What are thread lifts?
Thread lifts, also known as a barbed suture lift, is a cosmetic procedure that uses temporary sutures to achieve a “lift” in the skin. It doesn’t remove the patient’s loose facial skin through surgery. The cosmetic surgeon suspends it by stitching up some parts of it. This leads to the skin being pulled back slightly, consequently lifting and tightening the face. In addition to that, thread lift also fights signs of aging in another way — by stimulating the body’s “healing response,” which causes the body to direct large amounts of collagen to the area that’s being treated. This is very important since collagen plays a vital role in the process of aging.
Collagen helps support the growth factors that significantly influence your skin’s condition. Aside from its use in the wound healing process, collagen helps to maintain the skin strong and have more volume. Our bodies produce less collagen as we age, which eventually leads to an 80% decrease in the skin’s thickness at around the age of 70. The loss in volume and strength is the main reason why excess skin and wrinkles are created. As the skin becomes weaker, it’s no longer capable of supporting the tissues underneath it, which causes gravity to pull it downwards, thus stretching it. You can thicken, hydrate, and strengthen your skin by infusing your facial skin with fresh collagen while the signs of skin laxity are still mild. This will help reduce looseness and prevent it from getting worse.
Thread lifting gives ongoing and progressive rejuvenation to the tissues in your face. Patients who have this treatment for the sake of stimulating high levels of collagen will see improvements in the tone, texture, and firmness of their skin. While these so-called “threads” are in place, your body’s response to healing will constantly be activated since your body wants to heal sutured areas and get rid of the sutures. When the body senses any foreign object that is present within the dermis, it is biologically programmed to have this kind of reaction. Luckily, since the threads that are placed under the skin during thread lifting are too small, the patient won’t feel anything. Once the skin has healed, most patients don’t feel their sutures at all.
Thread Lifts vs. Facelift: Advantages
The main advantage of a thread lifts treatment to a facelift is the significantly reduced recovery time. When a patient is having a facelift, they must be heavily sedated. For this reason, the patient should have someone to drive them home from the hospital. Also, most patients that had a facelift require around-the-clock assistance from a caregiver for at least 3 days after the surgery. They also have to take 1 to 2 weeks off from work to completely heal.
On the other hand, recovery from thread lifting is easier. Thread lifts treatment can be performed under local instead of general anesthesia. This means that patients that had a thread lift can go home on their own. Also, they won’t be needing assistance as they can look after themselves after the procedure. Although some patients may suffer a bit of soreness, redness, and swelling after thread lift treatment and want to take a day off from work, most of them can return to work right away. Strong pain medication is sometimes needed after the procedure to make it easier for patients to return to their daily routine. A thread lift is an ideal treatment, especially for those who have children at home or have a busy job.
Although recovery from thread lift is not intensive, patients still have to take some minor precautions when healing. It’s very important not to rub your face strenuously when cleansing it or applying moisturizer for at least 7 days after having a thread lift. You must also slightly prop your head up in order for you not to roll over directly onto your face when you’re sleeping.
A thread lift has low risks because it is a non-invasive treatment. This means that there are no risks of having scars, severe bruises, bleeding, or other complications after the procedure. There are some cases wherein patients may suffer irritation, infection, or their sutures become visible under their skin. Their sutures can be removed when this happened, and their face will return to their normal state.
Thread lifts are also much easier to perform and more affordable compared to facelift surgery.
Advantageous as it may seem, it’s still important for patients to keep realistic expectations from a thread lift. Although this procedure certainly produces noticeable changes, it will only lift your face by a few millimeters but will create a more subtle and natural-looking result compared to a facelift. A thread lift is the ideal treatment option for patients who are dealing with mild to moderate (just not severe) signs of skin laxity.
The ideal candidate for having a thread lift is usually those who are in their late 30’s to early 50’s. Most patients over the age of 55 will gain more benefits from a facelift. However, a thread lift is still the ideal treatment option for older patients who can not have surgery for some medical reasons. Since a thread lift can be performed under local anesthesia, patients who have age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes that make them incapable of having surgery can safely have a thread lift treatment. If you have any other health conditions, make sure to tell your doctor about them so that you will know if you’re an ideal candidate for a thread lift or not.
It’s important to know that although no lifting procedure can produce results that are permanent, a facelift can usually produce longer-lasting results than a thread lift. The results of having a facelift can last up to 10 years, while the results coming from a thread lift can usually last from 1 to 3 years only. However, since thread lifting has lower risks, patients who like the results after the procedure can often go for a fresh set of temporary sutures when their bodies have already absorbed their old sutures.
If you want to know more about Thread Lifting, visit Suvita Medical Aesthetics and see all the services that we offer. Schedule your consultation and contact us today!
