The ThreadLift has received a lot of national attention lately on regional and local news and talk shows as an alternative to traditional facelifting. In this procedure, surgical threads are placed under the skin from the scalp down to sagging brows, cheeks, and jowls. Tightening the threads lifts the sags and bags caused by facial aging. It has received a lot of press and public interest because it is advertised as a non-invasive (non-surgical) procedure, a concept which has tremendous appeal for the obvious reasons.
The burning questions are……does it work?……and does it last? I have performed a few dozen of the procedures as an in-office procedure under local anesthesia. My experience has shown that the procedure can, in fact, lift sagging tissues to some degree. The effect seems to be greatest in the cheek and jowl area. The amount of lift is not comparable to that of any form of a facelift, however. It is a procedure that is most appropriate for those patients with minor amounts of sagging (usually younger patients) who do not have enough of a problem to justify a more invasive procedure. When done in combination with other minimally invasive treatments (e.g., Botox, injectable fillers, skin resurfacing or tightening), a greater overall result can be obtained. Proper placement of facial threads requires expertise and experience to avoid complications such as skin dimpling, excessive skin bunching, and asymmetry between the facial sides. The most common complication seen are some minor reactions to the knots of the suture in the scalp area. New changes in the design of the Threads will decrease this problem significantly.
How long a ThreadLift lasts largely remains unknown. I have seen some good results with satisfied patients out to a year after the procedure. However, long-term results are unlikely and Threadlifting is best viewed as a stepping stone to eventually needing a more time-proven facelift procedure.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana