For many years the only way to correct concerns caused by facial skin laxity, such as sagging cheeks, drooping jowls, and loose skin, was invasive procedures like neck lift or facelift surgery. However, many people are not ready to undergo a surgical facelift. Recently, an advanced and innovative anti-aging procedure specifically developed to lift and tighten facial skin has become available to patients seeking minimally invasive facial rejuvenation – the thread lift.
The thread lift procedure uses temporary PDO threads, a type of dissolvable suture, which are placed under the facial tissues to produce a visible lifted effect.1 Threads take effect by repositioning and tightening the skin, and suspending it in place. PDO threads also stimulate the body’s natural healing process by promoting new collagen production in treated areas.
My Houston Surgeons are proud to offer patients non-surgical facelift using NovaThreads. NovaThreads are injectable PDO threads that come in several shapes including twisted, smooth and barbed threads to treat a variety of facial areas and common concerns including skin laxity, jowls, fine lines, and facial wrinkles and folds. NovaThreads can also be used to subtly and naturally sculpt facial skin to enhance your natural features, such as creating the illusion of more prominent cheekbones, upturning the outer corners of the eyes for a cat eye effect, or even lifting the brows.
There are many anti-aging benefits associated with thread lifting, including:
Before your NovaThreads are placed, your surgeon will clean the treatment area and swab it with topical anesthetic or numbing cream. Then they will place your NovaThreads according to the detailed treatment plan developed during your consultation. Because NovaThreads are so small, most patients experience no discomfort during the approximately one hour procedure.
There is no downtime required after a NovaThreads treatment, however we do recommend sleeping on your back as well as avoid vigorously rubbing and/or washing the treatment area for at least 3 days and/or applying makeup for at least 24 hours. For most patients, NovaThreads are virtually undetectable once skin has healed.
The ideal candidates for NovaThreads are men and women looking for natural-looking facial rejuvenation without undergoing a surgical procedure. Additionally, candidates are those looking to enhance the beauty of their natural facial features with subtle contouring of the eyes or cheekbones.
Absorbable suspension sutures are FDA-approved and considered a safe and effective cosmetic treatment to correct visible signs of aging.2 While there is some risk of side effects including dimpling, infection, and visible sutures, when in the hands of an experienced provider these types of complications are rare.
NovaThreads last approximately four to six months before gradually being absorbed by the body. However, patients generally see the effects of NovaThreads for up to one year or more after treatment.3
Yes, many patients choose to enhance their NovaThreads results with other cosmetic anti-aging treatments such as Botox and/or dermal fillers, skin tightening procedures such as Fraxel DUAL Laser®, and advanced medical grade skincare regimens. Combining several nonsurgical treatments can allow patients to achieve dramatic changes without enduring the discomfort or recovery time associated with plastic surgery procedures.4
Sources
1 Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. Silhouette Instalift: Benefits to a Facial Plastic Surgery Practice. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31280848/. Accessed June 29, 2021.
2 Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Nonsurgical Tissue Repositioning: Analysis of Long-Term Results and Patient Satisfaction From 100 Absorbable Suture Suspension Cases. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7780437/. Accessed June 29, 2021.
3 ASPS. What you need to know about thread lifts. Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-thread-lifts. Accessed June 29, 2021.
4 ASPS. What you need to know about thread lifts. Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-thread-lifts. Accessed June 29, 2021.
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