ThreadLift™ uses Contour Threads™, clear-coloured sutures with tiny evenly spaced hair-like barbs. Once inside the skin tissue, these barbs open in an umbrella-like way to create a suspension effect that gently lifts drooping tissues. The body then generates new collagen bundles that attach themselves to the barbs and help maintain the lifting effect. The Contour Threads are invisible, even under fair or thin skin. ThreadLift can also be combined with other procedures such as blepharoplasty, botulinum toxin and fillers.
Appropriate areas for treatment
- Lifting sagging eyebrows
- Adjusting asymmetric eyebrows
- Repositioning sagging cheeks
- Lifting drooping soft tissue of the mid and lower face
Candidates for treatment
The best candidates for ThreadLift are women and men in the 35-65 age range. They are looking for more dramatic and longer-term effects not achievable with fillers or botulinum toxin. At the same time they wish to avoid a full face-lifting or brow-lifting surgical procedure. Patients should be reasonably healthy, neither too heavy or too thin, and not be taking any blood thinning medication.
What results to expect
In normal cases, the desired lifting effect can be achieved with one ThreadLift treatment. The number of Contour Threads used and where they are placed will depend on the patient. The lifting effect will generally last 3-5 years and the procedure can be repeated. In addition, having a ThreadLift procedure does not compromise the success of undertaking a conventional facelift/browlift at a later date.
A low-stress procedure
The surgeon generally performs ThreadLift under local anaesthesia, taking between 30-60 minutes to apply the Contour Threads, depending on the area to be uplifted. Patients can go home soon after the procedure and the recovery period is much shorter than with conventional surgical procedures. It should be noted that the technique is entirely reversible and unwanted effects can be easily corrected, also under local anaesthetic.
Post-treatment care
The pain and discomfort with this technique is minimal and well controlled by standard pain medications. For the first 24-48 hours, it helps to apply an ice compress to the treated area. In order to ensure that the Contour Threads remain in place, there are certain behavioral restrictions for the first three weeks. Patients should sleep on their back and avoid forceful facial rubbing or trauma, minimal facial animations, putting pressure on the face, or excessive mouth opening.
Patients are advised to remain at home for the first 2-3 days when the skin feels tight and swollen. Concealing makeup can be worn the day after surgery and many patients can return to work after one week. There may be slight skin bunching and asymmetry that generally resolves within 2-3 weeks.
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