Thread Lifts

A thread lift seeks to emphasise the face’s natural contours by gently lifting and repositioning the tissues. A lifted and revitalised look can be achieved as a day procedure without scarring and with results lasting for several years to come.

Another welcome advantage of a thread lift is that it leaves the patient looking refreshed – not different. Ideally, patients who have slight sagging and loose-ness in the skin, often around the jaw, neck, brow and cheekbones are good candidates.

Patients who present with more severe skin looseness or very thin skin with little underlying fat can better achieve their desired results with a combination therapy approach or procedures such as:

• conventional facelift
• brow lift
• mid face lift
• ribbon lift of the lower face & jowls

The ideal candidate for a thread lift has sagging or loose skin and is seeking a refreshed appearance without unnecessary downtime and expense.

For the right candidate, a thread lift procedure can elevate the face and neck’s soft tissues to create a lifting effect without the need for a traditional surgical facelift. In this way, thread lifting can offer an alternative for those not wanting to “go under the knife”.

The ideal candidate for a thread lift has sagging or loose skin and is seeking a refreshed appearance without unnecessary downtime and expense.

For the right candidate, a thread lift procedure can elevate the face and neck’s soft tissues to create a lifting effect without the need for a traditional surgical facelift. In this way, thread lifting can offer an alternative for those not wanting to “go under the knife”.

As with many other cosmetic procedures, the younger the patient the greater the benefit and more long lasting the result will be. This is because for threads to work ideally, the more collagen there is start with, the greater the lift and the longer the result will last.

• Elevate sagging brows
• Lift and add volume to sagging cheeks
• Elevate and refresh marionette lines and nasolabial folds
• Revitalise and lift the jowl area
• Support and revitalise the neck area
• Correct asymmetry of the brow and face
• Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

Results are immediately obvious once initial swelling subsides at around one week and continued improvement is evident over the coming months.

Thread lifting requires a lot of experience and expertise to achieve desired cosmetic results. If not there can be loss of elevation very quickly after the technique has been performed. To minimise this Dr Hollenbach stresses the importance of taping for a week after the procedure and to try and lessen facial movements, in other words not to laugh or talk too much after the procedure. Not all clinics use taping but the results achieved if these necessary measures are adhered to, leads to greater longevity of the result.

Symmetry is also an issue and again requires considerable expertise and experience. Dr Hollenbach has been doing this for a long time and he has very few unhappy patients with less than desired optimal outcomes.

Other side effects include dimpling and granuloma formation, where there can be a little bit of scabbing at the end of threading. Although uncommon, these can occur and it is important that you have a surgeon such as Dr Hollenbach who can readily deal with these complications if they occur.

Infection itself is possible but rare.

Threads can also extrude over time. This is because the body treats them as a foreign body and wishes to expel them. This was particularly troublesome using the older non absorbable threads but is now minimised since using the newer types of absorbable materials such as PCL which is the material used in Aptos threads.

PCL thread lift’s benefits can last for several years, depending on the areas treated and individual response. It should be noted that PDO threads such as mint or matrix threads are not of the same calibre and usually absorb much quicker between 60 & 90 days.

1 – 4 weeks. The area which has been thread lifted is taped for 1 week in order to immobilise the area to allow the threads to set in ‘the desired, elevated position’.

• Lift result can be seen immediately.
• Improvement continues over many months.
• New collagen is formed and skin is regenerated.
• Improves skin tone, colour, texture and hydration.
• Minimum of downtime.
• Takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Results last for several years.
• Needle design ensures a comfortable experience.
• Can be combined with dermal fillers anti-wrinkle injections.

Why APTOS Polycaprolactone (PCL) Threads?

• The use of a long-lasting absorbable material consisting of polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), was a significant development in thread lifting technology pioneered by APTOS.

• This unique combination of materials ensures long-lasting thread lifting results as the thread is absorbed over a period of one and a half to two years.

• During this long absorption time, collagen type 1 and collagen type 3 is developed. The development of collagen types 1 and 3 results in the formation of a fibrous capsule that continues to hold soft tissues, even after the thread is fully absorbed.

• This prolonged tissue reaction guarantees stable and long-lasting results with the APTOS thread material. 

Polydioxanone (PDO) threads such as Mint or Matrix threads are best used for short-tempered term skin rejuvenation purposes, rather than to achieve a long term lifting effect on the skin. This is because PDO threads demonstrate an average absorption period of between 60 and 90 days, compared to the one and a half to two years absorption time of PCL threads, such as those offered by APTOS.

While a PDO thread lift is generally a less costly procedure, it is essential to note that PDO threads’ absorption period is significantly shorter, offering minimal collagenases and much more limited duration of the thread lift effect.

Whilst Dr Hollenbach has used Promoitalia Mesocogs which are very similar to Mint threads, he no longer uses this technique because of the relative short longevity, lasting only months as opposed to years when using Aptos PCL threads.