Some people dive headlong into the controversial risk-versus-reward ocean of cosmetic surgery, fearless against whatever perils lie beneath in the quest to improve one’s appearance. Others, many others, are much more conservative, preferring instead to test the waters and see if minimally invasive or non-surgical options would be more suitable to their needs. In the case of facial rejuvenation, if a facelift is the surgical equivalent of deep-sea exploration, a less intensive procedure, known as a thread lift, would be a shallow snorkel with a life preserver. It may not be quite as effective, which is why it has become less popular over the years, but a proper thread lift for the right patient can still achieve highly satisfactory results.

The onset of aging brings with it a gradual weakening of one’s facial structure. Skin sags, folds develop and lines begin to form at critical areas, such as around the corners of the mouth or near the eyes. Cheeks and chins also begin to dip or sink in, further contributing to a gaunt, depressed look. A thread lift may well provide the initial efforts to reduce or reverse these effects, by tightening and raising these critical age points.

A thread lift is performed under local anesthesia, and begins as a series of incisions in key areas of the face, through which a hollow needle will be placed and positioned. Barbed sutures will be attached using the needle as a support structure, after which the needle will be removed. The barbs on one side of the sutures will be attached to the tissue underneath the skin, holding it steadily, while the barbs on the other side latch onto the outer skin layer, lifting it up. The thread endings are stitched underneath the skin to minimize visible scarring from the procedure. No deep or extensive cutting is necessary to perform the thread lift. The sutures themselves will encourage collagen formation so that the treated area will be more extensively filled out. The threads can be positioned using an “open” technique, where instruments are used under the skin to create a raw area where the barbs will catch tissue, or through a “closed” technique, where the soft tissue is molded over the barb so that it catches in multiple points. Since the patient will be conscious throughout the procedure, she may actually contribute feedback during the thread lift, to ensure that she will be happy with the results.

Two types of thread lift methods exist, the Contour Lift and the Aptos Thread Lift, also known as the Featherlift. The Contour lift uses polypropylene sutures that only have barbs in one direction, which act as cogs that allow a surgeon to grasp, raise and affix a particular area of sagging skin tissue. The Aptos Thread Lift, on the other hand, uses threads with barbs that go in two directions, which gather tissue all around them to lift and fill out the areas that require treatment.

After the thread lift is performed, the patient may leave the clinic, though it is recommended that she be assisted by someone else for the next 24 hours after the procedure. Patients will be requested to stick to a strict diet of soft foods for seven days, and pain medication will be prescribed as necessary to deal with the discomfort resulting from the technique. It takes several weeks for the face to heal completely from the procedure, during which the patient may not feel comfortable being in public for formal social functions, such as weddings or reunions. Side effects include a lack of sensitivity or numbness in the treated areas, which should vanish within a few weeks.