Threads are small sutures that we thread under the skin with a thin needle. The needle is removed and the skin is stimulated to make collagen along the length of the thread. This causes a tightening and lifting effect in the skin. Like any dissolvable stitch, threads gradually dissolve away over a few months leaving a small collagen scaffolding in their place.
Threads are certainly not a new innovation; they were used over 100 years ago to lift the skin. Since the 1990s thread lifts have become popular and since the millennium the price of threads has dropped making them accessible to all of us.
Currently, we focus on two main types of thread:
- PDO threads. These are inexpensive and useful for lifting brows and cheeks, particularly in younger skins. PDO threads are an excellent introduction for anyone interested in seeing how this innovation can lift their skin. They take 20 minutes to insert under local anaesthetic, give a full effect at 2 months and last for 9 months.
- Silhouette threads. These are our gold standard in thread treatments. They are excellent for skins older than 40 years and are particularly good at toning the jaw line and neck area. They take 40 minutes to insert under local anaesthetic, give a full effect at 2 months and last for 2 years.
Threads are a great addition to our aesthetic quiver and add a toning and lifting to the skin in ways that were previously achieved with surgery.
