The different options for a facelift can be very confusing. You may have heard about lunchtime lift or one-stitch facelifts and wondered what they are or if they are right for you. This article will explain what a thread lift is and who it is suitable for.
What’s a Thread Lift?
Thread lifts are a way of correcting early signs of facial aging by using special long stitches inserted just beneath the skin. The stitches have either cones or hooks on them that allow the facial tissues to be lifted and supported. There are different products, but they now tend to be designed to dissolve over a number of months and leave a small area of scar that helps to maintain the lift.
The procedure is suitable for people who don’t want to keep using fillers and end up looking overfilled. A thread lift can correct the early signs of aging only, and tends to last for approximately 18 months.
What to Expect from Your Thread Lift
The procedure is done under a local anaesthetic with no sedation required and takes between 45 and 60 minutes, depending on the number of threads being used. Your plastic surgeon will carefully mark the entry and exit points while you are sat up and then put tiny injections of local in to numb the entry and exit points. A small entry point is made and then the suture carefully passed beneath the skin. There may be some minor discomfort but should be no real pain. The surgeon will then sit you up and massage the tissues into place. An immediate result can be seen.
There can be some minor puckering around the sites where the needles are passed that settles in 48 hours. It is best to avoid stretching the face for the next week by opening the mouth too wide to prevent dislodging tissues that have been elevated.
A thread lift is quick and safe and will allow you to return to normal social engagements within just a few days. The key point is to have a full assessment by a trained plastic surgeon to be sure that this is the right procedure for you.
Dr. Gerard Lambe is a British plastic surgeon working in Cheshire in the U.K. He has trained around the world with the best surgeons in Sydney, Wellington and Taiwan. Dr. Lambe works in the NHS performing major breast reconstruction and head and neck surgery, and is dedicated to providing the very best care for all his patients. Noted for his calm and caring approach, Dr. Lambe is always seeking out the latest and safest techniques, and performs all forms of breast surgery, body contouring and facial rejuvenation.