If you’re bothered by loose, sagging skin on your face or neck, a thread lift offers a “middle” option between the temporary wrinkle-reducing effects of injectables and the comprehensive and long-lasting rejuvenation of a surgical facelift.
What Is a Thread Lift?
A thread lift is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that uses temporary sutures beneath the skin to lift sagging tissue. No incisions are made, no skin is removed, and only a local anesthetic is required, so there’s little or no downtime after the procedure. That makes the thread lift a good choice for mild to moderate signs of facial aging occurring before the tissue has stretched and sagged to the point where the surgical improvements of a facelift are needed.
While a thread lift doesn’t remove excess skin, it can have a gentle skin-tightening effect by stimulating the production of collagen. This can make the skin more resilient, gradually enhancing the lifting effect of the procedure.
What Signs of Aging Can a Thread Lift Correct?
A thread lift can minimize or correct:
- sagging eyebrows
- forehead lines
- jowls (in the early stages)
- loose neck skin
- marionette lines
- smile lines
How Does a Thread Lift Work?
Absorbable sutures made of fine biodegradable polymers are inserted into the skin using a needle. Attached to the threads are tiny cones that serve to anchor the thread and pull the skin upward in relation to the underlying tissue. This lifts and tightens the skin from below. While the sutures remain within the tissue, before they fully dissolve, they also work to stimulate the skin’s natural production of collagen. It is this dual lifting and revitalization of the skin that causes the rejuvenating effects of a thread lift.
How Does a Thread Lift Compare with Injectable Fillers?
A thread lift, like injectable fillers, can smooth and soften facial lines and creases, but it does this in a different way. Where dermal fillers add volume below facial lines to smooth them, a thread lift repositions loosened skin upward, smoothing creases that have formed from the effects of sagging tissue. The results of a thread lift also last longer than the results of injectables. Where the effects of dermal fillers last anywhere from a few months to more than a year, the results of a thread lift typically last for 18 months or more, often for a few years. Both treatments can be repeated to extend their effects. Excellent results can be had by combining a thread lift with injectable fillers.
How Does a Thread Lift Compare with a Facelift?
For many patients, the appeal of a thread lift over a facelift is the quick recovery time. A thread lift is usually performed using local anesthesia, and when the procedure is finished, the patient can resume their normal daily activities. They can drive themselves home or go back to work. There may be some soreness, redness, or swelling for a day or two, but generally, nothing would interfere with a person’s routine. A facelift, on the other hand, is a surgical procedure and requires one or two weeks of downtime for recovery.
A thread lift and a facelift also correct different degrees of skin laxity. A thread lift works well in the early stages of facial aging when the skin begins to loosen and sag but still retains some firmness and flexibility. Facelifts (traditional facelift, mid facelift, mini facelift, deep plane facelift, SMMS facelift, etc.) are ideal for correcting more advanced skin loosening and sagging — where a thread lift would be insufficient.
Learn More About Facial Rejuvenation in Memphis
Contact The Langsdon Clinic today to schedule a consultation. Dr. Philip Langsdon is considered by many to be among the best facial plastic surgeons in America. Carol Langsdon, RNP, serves as our advanced nurse injector. In your consultation, we will examine your face and neck to evaluate the laxity or resilience of your skin, ask you questions to understand your goals for treatment, and recommend an approach for achieving the desired results.