What Is Thread Lift Plastic Surgery?

The thread lift is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that yields instant results. According to "Pearls and Pitfalls in Cosmetic Oculoplastic Surgery" by Morris Hartstein, the technique is easy for the experienced plastic surgeon to learn. Thread lifts do not require a complex surgical suite, and the entire procedure is performed using local anesthetic. Bandages are not required after surgery, and recovery time is two to three days. However, as with all cosmetic procedures, patients should first weigh all risks and benefits.

History

The initial goal of physicians was to develop a non-invasive surgical procedure to lift sagging skin, as well as providing a technique that was suitable for use with other procedures. In "Facial lifting with Aptos Methods" published in 2008 in the "Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery," the authors note that early attempts to develop thread lift only showed short-term results of one to three months. However, early research did show the thread's ability to lift and move different layers of facial tissue without surgically cutting.

Procedure

As skin ages, it begins to droop and sag. The thread used is very fine with slight barbs for lifting the skin. The procedure lifts the skin of the eyebrows, mid-face, cheek jowls and neck. The threads are inserted through a small cut in the skin. Pulling the top of the thread causes the barbs to snag and lift the skin upward. The surgeon then secures and trims the top of the thread. The threads do not dissolve in the body, and removing them reverses the procedure.

FDA Approval

In 2005, the FDA gave approval for the Contour Thread lift technique. However, "Skin Care Guide" reports that the FDA withdrew approval in 2007 due to complaints about disfigurements and skin dimpling. Although the Contour Thread lift technique lost FDA approval, the contour thread itself retains FDA approval. As of 2010, thread lift procedures with FDA approval include the Featherlift, also known as the Aptos Threadlift, and the Gold Thread lift, which uses 24-carat gold threads.

Considerations

Risks for this procedure include threads that can be seen under the skin or poke out of the skin, and unattractive dimpling of the skin. The threads cannot lift heavily drooping skin; this requires a surgical face lift for noticeable results. An evaluation of the success of thread lift procedures in 33 patients at 12 to 31 months was published in "Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery." The paper "Thread-lift for Facial Rejuvenation" reported that results were limited and improvements in appearance might have been largely due to swelling after the procedure.

Options

The book "Pearls and Pitfalls in Cosmetic Oculoplastic Surgery" mentions Thermage and Botox as two alternate minimally invasive procedures. The Botox procedure injects botulinum toxin, which temporarily relaxes facial muscles and smooths wrinkles. Thermage uses radio frequency to heat the deeper layers of the skin, tightening the skin and stimulating collagen production.