What Is a Thread Lift?
A thread lift is an innovative procedure for lifting sagging skin and tissues of the face in lieu of a facelift.
There are two types of facelifts: one that involves a traditional incision and one that is more limited, with a scar that is hidden behind the temple but not stretching around the ear as with the case in the traditional facelift with a larger scar.
Another alternative for lifting the skin in the face is a liquid facelift, which utilizes filler, such as Juvederm or Restylane, to fill in wrinkles and plump up sagginess.
A thread lift is one of the less invasive alternatives to provide a lift.
In that particular procedure, dissolvable threads are inserted into parts of the face that need some ‘propping up.
Types of Threads
As of now, there are a couple of different thread types used for thread lifting.
NovaThread is a biocompatible thread made of PDO and takes about 30-45 minutes to insert.
It comes in a few different varieties, including barbed, curved, or smooth, with the barbed being the best option for stimulating collagen.
There is also Silhouette Instalift that is more fitting for lifting skin than producing collagen and takes about 45 minutes to insert.
The design of Silhouette Instalift is not barbed or smooth but rather, interspersed with cone-like structures throughout the wire best fitted for grabbing and lifting the skin.
Both types of threads are not a permanent solution to lift sagging skin and stimulate collagen, and would need to be maintained every few years but exactly how often, would depend on the type of thread used and the individual.
Yastrid Threads Types
| Threads Name | Application | Threads details |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth | Forehead, Chin, Face, Buttocks, Breast, thighs, Arms, Body, Belly， Periorbital Wrinkles， Jawlines， Glabellar Wrinkles， | >>Read more<< |
| Twist | Forehead, Chin, Face, Buttocks, Breast, thighs, Arms, Body, Belly， Periorbital Wrinkles， Jawlines， Glabellar Wrinkles | >>Read more<< |
| Double Screw | Chin, Face, Buttocks, Breast, Thighs | >>Read more<< |
| Nose | Bridge of nose | >>Read more<< |
| Eyes | Tear Trough， Under-eye bags | >>Read more<< |
| Multi | Temple filling, Nasolabial folds | >>Read more<< |
| Mesh | Temple filling, Nasolabial folds | >>Read more<< |
| Cog L Blunt Cannula | Cheekbones, Eyebrow | >>Read more<< |
| Cog R Blunt Cannula | Cheekbones, Eyebrows, Face, Jawlines | >>Read more<< |
| Molding Thread | Face Lifting, Jawlines | >>Read more<< |
| Double Needle Cog | Face Lifting, Eyebrow Lifting | >>Read more<< |
Potential Problems
With the above overview of what a thread lift is and the options for thread lifting available on the market, it is worthwhile to mention the potential issues that can arise from a thread lift.
One is the possibility of lumps after a thread lift.
Why do they happen? And what to do when they do?
Though prevention is most important, if this particular complication does happen, it is important to understand it and learn strategies for managing it.
Lumps After Thread Lift and How to Deal With It
Lumps after thread lift can look like unsightly protrusions or out-of-place dimples in the skin.
One of the more likely reasons for a protrusion in the skin after a thread lift is improper technique.
In performing a thread lift, there is a specific technique to be used that is technical as much as it is intuitive and an art form.
Clinicians who are well-versed in performing a thread lift will be familiar with the proper technique to best avoid potential complications, such as lumps, whether they are unsightly protrusions or slight indentations in the skin.
And so, it is imperative to select a practitioner who is well-educated in cosmetic procedures-especially, the one of choice here being the thread lift-and has ample experience in performing them.
If the office where one plans to get their thread lift done is a busy one, it is more likely that the practitioner performing the procedure is well practiced in the art and skill of thread lifting.
Since the technique is so important in minimizing complications after a thread lift, including lumps, it may be a good idea to ask the practitioner one is considering for the procedure about the number of patients they see for the performance of thread lift and/or the frequency with which they perform the procedure.
That way, the patient considering a thread lift can gauge how experienced the clinician is in the procedure before committing to the procedure with the particular clinician.
By selecting an experienced and knowledgeable clinician and one that is talented in the technique of thread lifting, one can minimize the chance of protrusions in the skin after a thread lift.
One characteristic of poor technique is an insertion that is too superficial.
When the threads are inserted into the skin, there is a likelihood of granuloma if the thread is inserted too close to the outermost layer of the skin.
This is especially true if the threads used are bobbed and cogged, not smooth.
Aside from the unsightliness of lumps after a thread lift, the breakage of threads inside the skin increases the chance of infection.
So it is best to try to minimize the chance of these lumps with prudence in choosing an experienced clinician, a reputable office, and the correct threads for one’s situation.
Sometimes protrusions in the skin after a thread lift is not necessarily the result of the poor skill of the clinician but a mere accident.
A thread can sometimes break or get lost in the skin as it’s being threaded in.
In the case of PDO threads, the breakage is most likely to occur during the tightening of the thread with a needle or cannula.
It is important to choose the correct type of thread for one’s thread lifting procedure to ensure that the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks and complications.
Sometimes thread lumps after a thread lift is not so obvious as to look like protrusions in the skin.
Instead, these lumps can sometimes look like slight indentations in the skin and are barely noticeable.
In that case, the unevenness in the skin after a thread lift will oftentimes resolve by itself.
It may be worthwhile to wait a couple of weeks to allow the skin to “settle”, adjust and heal from the technique before proceeding with more active ways to try to resolve the issue.
If the issue does not resolve on its own, then the use of filler is one possible solution to help conceal the unevenness in the skin after a thread lift.
Conclusion
A thread lift utilizes threads to produce a subtle, but noticeable, lift in the skin of the face.
So unlike in a facelift, where some skin and muscle need to be sliced and cut away, a thread lift is much less invasive because it utilizes dissolvable strings for the same purpose, without invasiveness, and with less downtime.
The procedure is effective for cases that do not need the same level of invasiveness as a facelift, so basically, for cases of sagging and wrinkling that is mild to modest.
As with any cosmetic procedure, there are risks.
One of the risks of a thread lift is lumps afterward.
To minimize the chance of lumps, one should be careful to choose a skilled clinician to perform the procedure, and the selection of proper threads for the procedure is also important.
Though the skill of the clinician is important in mitigating the chance of complications, sometimes complications do occur regardless.
While prevention is best, managing complications is also important were them to arise.