Here at Manchester Plastic Surgery, we know that just about everyone has some insecurities about the way they look. For some people, when visible signs of ageing start to show, it can have a bigger impact on their happiness and mental well-being. This is when many people begin to research surgical and non-surgical facial treatments, to restore a more youthful appearance.
Alongside surgical procedures such as the more conventional face-lift or mini face-lift, a new treatment beginning to gain popularity is the thread lift.
Though many people may see a thread lift as a convenient method of achieving positive results, there remain differing opinions on the effectiveness of thread lifts. Thought they can appear to sculpt the face, it is also true that the procedure carries a number of risks and the results are often short-lived. For this reason, we don’t perform thread lifts here at Manchester Plastic Surgery; though we do offer a range of both surgical and non-surgical anti-ageing treatments which are always performed by our experienced surgeons to achieve great results.
What is a thread lift?
A thread lift, also sometimes referred to as a barbed suture lift, is a non-surgical cosmetic procedure which lifts and sculpts the shape of your face. To perform a thread lift, surgeons will use a temporary, medical-grade suture to place a stitch in the skin and draw it taut.
Typically, thread lifts have a very subtle impact, so they are usually performed on patients between the ages of 30 and 50, who are just beginning to notice signs of ageing. They are also offered to patients who are looking for facial rejuvenation but who are unable to or unwilling to undergo surgery.
Although a thread lift is a minimally invasive technique, we often see patients who have received a thread lift from an untrained practitioner, who has offered a thread lift as an alternative to a surgical facelift. In this case, we often see complications which have arisen following treatment. Receiving surgery from an unqualified practitioner carries huge risks for the patient, and is strongly advised against by our expert surgeons. Even in the best hands, our surgeons do not recommend a thread lift as they do not offer a permanent or even long-lasting result.
What are the risks involved in a thread lift?
Even when performed by a qualified surgeon, there are still risks associated with a thread lift, as with any treatment. The most common side effects following a thread lift include bruising, swelling, bleeding, and pain at the site of injection.
Similarly, it is not uncommon for thread lift patients to experience dimpling or rippling of the skin following thread lift surgery, where the suture has been pulled taught and the skin has puckered. Often, patients will also experience bulging or lumps where the suture moves or migrates beneath the skin’s surface. While these lumps and dimples are reversible in some cases, such unpredictable results are one of the reasons why our experts would warn against thread lifts as an anti-ageing treatment.
Other common complications include:
- An allergic reaction to the ingredients in the threading material as well as thread breakage
- Migration or unintended movement of the threads which can result in lumpy or bulging skin
- Visible dimpling or pulling where the threads have been inserted
- Pain under the skin resulting from a tight or misplaced thread
- Asymmetry or disfigurement from misplaced or broken threads
- Granulomas (lumps caused by knotted tissue beneath the skin) may form if the thread is placed too near to the skin’s surface
- Sensory loss or numbness
- Scarring and infection
Infections resulting from thread lifts are very common and usually occur within one to six weeks after the treatment. Primary signs of infection include redness, tenderness, and swelling, which can often be accompanied by a fever. In some cases, infection from a thread lift can become dangerous, requiring consultation with a doctor who will usually prescribe antibiotics to target the infection.
When it comes to fighting the signs of ageing, we recommend looking at alternative options. Whether you are considering a surgical facelift or you are searching for a non-surgical treatment to combat ageing, our facial expert, Mr Adam Goodwin, is an expert in all aspects of surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation, offering both anti-wrinkle injections and facial fillers alongside various facelift surgeries to combat signs of ageing.
Book your consultation to speak to Mr Goodwin and explore our range of surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments to provide great, long-lasting results.
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