Through medical innovation, we’ve been gifted a variety of creative ways to address the signs of aging. Most recently, adults of all ages have relied heavily on injectables like Botox and fillers to smooth away wrinkles and contour areas that have deflated and flatted with age. While there are benefits to injectable treatments, there are also limitations. Where these treatments leave off, we pick up some threads. Here, we discuss how a thread lift may be your ideal anti-aging treatment.
What is a Thread Lift?
Thread lifts are not new. They have improved significantly, though, since the first techniques were developed years ago. The general method of lifting tissue using threads involves the insertion of one or more biocompatible, biodegradable sutures beneath the skin. The sutures set a new foundation for superficial tissue and also stimulates enhanced collagen production and blood flow through the area to slow down cosmetic aging. In our practice, we use EuroThreads, made of PDO or PLLA, to address a variety of concerns, including:
- Flat, saggy cheeks
- Downturned corners of the mouth
- Lines and creases including nasolabial folds and marionette lines
- Loose jowls
- Loose and saggy neck skin
- Horizontal lines on the neck
The Thread Lift Procedure
A thread lift is a minimally-invasive, nonsurgical technique that corrects mild to moderate tissue laxity by repositioning tissue on one or more areas of the face. Treatment begins with a comprehensive consultation and medical history review. The doctor also carefully examines the skin to ensure that the thread lift can achieve the desired outcome.
To conduct the thread lift, the doctor moves through specific steps:
- First, she applies a topical numbing cream to cleansed skin.
- Then, she injects a local anesthetic into the dermis to block pain signals in the area where threads will be inserted.
- She may mark parts of the face with a surgical pain to map the insertion of the threads.
- The doctor inserts a preloaded cannula holding the selected thread beneath the epidermis. The cannula is progressed in the ideal direction to achieve a natural lift.
- Where the cannula exits the skin, the doctor cuts the thread, leaving behind a length in the dermis.
- The treatment area is gently pressed or massaged in the direction the lift should go. This secures the thread in the deeper layer of the skin while maximizing the appearance of the lift.
We are seeing more patients interested in thread lift treatment as word has spread about its convenience and efficacy. Thread lifts do not require much downtime. Many patients are back to work the day following their procedure.
Learn more about the thread lift process. Contact our Austin office at 512-328-4100.
