Thread Lifts

Thread lifts offer a non-surgical face lifting procedure without the need for any surgical incisions or cutting of the skin as required with conventional face lift surgery.

It is ideal for those people, male and female, who do not yet need a surgical intervention, but who do have some skin laxity or downwards projection of the tissues in their face or neck, or other areas like the upper arms, knees, or thighs. If there is too much loose skin, then a thread lift will not offer enough correction in the long-term.

The special threads used for thread lifts are made from medical-grade, biodegradable materials that are commonly used in other areas of medicine and surgery. One example is polydioxanone or PDO that is more commonly known as the material used for reabsorbable sutures or stitches. Other thread types include PCL (polycaprolactone) and PLLA (Poly-L-Lactic Acid) which take longer to dissolve within the skin than PDO.

PDO threads can be singular or arranged as multi-threads for procedures such as jaw reshaping, where more defined lines are being sought.

Single-, mono-threads or monofilaments that are smooth will not increase volume or correct skin folds but are used to help improve lax skin by increasing elasticity in the area through collagen stimulation. These are inserted in grid like patterns to provide a scaffold base for natural rejuvenation as a wound healing response within the body. Very small mono-threads can be used to boost collagen production in the lips as an alternative to lip fillers, and to contour the lip border to create a Lip Flip.

Multi-thread options combine several threads, often up to 10 threads that are folded, twisted, or in screw shapes within one delivery mechanism so that when placed under the skin they produce various patterns and arrays of threads within an area. This can be further enhanced through massage, or by twisting the needle during placement. Multi-threads are used for volumising tissue, to reduce hollowed areas, and to improve areas of deeper wrinkles and skin folds, as well as the correction of nasal defects or depressions in the nose.

Alongside smooth threads, we have cogged threads. These include small structures, cogs, knots etc. along the length of the thread material to help anchor the thread within the tissue. These may be shaped in a particular way or designed as a barb that can catch on skin tissue as it is draw in one direction, remaining in place once released, to create a more significant lift within the face or neck, especially to correct jowling in the lower face.

Thread lifts are undertaken for the Blemish Clinic by surgeon Mr Giuseppe Serpieri.

Italian doctor, Mr Giuseppe Serpieri is a highly respected cosmetic doctor and surgeon who specialises in a range of vascular procedures and thread lifts. Mr Serpieri qualified as a doctor in 1986, attaining a specialist qualification as a cardiac and vascular surgeon in 1991 at the University of Turin.

He is internationally renowned for his development and use of innovative techniques and technology and is one of very few surgeons who offer procedures using super glue as a closer of the veins during surgery. In 2004, he invented the transilluminated endovenous laser coagulation technique (TELC), a cutting-edge treatment for varicose veins that is now widely used. His research interests focus on innovative technology for leg, foot, and hand vein care, with a focus on minimally invasive techniques. Within cosmetic medicine, he also has a passion for the use of thread lifting techniques which he has been pioneering for over a decade. He is a speaker at many medical conferences and has a training academy centred around teaching other medical professionals in the use of PDO threads.

Threads and thread lifting can be used to restore volume, correct hollows, and help augment tissues. They can restore the elasticity to lax or crepey skin and provide lifting and tightening effects on almost all areas of the face and body.

Examples of the types of correction that can be performed include:

• Improving mild to moderate wrinkles and folds, including crow’s feet
• Facial tightening to reduce jowls, recontour the jawline, improve the appearance of marionette (mouth-to-chin) lines and hollows, and nasolabial (nose-to-mouth) lines
• Cheek augmentation and mid-face sculpting
• Correction of nasal defects and hollows
• Eyebrow lift
• Lifting of the neck
• Collagen stimulation in the lips to augment lips, and reduce fine lines around the mouth, as well as adding definition and contour to the vermillion border, creating the Lip Flip
• Improving and lifting sagging and lax skin in the upper arms, thighs, and knees

The procedure will vary depending on the type of threads used and where they are being placed. Some PDO threads are placed using a needle entry and some via a (blunt) cannula, which requires a small needle entry hole to be made in the skin first.

Local anaesthesia via injection or numbing cream will be applied initially to reduce any discomfort during placement of the threads.

Following placement, the area may be massaged to distribute smooth threads, or the thread may be pulled in a particular direction for a lifting action with cogged threads.

To determine your suitability for a thread lift procedure, a full and thorough consultation will be required with Mr Giuseppe Serpieri to discuss your medical history, any medications you are taking, and any allergies that might affect your suitability for treatment or have an impact on healing post treatment. Certain auto-immune conditions, blood clotting disorders, or those with poor wound healing or a predisposition to keloid scarring may not be suitable for a thread lift.

Thread lifts are best suited to men and women who are in between their mid- to late-30s and their mid-50s. This means that they will likely have a good underlying structure to their face, but the effects of ageing are starting to show with some skin sagging, wrinkle formation, loss of volume, formation of hollows to the cheeks, and a lack of definition in the jawline.

If you have an active skin infection in the area to be treated, or feel unwell with any bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, like a cold or flu, you will not be suitable to undertake the procedure until this has resolved. Please let the surgeon know if you have a history of cold sore break outs (herpes simplex virus) so that prophylactic medication can be prescribed before treatment.

If you are pregnant or breast feeding, you will not be able to have a thread lift procedure and will be required to wait.

Patient comfort is very important to us, and although many of the PDO thread treatments are no more painful than the administration of a dermal filler injection, a local anaesthetic numbing cream can be applied to the area before the threads are inserted to reduce any potential discomfort. Similarly, more complex, deeper, or sensitive thread placements may require a small amount of lidocaine (local anaesthetic) to be injected into the area beforehand.

You should expect mild redness, bruising, swelling, and tenderness in the area after a thread lift. The entry points of the needles where the threads were placed should heal very quickly. There should be no scarring, unlike with a surgical face lift.

Your face and neck may feel tight for several days to a week, especially if multiple threads have been used or cogged threads have anchored the tissue under your skin into a new position.

You should avoid strenuous exercise for 1-2 weeks, or anything that puts strain on your face such as heavy lifting. You can return to work and normal activities immediately after treatment.

Rarely, threads may become visible either through the skin or at an entry point as a complication of treatment. If a thread should re-emerge after insertion, it can be easily corrected and cut to ensure that it returns under the skin.

Results from thread lifts are usually immediately visible, and more so with the use of cogged threads that anchor tissue for a lifting effect, however, these results will increase and improve over time as new collagen production is stimulated as a wound healing response within the tissue. The creation of new, natural skin cells by your own body creates a longer-lasting result as the thread is eventually reabsorbed by your body over time.

Thread lifts are not a permanent solution and they do not have the same long-lasting ability as a surgical face lift. However, they offer an affordable option for significant facial enhancement, that can be repeated as required, making it ideal for those who are not yet ready for surgery or who are fearful of a surgical procedure.

As with all aesthetic procedures – surgical or non-surgical – natural ageing continues and environmental factors including sun exposure, smoking, alcohol, and diet all mean that your face and body will carry on ageing. This will lead to further wrinkle formation and volume loss over time that will need correction in the future, either using a non-surgical or surgical solution depending on skin laxity.

PDO threads are expected to last for 4-6 months within your skin before being completely reabsorbed, but they can remain for up to a year. During this time, they stimulate your natural collagen production to create an affect that can last for 1-2 years, or longer in some people, depending on the area treated and the specific aim of the placement of the threads. Repeat procedures can be performed at intervals, often annually, to maintain the improvement and lifting effect on the tissues.

We believe in being transparent with our prices and want you to be fully aware and comfortable with the cost of your treatment. A full list of our prices can be found here. We will always agree a final price with you though before treatment commences.