A PDO thread lift or Polydioxanone thread lift is a non-surgical procedure that is used to lift and tighten sagging skin and signs of ageing around your face and neck.
Thread lifts have become increasingly popular over the years due to the fact that they are non-surgical ways of dealing with sagging skin and signs of ageing.
Unlike a facelift that requires serious surgery and the removal of skin and tissue, thread lifts literally use PDO threads (dissolvable, barbed sutures) to lift the skin, reducing wrinkles and jowls from the jawline, etc.
Generally speaking, thread lifts are safe anti-ageing procedures. Since they are relatively non-invasive, there are very few risks.
However, as is the case with all medical procedures, having an experienced doctor is essential for the best results.
Of course, being a medical procedure, thread lifts do have certain risks and will have certain side effects before leaving you with your desired aesthetic.
Are There Any Risks or Side Effects of a Thread Lift?
Even though thread lifts are relatively low-risk treatments, they do come with certain risks and usually have certain side effects.
Here are some of the risks and side effects you may experience and can expect from a PDO thread lift:
Risks: Thankfully, the risks are minimal and usually only affect between 15% and 20% of patients. Here are some of the complications that you could experience:
- Visible threads: This is a very rare occurrence but can indeed be a risk of thread lifts. PDO threads can become visible in people with thin skin especially. Thankfully, the PDO threads dissolve in the skin over time, and a professional can treat the visibility.
- Pain: Pain after the procedure is uncommon but does happen with certain patients. If the pain goes on for a long time gayer the procedure, then you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.
- Infection: Having the treatment done by an experienced professional is essential, as the PDO threads will be inserted into your skin, therefore leaving room for an infection. An experienced professional will know how to avoid this and will be able to advise you about keeping the area clean.
Side effects: The thread lift procedure can have multiple side effects. Thankfully, they are manageable, and a professional will be able to help you deal with them quickly:
- Bruising: Minor bruising can occur around the entry and exit points of the needles, but these do not last for long.
- Inflammation: In order for your skin to adapt to these exterior presences, you may experience some skin inflammation which again, should leave relatively quickly.
- Bleeding: A little bleeding can happen around the thread injection and exit points; however, it should only be slight and not last for very long.
Is a Thread Lift Painful?
Generally speaking, the PDO thread lift procedure should not cause you any pain.
You may experience some discomfort during your recovery; however, it should only be mild and should be over very quickly.
At the worst, you can expect some swelling and bruising, but within a few short days, you should feel and look fine and ready to return to work.
Of course, the recovery time and pain felt will entirely depend on you.
Where some patients report feeling nothing during the PDO thread lift, others will say that they did in fact feel slight pain and discomfort.
This is natural as it depends on each patient’s sensitivity and health conditions.
However, you can rest assured that before thread lift procedures, doctors administer patients with local anaesthetic to minimise any feeling on the face and neck.
The process itself should take no longer than thirty to forty-five minutes and you will be ready to head back to work soon enough.
How Safe is a Thread Face Lift Compared to a Traditional Face Lift?
In terms of safety, a thread lift is far safer for you than a traditional facelift.
A facelift is a more invasive surgery and therefore requires a stronger and heavier anaesthesia.
As you may know, having a strong anaesthetic becomes increasingly dangerous the older that you get.
Therefore, it could be wiser to have the treatment of the threads if you are concerned about a more invasive surgery.
In fact, beyond the dangers of the anaesthetic, there is also the fact that a facelift will leave you with more severe wounds.
It typically takes two weeks for the effects of the facial lifting to wear off and for your face to regain its improved aesthetics.
The sutures in the thread lifts also offer a more natural way of dealing with the skin laxity.
Since the barbed sutures are made to dissolve in your skin and promote the collagen production in your skin to improve your face’s appearance with regard to ageing, their effects are not permanent, and your skin will return to normal after a certain amount of time.
The skin that is modified from a facelift, however, will be forever changed.
However, there is no doubt that the results last longer from a surgical facelift than they do from thread lifting.
Typically, a facelift will last for up to ten years, whereas a thread lift will only last for between one and three years.
Facelifts are also better at reliving your skin of significant signs of ageing, whereas the sutures in the thread lifts will only help deal with fine lines and minor signs of ageing.
Summary
To conclude, yes, thread lifts are generally safe and easy ways to lift sagging skin. This is also backed up clinicically too.
It is definitely a safer way of improving your skin than by using surgery.
You will be able to look younger within an hour without having to deal with weeks of a recovery process.
The thread lift cost is also far more interesting, as a facelift will easily cost you a few thousand pounds, to around £10,000 depending on what you have done and by whom.
Remember to always book a consultation with a professional skin clinic like ours before committing to a treatment, and remember to discuss any questions and queries that you may have about complications, your appearance, post-surgery treatments, and pre-surgery requirements.
This applies to any type of thread lift too.
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Read more about thread lifts: What is a Thread lift? , How long does Thread face lift last? and How much does thread face lift cost?
