Treatment
Thread lift, and the honest limits of it
Threads reposition tissue along a vector and then dissolve, leaving collagen behind. They are not a facelift, and the most useful thing a consultation can do is establish which one you need.
- Appointment
- 60 to 90 minutes
- Anaesthetic
- Local infiltration
- Onset
- Immediate repositioning; settles over 2 to 4 weeks
- Duration
- Typically 12 to 18 months
- Downtime
- Swelling and possible bruising for 5 to 10 days
What it is
Polydioxanone threads are absorbable sutures with barbs, cones or a helical texture along their length. Passed through the subcutaneous plane, the barbs engage tissue so that traction along the thread moves it along a chosen vector. The thread itself hydrolyses over roughly six to nine months; the fibrous reaction it provokes in the surrounding tissue persists somewhat longer, which is where the remainder of the effect comes from.
Two things follow from that mechanism. The first is that the lift is real but modest — millimetres, along a vector, of tissue that is still mobile. The second is that the durable part is a collagen response, not mechanical suspension, so the result softens progressively rather than ending abruptly.
The candour this treatment requires is about candidacy. Threads suit early to moderate laxity in someone with reasonable skin quality and a defined bony platform. Applied to heavy, significantly descended tissue they produce a short-lived result, visible dimpling, and disappointment. In that situation the correct answer is that a surgical lift is what would work — and saying so is more useful than taking the booking.
What is assessed
Vector matters more than thread count. Facial tissue is tethered by retaining ligaments and descends in predictable directions; a thread pulling across that pattern rather than along it either fails to hold or gathers the skin. Planning starts by identifying where your tissue has descended from and drawing the line back to it.
Volume is assessed at the same time, because laxity and deflation coexist and threads do not treat deflation. Pulling a deflated midface upward tightens it without restoring it, and the face reads as pulled. Where both are present, structural filler is usually placed first, and the threads are planned around what that has already achieved.
- Degree of laxity — assessed by manual repositioning, which shows you and me exactly what is achievable.
- Skin thickness and quality — very thin skin shows thread contour and dimples more readily.
- Volume loss — treated first where it is the dominant problem.
- Bony platform — a defined mandibular angle and malar projection give a thread something to lift toward.
- Whether surgery is the honest answer — an assessment that ends in a referral is a successful assessment.
Where it applies
- Midface and cheek — repositioning the descended malar fat pad along its original vector.
- Jawline and jowl — definition along the mandibular border in early jowling.
- Submental and upper neck — modest improvement in early laxity only.
- Brow — small lateral elevation, often combined with botulinum toxin to the depressors.
- Mono and screw threads — placed for collagen stimulation in an area rather than for lift.
The appointment
Assessment and vector planning
Tissue is repositioned manually so you can see the achievable result in the mirror before committing. Entry points and vectors are marked.
Anaesthesia
Local anaesthetic is infiltrated at entry points and along each planned tract. The procedure is not painful, though you will feel movement and pressure.
Placement
Threads are passed in the subcutaneous plane along the marked vectors through small entry points, engaged, and the tissue is repositioned. Symmetry is checked with you seated upright throughout.
Recovery and review
Swelling and tightness for one to two weeks. Reviewed at two weeks and again at six, once the tissue has settled and the collagen response is under way.
Before and after
Photographs, unretouched
Each pair below shows the same person, photographed in the same position, under the same lighting and with the same lens. No retouching or filtering has been applied. Drag the handle to compare.
Before
After
/assets/before-after/thread-lift-dubai-case-01-before.jpg
/assets/before-after/thread-lift-dubai-case-01-after.jpg
- Treatment
- Thread lift
- Interval
- Add the interval between the two photographs
- Note
- There is no guarantee that the result will be the same, as it might vary from one individual to another.
Before
After
/assets/before-after/thread-lift-dubai-case-02-before.jpg
/assets/before-after/thread-lift-dubai-case-02-after.jpg
- Treatment
- Thread lift
- Interval
- Add the interval between the two photographs
- Note
- There is no guarantee that the result will be the same, as it might vary from one individual to another.
Before
After
/assets/before-after/thread-lift-dubai-case-03-before.jpg
/assets/before-after/thread-lift-dubai-case-03-after.jpg
- Treatment
- Thread lift
- Interval
- Add the interval between the two photographs
- Note
- There is no guarantee that the result will be the same, as it might vary from one individual to another.
Please read. There is no guarantee that the result will be the same, as it might vary from one individual to another. These photographs record outcomes in specific individuals and are not a prediction of what any treatment will achieve for you. Anatomy, skin type, age, medical history and healing all differ between people.
Every procedure described on this page carries risks, which are set out in full below and are discussed with you in person before consent is taken. No result is guaranteed, and some people are advised at assessment that a treatment is not appropriate for them.
All photographs are published with the written consent of the individual concerned. Consent can be withdrawn at any time by contacting the clinic.
Risks and limits
These are discussed with you individually before consent is taken. The list is not exhaustive, and it is not a substitute for that conversation.
- Swelling and bruising for five to ten days, sometimes longer.
- Tightness and a pulling sensation for one to two weeks, which is expected.
- Visible dimpling or puckering at entry or exit points, usually settling within weeks, occasionally needing release.
- Palpable or visible thread, more likely in thin skin.
- Asymmetry, sometimes correctable, sometimes requiring the result to be allowed to settle.
- Thread migration or extrusion, uncommon.
- Infection along a thread tract, which may require the thread to be removed.
- Under-correction. Threads deliver millimetres. If the expectation is a facelift result, it will not be met.
When this treatment is not appropriate
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Active infection or inflammatory skin disease in the treatment area.
- Known hypersensitivity to polydioxanone.
- Autoimmune connective tissue disease, requiring individual assessment.
- Anticoagulant therapy, requiring individual assessment.
- Significant tissue descent, where a surgical lift is the appropriate treatment.
- Keloid or hypertrophic scarring tendency.
After treatment
- Sleep on your back with your head elevated for one week.
- Do not massage, rub or apply pressure to the face for two weeks.
- Avoid wide mouth opening, heavy chewing and dental work for two weeks.
- No strenuous exercise, saunas or hammams for two weeks.
- No facials, laser or energy-based treatment for four weeks.
- Contact the clinic if you develop increasing pain, spreading redness, fever, or a thread end becoming visible at the skin.
Questions
Asked often
Is this a non-surgical facelift?
No, and it should not be described as one. A facelift releases and redrapes tissue and removes skin. Threads reposition mobile tissue by millimetres and dissolve. They are a different treatment with a different result and a different lifespan.
How long does it last?
Twelve to eighteen months for most people, with the effect softening progressively rather than ending. It depends heavily on starting laxity, skin quality and how much you were lifted. Duration varies between individuals.
Can I feel the threads?
You may feel tightness for one to two weeks, and in thin skin the thread is occasionally palpable for longer. Visible thread is uncommon and is discussed as a risk before proceeding.
What if I want surgery later?
Previous absorbable threads do not prevent later surgery. Tell any surgeon what was placed and when.
Am I a good candidate?
Early to moderate laxity, reasonable skin quality, defined bone structure. If your assessment shows heavier descent, you will be told that surgery is the treatment that would work — that answer is part of the consultation.
Can it be combined with filler?
Usually it should be, where volume loss and laxity coexist. Structure is generally restored first and the threads planned around it.
Also relevant
Related treatments
Consultation
Every face is read before it is treated
A consultation establishes whether this treatment is the right one for you. Sometimes the answer is that it is not.