want a younger appearance but fear getting a facelift because of the surgery or cost involved, you might want to consider a thread lift.
Around since the 1990s, innovations in the material used have prompted more interest in this anti-aging method. If you’re in good health between your late 30s to early 50s and noticing signs of aging, this tightening method could be right for you.
The procedure lasts one to three years while a facelift lasts up to a decade.
By threading thin, dissolvable sutures under the skin, your doctor pulls the skin to alter the shape of features such as lips, nose, eyebrows, cheeks and the under-eye area. This procedure also has been used to tighten breasts after pregnancy and weight loss.
In a traditional facelift, loose facial skin is surgically removed.
Basically, invisible, painless “barbs” grab on to your skin and make sure that the thread grips your underlying tissue and muscles as the thread is pulled tight. Once inserted, the thread triggers your body’s healing process.
That is, your body detects a suture material and stimulates collagen production in the affected area. Collagen fills the gaps in sagging skin.
There are different threads, including nonbarbed ones, depending on the outcome you seek. The thread lift may be combined with other, more minor surgical procedures, such as Botox, injectable fillers, Ultherapy, microneedling or skin resurfacing lasers.
Afterward, pain usually can be managed with acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen.
Results are immediate and even more noticeable after one to two weeks when all the swelling and potential bruising has resolved. They will enhance as your skin produces even more collagen over the next several months.
Watch out for these complications:
- Allergic reaction to ingredients in the thread
- Bleeding as a result of the procedure building up behind the skin
- Visible dimpling or pulling where threads have been inserted
- Migration or unintended “movement” of the threads that result in skin that looks lumpy or bulges
- Pain under the skin as a result of the thread being too “tight”
- Infection at the site of the procedure
Call your doctor immediately if you have:
- Green, black, brown or red discharge at the site of your procedure
- Swelling for more than 48 hours
- Persistent headaches
- Fever
