Tighten it up

The Facial Thread Lift is a very popular, minimally invasive facial rejuvenation procedure among the cosmetic specialists. The procedure, that involves insertion of barbed threads under the skin in order to tighten lax tissue was being touted as the cutting-edge procedure with literally no cutting edges. It has been considered as an easier and less invasive way to rid the face and neck of undesirable wrinkles.

As the ageing process begins, the skin’s connective tissue thins and collagen and elastic fibres begin to break down. As a result, these changes in underlying support structures appear as sagging, deep creases, folds and wrinkles in the skin as early as your 30s.

Thread Lift is a procedure which involves elevating different parts of the face using special threads without having to make surgical incisions as with a classic face lift.  There are two main types of threads or sutures used:

1) Free floating cogg or barbed threads which do not need to be suspended in order to hold the lift.

2) Suspension threads which need to be anchored to a stable structure of the face or scalp.

They are divided into different categories depending on the direction of their cogs/barbs:

• Convergent or divergent threads, depending on whether the cogs are orientated towards each other or in opposite directions from each other from the middle.
• Uni-directional or bi-directional threads, depending on whether the cogs are orientated in only one direction, or in opposite directions.

This procedure is best suited for patients with mild to moderate sagging of facial tissues, usually those in their mid-30s to 50s. Thread Lift is usually performed using a local anaesthetic. Recovery is generally quick.

The permanent threads work by the suspension of tissues (temporary outcomes as eventually the tissues come down due to gravity).

The absorbable threads work by stimulating scar formation which replaces the threads and provides the so called lift.

The results obtained are temporary and usually last for a few months to a year.

– The writer is a senior cosmetic surgeon.