Made from absorbable suture material, PDO threads are used to lift and tighten the skin. These threads are placed under the skin, causing micro-injury to the tissue and triggering the body’s healing response. This regenerative response process, also called neocollagenesis, is the process by which our bodies produce collagen to help heal the treatment site, leaving the area looking fuller and smoother.
As the healing process continues over the next few months following treatment, your body will continue to lay a collagen network at the treatment site. Once the threads have dissolved, this new collagen network helps to keep the skin lifted and tight. Results can last up to a year or more. These unique and absorbable threads can have a smooth surface and are used to build a fuller look.
Threads can also be barbed (think porcupine quills) and placed under the skin in some regions of the face, jawline, and neck to achieve your ideal lift. Lifting threads can also be used in other areas of the body, for example, the breast or abdomen.
The treatment time depends on the size of the area being treated. The procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes for a small area to 70 minutes for a larger area. These times account for numbing.
While this procedure is minimally invasive, the treatment creates micro-injury to the tissues, so a local anesthetic is administered to ensure patient comfort.
Is there any downtime? Recovery from a PDO Thread Lift is minimal. Patients may have some swelling and bruising for the first 24-48 hours following treatment, but you can immediately return to most daily activities. Your expert injector will discuss what to expect, aftercare, and activities to avoid during your preliminary consultation and again at the time of treatment.
PDO Thread Lifts have a much lower risk of complications than facelift surgery. Minor complications can occur in a small percentage of patients but can typically be corrected. Patients may experience minor swelling or bruises, which should subside within a few days. Other unusual complications include visible sutures, pain, infection, snapping of sutures, accumulation of blood (hematoma), and dimpling of the skin.
While a PDO Thread Lift provides noticeable results immediately, many of the benefits are progressive, meaning they continue to improve over time.
In the month following PDO Thread placement, your natural collagen production will increase in the treatment area, and you will continue to see improvement over the next eight weeks. The skin will look firmer, lifted, plump, and smooth within six months after treatment, with results lasting between 1 to 2 years.
