If you're bothered by low-hanging jowls but aren't ready for surgery, a polydioxanone (PDO) thread lift might be the solution you need. At Yco Facial Plastic Surgery, our skilled surgeon Mario Yco, MD, provides PDO thread lifts, which can revitalize your facial aesthetic without the risks of surgery. Dr.
A Thread Facelift is a safe, convenient procedure that reduces sagging around the cheeks and jawline. Special, clear threads are used to inconspicuously re-position and hold skin and facial tissue in place.
On average, patients require between 2 – 4 threads on each side of the face for a mid-face thread lift. An additional 2 – 4 threads may be needed for the lower face and/or neck.
The results of facelift surgery can last up to a decade, whereas a thread lift will generally last from one to three years.
Complications: Although thread lift is considered minimally invasive, some sutures and cuts are required. There is still a risk of complications such as bruising, thread breakage, thread extrusion, fever, and infection.
Longevity: Facelift Vs Thread Lift
The results of a facelift last far longer than those of a thread lift. In fact, a facelift can provide some level of improvement to skin quality for a full decade! A thread lift will probably need redoing after only 18 months at the most. In some cases, they can last less than a year.
Thread lifts generally last between 12 and 18 months. However, this is dependant upon the individual patient and their age, lifestyle, skin type and how quickly their body breaks down the sutures. The procedure itself delivers immediate results.
The cost of the thread lift starts from $3500 or $30 per week. The actual cost of your procedure varies depending on how many threads you require, and the areas in which you need to be treated. Individual consultation is required to determine the exact cost of your procedure.
There are several options for treating sagging jowls or reducing how saggy or droopy they appear. Surgical procedures, such as neck lifts, can tighten your skin and make it look less saggy. Nonsurgical procedures, such as thermage, lasers, and peels, can change the composition of the collagen in your skin.
A thread lift is a non-surgical alternative to a facelift. They involve using specialised threads to help lift the skin on the face and reduce the appearance of jowls.
Neck Lift. Neck lift surgery (platysmaplasty) is the most effective, but also most invasive, treatment for jowls. It may be the only option available to patients with severe jowls or substantial laxity.
Ultherapy (Ultrasound Therapy) for Collagen Stimulation on the Jowls. Ultherapy is an outpatient, non surgical cosmetic procedure for lifting, tightening, and firming jowls. Much like filler injections, one of the primary benefits of ultherapy is how fast and easy treatments can be.
When the sutures begin to dissolve, it is likely you will notice the gradual return of sagging features. However, there is evidence to support that collagen is produced in the tissues surrounding the threads, which can lead to a longer lasting effect.
In essence, if you want more drastic and quicker results- threading is the option. If you want longer lasting results, improvement in skin quality, and non-invasive procedure- go with Ultherapy.
Botox reduces sagging jowls by tightening and lifting the jaw area. This pulls back the excess sagging skin that creates jowls in the first place.
One of the main benefits of microneedling is that it can help stimulate collagen production, which can lead to firmer, smoother skin. This can in turn help reduce the appearance of jowls. Microneedling is usually performed in a series of treatments, spaced out over several weeks or months.
Overall, most patients see the results of their thread lift lasting for around 12-15 months in total.
It Provides Long-Lasting Results
Most thread lifts last 18 months or longer, and once the effects wear off, you can schedule another treatment to maintain beautiful, youthful skin.
The thread lift may do an excellent job of pulling the jawline, jowls and chin right back up close to the bone, instead of drooping. The thread lift creates a much more youthful-looking facial profile without the need for dramatic surgery, which for the cost, can be worth it for men and women alike.
In the absence of complications, thread lifts look and feel relatively undetectable. In some cases, people have reported being able to feel the thread after it's inserted or noticed bumpiness at the surface of their skin, says Dr. Lee. Realistically though, some results can only be achieved with a surgical face-lift.
This treatment can benefit your appearance in two ways. The first is that PDO threads will physically lift your skin into a tighter position when the threads are inserted into the sub-dermal layers of the skin. The physical lift will reduce sagging skin and help you achieve a younger appearance.
It is very unlikely for a PDO thread to snap. Sometimes a thread can slip a bit out of place under the skin and sounds and feels frightening to the patient. There are no ramifications to this, other than if the thread slips enough, you will lose some of the lifting benefit.
How Often Should You Have Treatment? The results of this treatment can last for six to 12 months at a time, so how long the results of your treatment lasts will determine how often you should have treatment. Many patients opt to have regularly scheduled PDO thread lifts once or twice a year.
If the thread has become extruded it may be possible to simply remove it, otherwise you may have to have it surgically removed, possibly through a facelift incision.