No longer is a surgical facelift the only way to tighten skin. An FDA-approved alternative, known as the PDO thread lift, is a non-invasive yet powerful option that addresses pesky wrinkles in the neck and throughout the face. And when you have this treatment with Launa Stone, RN in Calabasas, CA, you get compassionate, personalized care that starts the moment you call our studio.
How Long Does a PDO Thread Lift Last?
Patients love their thread lift results for two reasons: skin is immediately lifted, and long-term renewal is supported by increased collagen production. This means you’ll notice some initial firming and smoothing right away as sagging skin gets lifted. Full results will continue developing throughout the next six months. You can then enjoy your new look for between one and three years, with the option to schedule additional treatments as necessary.
Ways to Extend Your Results
Some patients schedule a touch-up appointment right after their threads dissolve, which usually happens six to nine months after treatment. Doing this can extend your results to the four-year mark.
You can additionally increase the longevity of your new look by drinking between 64 and 128 ounces of water daily. Collagen and elastin, fibers that support your skin’s shape and texture, need hydration to stay strong. Water can also naturally plump skin and flush away toxins to give you a healthy glow. It’s equally important to stop smoking and wear sunscreen after treatment. Cigarettes and UV rays are both known to degrade collagen and cause wrinkles.
How Does a Thread Lift Work?
We perform this therapy using polydioxanone (PDO) threads in the areas where you have wrinkles and/or sagging skin. The threads get placed under the skin using a small needle or cannula; they then anchor skin and lift it upward. Areas that can be treated include:
- Forehead line
- Loose skin along the jawline
- Nasolabial folds
- Crow’s feet
- Lines between the eyebrows
- Sagging under the eyes
- Cheeks
- Crepey skin on the neck
Keep in mind this treatment does not require incisions. Instead of removing loose skin, we use PDO threads to suspend tissues. Visibly, this creates an effect in which skin is slightly pulled back so you look smoother, firmer, and more lifted. And, as mentioned earlier, a PDO thread lift also stimulates the body’s natural healing response, directing collagen surges to the treated areas.
Why Is Collagen Important?
This protein plays a vital role in the aging process. Collagen supports growth factors that significantly influence the skin’s overall health. They repair damaged tissues, strengthen the moisture barrier, and support skin’s firm, elastic nature. While growth factors are important, collagen itself keeps skin strong, supple, and voluminous. It forms an underlying flexible network that gives your face its unique structure.
As we age, however, our bodies gradually produce less of this protein so that by age 70, we witness an 80% reduction in skin thickness. This loss of strength and volume is largely responsible for the wrinkles and sagging that characterize mature skin. As skin grows weaker, it no longer adequately supports the tissues beneath it. Gravity then takes over, pulling the skin downward until it stretches.
A Fresh Infusion
Infusing the skin with new collagen can help to reduce looseness and additionally prevent it from getting worse. In other words, a thread lift provides immediate and progressive rejuvenation for your face. Those who choose this treatment for collagen synthesis will witness gradual improvements to their skin’s tone and firmness. Likewise, those who want a smoother canvas will leave our office looking younger.
As long as the threads are in place, your body will continue trying to heal the sutured areas because it’s biologically programmed to recognize and “expel” foreign objects from the dermis. The threads placed under the skin, however, are so small that you’ll feel none of this happening. In fact, most people forget about their sutures altogether within a day or two of receiving treatment.
Advantages of a Thread Lift Over a Facelift
One of the greatest advantages is a much shorter recovery period. Facelift surgery requires a patient to undergo heavy sedation, be driven home from the hospital, and have around-the-clock help from a friend or family member for at least several days. Those with children at home may need additional help, and most people take one or two weeks from work so they can heal.
An Easier Recovery
Recovery from a thread lift, however, is much simpler. A topical numbing agent is applied to ensure you remain comfortable throughout treatment, but you won’t feel groggy or disoriented. Just the opposite, you can drive yourself home from the appointment and perform home chores and self-care routines as normal.
Most patients immediately return to work, although you can certainly take a day off if you choose. And you can care for your children, meaning it’s the perfect treatment for parents and/or those with busy, demanding careers. Last but not least, a PDO thread lift poses none of the scarring, bleeding, or other complications associated with surgical procedures.
A Few Precautions
Having said this, you will need to follow a few minor precautions immediately after treatment. For instance, it’s important you don’t vigorously rub your face during cleansing or moisturizing for at least a week. Also, try to slightly prop up your head while sleeping. You’ll likewise need to skip hard exercise for about seven days, although you can still walk at a moderate pace.
Other activities you should avoid include:
- Drinking alcohol for a week
- Sitting in a sauna for about 10 days
- Other anti-aging treatments for several weeks
- Dental appointments for about a month
What Are PDO Thread Lift?
These medical-grade threads are each thinner than a strand of hair and made of protein. Research confirms that when inserted under the skin, they relax tendons and muscles to smooth away wrinkles. Although treatment receives glowing reviews from all who choose to have it, some still remember the early version of the thread lift that emerged in the late 90s.
Today, thanks to refined treatment techniques and improved materials, the PDO thread lift provides much longer-lasting and more subtle results than its early predecessor. In addition, those threads from the 90s are no longer used; they’ve been replaced by absorbable threads made of the same material, polydioxanone, that’s been safely used in cardiovascular surgery for years.
Let’s Discuss Results
Thread lifts can be used in different ways on different patients to achieve individual results. This becomes even more true when you come to our studio, where tailored treatments help achieve your unique beauty goals. And by injecting the threads in distinct quantities and patterns, we can target your exact concerns. For instance, a crisscross pattern that serves as a foundation for collagen development can be used on patients seeking contour and volume.
You can also expect natural results from your thread lift. Collagen encourages skin to naturally regenerate itself, gradually providing a more youthful and refreshed appearance. You won’t wake one morning looking completely different; instead, you’ll look younger and more rested in a way that doesn’t alert others that you’ve received treatment.
A Viable Alternative
This makes a great option for those who don’t want the drastic changes associated with surgery, and because threads are inserted below the skin’s surface, you cannot see them. You can also combine a thread lift with other nonsurgical treatments to create more comprehensive results.
A chemical peel, for instance, can be used to erase sunspots and improve your skin’s overall clarity. You might additionally choose to plump your lips or erase fine lines around the mouth with a dermal filler. The point is that combining non-surgical treatments allows you to make a profoundly positive change in your appearance – without enduring the recovery time associated with surgery.
Is a Thread Lift Right for You?
We’ll perform a consultation prior to treatment to ensure a thread lift is right for you. In general, if you have wrinkles and sagging skin, this treatment is a better option than fillers or botulinum toxin injections because it more broadly banishes the early signs of aging. You should also be in reasonable health – women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should delay treatment – and have skin that’s free of acne, open sores, or other irritations.
Explore a Long-Lasting Treatment
If you could smooth wrinkles and tighten skin with one simple, non-invasive treatment, you’d want to know more, right? A PDO thread lift can deliver these very results, and immediately after treatment, you’re free to resume most of your daily activities. Schedule your consultation today by calling the office of Launa Stone, RN, in Calabasas, CA.
