WTF is... a thread lift anyway?
(Spoiler: A Very Bad Idea, is what)
So… WTF is it?
It’s a non-surgical (although still somewhat invasive) way to pull skin taut and can be done pretty much anywhere on the body - most commonly face/neck/stomach.
It was The Next Big Thing, touted as a non-surgical facelift and general solution to any sagging skin you wanted to tackle. Then, about 18 months later, it fell out of favour pretty dramatically as its efficacy and longer-term effects became better understood.
It is still being heavily advertised by some practitioners1, especially on social media, hence this post.
What’s the point of it? I mean, what does it actually do?
It tightens skin on a temporary basis.
How does it work?
Your skin literally gets pulled by threads.
They’re dissolvable and have little barbs along their length. They get threaded in under the skin, the barbs dig into your skin tissue and they’re tugged/manipulated until the skin sits in the desired position.
The threads are then tied off and subsequently dissolve over the next 6-12 months. Collagen production around the threads will increase as the skin repairs itself.
The number of threads used depends on the size of the area that’s being manipulated and the strength of the intended tightness. Thread lifts are generally priced per thread.
NB - threads can be made of different materials. PDO threads have the shortest efficacy span (3-6 months of optimal results), PLLA threads appear to offer longer-lasting effects (12 months of optimal, with some results persisting for up to 2 years).
And why would someone want it?
These were very well marketed and were more palatable to a lot of people who wanted a cheek/jowl/chin lift rather than a full/half facelift.
They also offered the promise of lift without surgery - the holy grail for some.
How much is it?
Quite a lot, given it doesn’t last that long.
For a thread face lift, depending on the relevant factors (desired outcome, type of thread, skin laxity etc), it would start at around £$1800 and go up to around £$3000.
Given that the lift only lasts 6-12 months (the skin will start to drop after this, although - as above - some effects may last up to 2 years - this is highly dependent on each person’s skin condition and elasticity), this gets pretty expensive to maintain, pretty quickly.
For context, a facelift will last 10 years and you can get a good one from a well-respected surgeon in London starting from around £10k.
I’m not here to advocate for a facelift, but the return on your investment is, objectively, a no-brainer.
Does it hurt?
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic. There will be ‘discomfort’2 but it’s obviously less invasive or painful than a facelift - which was the main selling point of thread lifts.
There’s swelling and bruising for about a week and then you should be good.
There is the risk of Unintended Side Effects, though. More on those further down…
Have I had one?
No, but I seriously considered one3.
I talked to my botox doctor about it and he was a HARD NO. His clinic used to offer them, although he didn’t personally, but they discontinued the treatment as the results were so variable/short-lived.
He said at cosmetic surgery/medical aesthetics conferences, they’d gone from being a significant talking point to being more or less irrelevant.
Would I get one?
Absolutely not. The cost/results/risk don’t add up for me.
If you get one of these and you like the effects, best case you get the ‘just done’ appearance for a year. Then it’s another £££ for the next one.
I’ll have a facelift instead. Or - you know - just… age.
Should you have it?
I try to stay fairly neutral when it comes to your life decisions about your face, but on this occasion, I would urge you reconsider a thread lift as a viable option.
You can choose to disregard my opinion, of course.
Anything else I think you should know?
Other risks to consider:
Same as filler, the threads can dissolve asymmetrically and/or unpredictably, giving you a lopsided effect
The threads can pucker and/or become visible under the skin
As above, this is often marketed as fast, cheap, simple non-invasive and effective, but it’s really only ‘fast’.
If you were desperate for a quick fix (eg the ex you’re still in love with is marrying your sister and you’re bridesmaid4) this might fit the bill, but no-one is worth the risk of disfiguring yourself for5.
Until next time! x
Disclaimer: ‘WTF is…’ guides are intended to be a 3-5 minute introduction to a topic. They are, by their nature, not exhaustive.
If you have a concern that I’ve irresponsibly included/omitted information, don’t hesitate to get in touch to let me know and I’ll take a look.
Reminder that any cosmetic work undertaken should be in accordance with The 6 rules of cosmetic work. Here they are, in case you missed them the first time…
Notably - rarely by aesthetic doctors
There’s always fucking discomfort 🙄
At any given time, I’m considering approximately 3-4 different procedures. The current list: a facelift, an eyebrow transplant, Lavieen and microneedling.
I spend a lot of [too much] time on Reddit and this seems to be a surprisingly common situation for many
This statement/realisation marks a massive period of Personal Growth for me 😉