Thread Lifting

Thread Lifts – a face lift without the surgery.

The Thread Lift is a minimally invasive procedure that uses barbed absorbable sutures placed under the skin to lift up and hold sagging facial tissues in a more youthful position. The procedure is simple and does not require general anaesthesia. It is a non-surgical alternative to a surgical face lift – less risky and less expensive with minimal down time.

I use MINT threads (MINT stands for Minimally invasive Non-surgical Thread). This thread is made from a complex sugar polydioxanone (PDO) – a safe suture material that has been used in surgery for over 30 years.

Cheeks, Jowls and Necks can all be lifted and improved by the use of MINT threads.

Book a Thread Lift Appointment

How does thread lifting work?

While sitting, the face is carefully examined to determine the best vector (direction) of pull. Lines are drawn. Then, under local anaesthetic, a tiny incision is made in the skin – near the hairline or behind the earlobe – and local anaesthetic is introduced into the deeper layers of the skin under the drawn lines.

The skin is thoroughly cleaned and draped and the threads are then introduced through the tiny incision and guided along the anaesthetised path under the skin. The helically arranged molded barbs on the thread strongly anchor onto the sagging tissue, and then the thread is lifted upwards and fixed into position to achieve an immediate rejuventation & contouring effect.

In addition to the immediate lift, the thread itself stimulates collagen production in the skin- because of the composition-PDO-which is a strong collagen stimulator. Collagen production results in firmer skin.

Other Thread Lift FAQ’s

  • I book a 90 minute appointment so there is plenty of time for the consent process, careful examination of the face, marking up, anaesthetising the areas where the threads will run, cleaning and draping the skin. The actual insertion of the threads takes about 30 minutes.

  • The lifting effect is immediate and the results improve over time as the skin tightens due to collagen stimulation. The full results will be seen around 6 weeks post procedure.

  • Up to 2 years for most people. I will show you sequential photos of patients (with permission) to show pre-treatment, immediate post treatment, 6 weeks, one year and two years later.

    Further threads can be added at any time.

  • There is always swelling post procedure due to the volume of anaesthetic used to ensure the procedure is painless. This takes 2-3 days to settle. Bruising is possible although not common.

    Puckering of the skin can occur, but is avoidable by not pulling the threads too tight.

    Infection can occur but is rare when the procedure is carried out using sterile techniques.

    When local anaesthetic wears off, the face feels tender where the threads where placed. Paracetamol is recommended for the first 2-3 days. Tenderness to touch where the threads are placed may persist for a few weeks while collagen stimulation is occurring under the skin.

  • The cost for a Thread Lift starts at $1,600 but varies dependent on the number of threads required.