Trends And Evolution Of Thread Lifting

Thread lift continues to gain traction in the medical field for its ability to lift, refresh and rejuvenate the skin. Thread lift procedures today are known for their ability to deliver results comparable to surgical procedures, albeit semi-permanent. So today we will talk about the evolution of thread lifting.

Introduced in the late 1990s, PDO threads were initially designed mainly to lift ptotic facial tissues; but over the years, variations of the original design such as mono, screw/tornado, and cog were developed and used. These variations involved the placement of threads along a planned trajectory and these threads are then pulled to lift the skin, secured and trimmed at the entry point.

At its initial stage, thread lifting was viewed with a degree of suspicion amongst some medical aesthetic practitioners due to the high incidence of postoperative complications. However, as technology and techniques continue to advance, new sutures and variations have become increasingly available, and if one were to review the available literature regarding threads, it should be noted that although early data showed inconsistent results and early relapses, recent findings have provided clear evidence of the effectiveness and safety of thread lift.

Today, new devices, thread variations, materials, designs and techniques are continuously being developed and the indications for each technique are further refined, thereby resulting in significantly lower incidences of complications in the initial stages. In fact, the evolution of thread lifting has progressed so much that aside from the popularly known PDO threads, the market has now availed new threads such as PLLA and PCL.

In the last 3-5 years, a growing trend shows that patients today are actively seeking non-surgical procedures, including thread lifts. This proves that when performed correctly with the right threads and techniques, previous thread lifting associated complications can be greatly reduced, minimized and prevented.