The media is buzzing with news of the latest procedure - threadlifting. It’s been around since the 70’s but new techniques and materials plus the demand for less invasive procedures have thrown it into the limelight. Currently used to lift sagging areas on the face and neck, thread lifting techniques are also being developed to lift upper arms, breasts and buttocks.
Thread lifting uses fine surgical threads with tiny barbs on them. The area to be lifted is numbed with local anaesthetic and the threads are inserted under the skin with a hollow needle. They are then tightened to create a lifting effect. The barbs on the threads catch when they are implanted and drawn into place. Fibroblasts (collagen cells) eventually form round these threads and this increases the lifting process.
The great advantage of thread lifting compared to surgery is the use of local anaesthetic, with less risk and less downtime. Surgery also can have a damaging effect with the severing of blood vessels which may affect the blood supply to the skin. Good results are partly dependent on the integrity of the skin so it may be wise to have treatments to improve this beforehand; photorejuvenation and mesotherapy are often recommended. And ageing is not just to do with sagging skin - our faces also lose volume so thread lifts often work well in combination with cheekbone enhancement using dermal fillers.