Thread Lift or Facelift? Let’s look at your options.

If you’re considering a Face Rejuvenation, you’ll want to explore your options!

As we age, our skin produces less collagen, which leads to a reduction in skin thickness of about 80% by about age 70. (Gasp!) Without collagen, skin cannot properly support the tissues beneath it, meaning that gravity does its thing, and alas … excess skin and wrinkles.

Introducing new collagen to the skin of the face, when the signs of skin laxity are still mild to moderate, can help to both reduce excess skin and prevent more wrinkles.

Fortunately, there are many treatment options available, and not all of them require going under the knife or major downtime in recovery.

An option gaining rapid popularity in the world of skin health, and something we pride ourselves on being specialists in, is a procedure called a thread lift.

What is a thread lift?

A thread lift is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional facelift surgery, most commonly used in the forehead, neck, and jowls.

The procedure works by threading dissolvable, medical-grade sutures into the affected area and then “pulling” your skin up by tightening the thread.

‘Invisible, painless “barbs” grip the underlying tissue as the thread is pulled tight.

Once a barbed thread has been inserted, your body’s natural healing response is triggered when it detects the suture material. This stimulates collagen production in the area, which fills gaps in the skin and restores a more youthful appearance to the face and décolletage.

The whole procedure only takes 30-45 minutes, depending on the area, and mild soreness, redness and swelling are normal.

What are the advantages of having a thread lift instead of a facelift?

1. Gradual Improved Skin Appearance and Elasticity

Those who have a thread lift to stimulate collagen will notice a gradual improvement in their skin’s tone and firmness. When the threads have been placed, the body’s healing response will be active because the body will try to remove what it recognises as a foreign object. However, because the threads placed under the skin during the procedure are so small, the patient won’t have any discomfort past the initial phase.

2. Reduced Recovery Time

For many thread lift patients, the best advantage of having this procedure rather than a facelift is the greatly reduced recovery time. With traditional facelift surgeries, the patient is heavily sedated and must have serious care for least three days after the procedure. Facelift patients must take at least one to two weeks off of most responsibilities (work, children, etc.) in order to heal properly. You’re in for quite an uncomfortable holiday!
Recovery from a thread lift, on the other hand, takes much less planning and downtime. Thread lifts can be performed under local anaesthesia, meaning patients can even drive themselves home afterwards if they wish.
While some patients will experience routine soreness and redness after having a thread lift and therefore want to have a few days rest, many can return to work as soon as they wish. Prescription pain medications are seldom needed after a thread lift, making it easier for patients to resume life normally.

3. Low Risk

Thread lifts are relatively low-risk procedures due to how noninvasive they are. Traditional facelifts can cause scarring, severe bruising, bleeding or other complications, but thread lifts have little to no risk of those side effects.

In rare cases, some thread lift patients may experience continued irritation, infection or visible sutures in the skin. However, if this occurs the sutures can be promptly removed and the patient’s face will heal with no evidence of the threads.

4. Cost-Effective

Traditional facelifts can cost anywhere from $10 – $25K depending on how extensive the procedure needs to be. Ouch! Because thread lifts are much easier to perform than facelift surgery, and they require less time, anaesthesia and other resources, they are much more affordable.

Expectations

While thread lifts will certainly cause visible changes to your skin’s appearance and elasticity, it’s good to keep reasonable expectations for the procedure. The threads can only lift areas of the face by a few millimetres, which creates a more subtle and natural-looking end result. Thread lifts are therefore best suited to patients with mild to moderate, rather than severe, excess skin and wrinkles.

So there you have it. Thread lifts explained! Want to learn more or talk to one of our specialists? Call us at 3268 6696 or visit our website to learn more.