What is a PDO Thread Lift?

Thread lifts are a relatively new form of non-surgical face lift. If your face has loosening or sagging skin and you want a tighter, fresher more youthful look, this treatment may be suitable. There are no cuts or incisions, just injections.

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How does it work?

Polydioxanone (PDO) threads are a special medical grade thread that is thinner than hair, made of protein.Research has confirmed that PDO relaxes tendons and muscles, whilst a foreign body reaction improves the blood flow to the area stimulating neocollagenesis (the production of new collagen in the skin). It also stimulates elastin and hyaluronic acid, both substances are key to maintaining firm, youthful looking skin.

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Is it safe?

PDO threads have over a decade long safety track record in surgery and wound closure. PDO threads gained CE approval.

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What happens during treatment?

A Lidocaine injection is applied to the entry points following which threads are introduced into the skin through a fine needle or/and cannula into either the skin itself, the muscle, or the subcutaneous fat. The treatment results in an immediate improvement in appearance but the results will improve over ensuing days and weeks as the PDO stimulates neocollagenesis, increasing the amount of collagen in the skin. The appearance of the skin improves in terms of overall texture, becoming thicker, tighter and firmer as fine lines and wrinkles are reduced.

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Which areas can be treated?

This is a very versatile treatment which can be used in any part of the face and neck to treat sagging brows, nasolabial lines, vertical and horizontal forehead wrinkles, drooping cheeks, marionette lines, sagging jawline,plus wrinkles and folds on the chin and neck.

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What results can I expect?

Results should be apparent right after the threads are put into place, but you may notice more in the days and weeks right after they are inserted, as swelling and bruising starts to subside. You will notice full results around three weeks post-procedure. During this three week span, the skin has repositioned and collagen has flooded the area as it is the body's natural injury response.

Over the subsequent weeks results will continue to improve, peaking at around 6 months. Results from a thread lift aren't meant to be permanent. Successful effects typically last from 1 to 3 years. This is as your own body produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. Making this form of non surgical facelift a very long lasting treatment. The thread itself is completely biodegradable and dissolves within 12 weeks, after which new collagen has formed around the thread to continue to support results, maintaining a smooth and supple texture of the skin.Treatment may not be suitable if:

• You have active acne/broken skin or are prone to cold sores

• You have taken anticoagulation medications such as aspirin/warfarin/heparin or have consumed alcohol within 48 hours of treatment (we advise you to continue taking prescribed medications but stop taking some complimentary supplements such as evening primrose oil, vitamin D,A and E, fish oils, flax seed oil, magnesium, garlic and ginko prior to treatment

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Treatment is not suitable if:

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding

• You have an autoimmune disease, diabetes or infection

 

Post-Treatment Information

What you should do after a thread lift

To ensure the best results, there are several things you must avoid after a PDO thread lift. These include sleeping on your stomach or side, wearing makeup, drinking alcohol, making extreme facial expressions, and receiving facials and facial massages. It’s important to avoid certain activities after a thread lift. However, what you do is just as important as what you avoid. Things you should do after a thread lift include applying a gentle SPF30 + 

 

Sleeping on your stomach or side

One of the worst things you can do after a thread lift is to apply an excessive amount of pressure to the treated area. If you sleep on your stomach or side within the first five nights post-treatment, you may experience swelling, discomfort, bruising, or less-than-optimal results.

If you still roll over after finding a comfortable position on your back, sleep in a recliner to mitigate the risk of you sleeping on your side after treatment. Alternatively, build a towel fort around yourself in your bed.

 

Wearing makeup

There are several reasons why you should avoid wearing makeup in the first 12 hours after your treatment. Primarily, your skin is sensitive in the first several hours after treatment. Even cosmetics that usually cause you only minor skin irritation should be avoided.

Secondarily, it’s important that your skin is able to breathe during the first 12 hours after treatment. Cosmetics can suffocate your skin. Finally, most women apply a significant amount of pressure on their skin while removing their makeup. To mitigate the risk of applying too much pressure to your face, it’s best to just not wear makeup for the first 12 hours after treatment.

 

Getting facials & facial massages

Facial massages and facials should be avoided for the first 10 days after treatment. Facial massages should be avoided to mitigate the risk of excessive pressure being applied to the treatment area. This mitigates the risk of swelling, bruising and the threads being forced out of place accidentally. Facials should be avoided for the same reasons that wearing makeup should be avoided. Facials may involve excessive amounts of pressure applied to the treatment area. 

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Becoming overheated

To summarise succinctly what you should avoid after a PDO thread lift, you should avoid applying too much pressure to your face and elevating your blood pressure. While you may not realise it, prolong heat exposure elevates your blood pressure significantly.

To keep your blood pressure within a normal range, avoid excessive heat exposure. To accomplish this, take a lukewarm bath rather than a hot shower and avoid tanning beds, dry saunas, steam rooms, steaming hot soup, and sunbathing. Staying hydrated will also help you to keep cool and maintain normal blood pressure.

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Drinking alcohol

You should avoid drinking alcohol for the first two weeks after your thread lift for a couple of reasons. First, alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it will flush out an excessive amount of water and essential nutrients that are vital for your skin health. Second, alcohol consumption increases your blood pressure significantly.

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Smoking

Unfortunately, smoking is another common activity that elevates blood pressure. Dozens of the chemical compounds in cigarette smoke, including nicotine, constrict your blood vessels. This means, among other things, that nutrients cannot flow through your bloodstream to your skin efficiently.

It’s important to note that any product containing nicotine will elevate your blood pressure. For example, smoking cessation tools, such as nicotine patches and nicotine gum must also be avoided.

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Vigorous exercise

The final most common activity that elevates blood pressure is vigorous exercise. Moderate exercise, such as walking, jogging, and swimming at a leisurely pace is fine. However, if your workout is so intense that you can’t sing or carry a conversation, it is too vigorous and you are placing your heart under undue strain.

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Are there any side effects?

The actual puncture points of the threads will take a few weeks to heal, which means you may experience the most commonly reported side effects such as:

• Redness

• Soreness

• Some feeling of tightness. 

• Some feeling of stinging. 

There is minimal downtime and no general anaesthetic risks. The specialised needles allow small areas to be tackled effectively. As there are no incisions, stitches are not required and scarring is unlikely.

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Less commonly reported side effects:

• Pain/tenderness

• Thread protrusion, puckering of the skin

• Bleeding/bruising/haematoma

• Infection, granuloma

• Swelling/inflammation

• Migration (cogs)

• Asymmetry

• Facial nerve trauma

• Allergic reaction

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