There’s a lot to love about PDO thread lifts! Lifting threads, smooth threads, and other collagen-boosting treatments have been a hot topic lately at Beauty Boost. We have been getting a lot of questions about these treatments and the differences between them.
Lifting threads and smooth threads can both create a beautiful skin tightening effect that works well in different areas of the face. They are made from polydioxanone, which is a non-allergenic and completely biodegradable thread. The best part is that they stimulate collagen and elastin so you can keep seeing your results long after the thread dissolves, often lasting for a year or more.
Threads can create a beautiful rejuvenating effect either immediately or gradually in the months following treatment. Check out our recent video where we show the process of doing both types of thread for PA Char
Lifting Threads: Instant Results That Keep Getting Better
Lifting threads are a non-surgical way to tighten and lift your skin from the inside. At Beauty Boost, we often use them to help reduce nasolabial folds, also known as smile lines.
Lifting threads are a great alternative to cheek fillers, which can sometimes broaden the face. Instead of adding volume, they reposition fat tissue that is falling down due to age and loss of collagen. The threads effectively reposition the skin to where it used to be. By pulling the cheeks back with the lifting threads, we can get rid of smile lines as well as a bit of jowl heaviness.
One of our favorite things about lifting threads is that you can see a little bit of lift right away after treatment. In two weeks when the inflammation goes down, you can see even more, and you will continue to get the collagen stimulation benefits over the next three to six months.
The collagen will give you even more skin texture improvement over time. It just keeps getting better!
Smooth Threads: Gradual Results You Will Love
Smooth threads are another nonsurgical skin tightening option. They use a similar technology to lifting threads, but they create more gradual results and sometimes work better in different areas of the face.
One of our favorite applications of smooth threads is to reduce mild laxity in the submentum, or the space between the head and neck. Kybella is great for getting rid of fat in the chin and neck, but it’s not a good option for patients who just have a little bit of skin laxity.
Smooth threads do not pull the skin back the way lifting threads do. Instead, they simply stimulate collagen to help the skin naturally retract and tighten over the months following treatment. We typically do a crosshatch pattern of smooth threads to stimulate collagen throughout the treatment area.
With smooth threads, you don’t see results right away. Smooth threads just hang out in the skin and stimulate collagen production over time. Over the next six months, while your skin is breaking down the thread, the collagen stimulation starts and you get a beautiful tightening effect.
What to Expect During the Thread Lift Process
If you choose to get threads, here is what you can expect during the treatment process:
- First, we take steps to ensure you will be comfortable throughout the treatment. We numb the area where we plan to insert the lifting threads so you won’t feel any tugging or pressure.
- Next, we find the right plane of tissue where the threads can lift everything we want to lift up. We stay above the muscle so it doesn’t get uncomfortable.
- We move the cannula all the way into the skin. Cannulas have a blunt tip, which means they are not sharp and will push tissue out of the way rather than tearing it. That helps keep you comfortable and reduces bruising and inflammation.
- Once we get the cannula and thread where we want it to be, we just remove the cannula. The thread stays inside.
- We always check placement before finishing the treatment. We look to see how much we can pull with the lifting threads, and if we like the effect, we tie off the threads.
At Beauty Boost, we love doing thread treatments for patients. PDO thread lifts are truly an artistic treatment since each patient will need a slightly different thread vector design, number of threads, and placement. Both types of threads can produce dramatic results that only get better with time.
If you are interested in getting lifting or smooth threads, contact us today for a complimentary consultation. We take the utmost care to ensure our services are safe, discreet, and professional.
