As we age, our skin begins to show signs of wear and tear. It becomes the organ that reveals the number of years we’ve lived. Some things in our body do not heal over time; facial aging is one of them.
The following occurs with facial aging:
- The supporting structures of the face, such as muscles, weaken
- Thinning of connective tissue occurs
- The amount of facial fat is reduced
- Breakdown of elastic fibers in the skin occurs
Facial aging makes you look a lot older. Aging is an inevitable process; however, we can delay the procedure through some effort. While young adults may experience sagging of the cheeks and brows, a large number of elderly folks may be troubled by too much sagging and wrinkles on their necks. This is where the neck thread lift procedure comes in handy.
What Is A Neck Thread Lift?
If you want to fix your wrinkled neck but don’t want to go under the knife, the thread lift procedure can be a viable option. The neck thread lift is a cosmetic, minimally invasive procedure that is used as an alternative to facelift surgery. It is also known as a barbed suture lift and uses a medical-grade thread to tighten your skin by inserting and then pulling the thread.
The areas of application for this procedure include areas under the chin and around the neck. The purpose of this technique is to lift and maintain the shape of your neck. This procedure offers stable and progressive rejuvenation for your neck.
Patients who undergo a thread lift procedure experience a steady improvement in their skin tone and tightness. The threads’ placement will activate the body’s healing response; hence the sutured areas heal, and the sutures are expelled.
This occurs because of your body’s biological programming to respond when it encounters a foreign object. Due to the small size of the threads used, most patients would not even feel their presence.
According to a study in 2017, the main outcome expected from a thread lift technique is tighter and firmer skin. This outcome starts to fade after about a year with the dissolution of the sutures. However, it was shown that the secondary rejuvenation effect was retained, which remained noticeable even after three years of the procedure.
With the evolution of technology and techniques, another review recommended more research to be conducted in order to appreciate the long-term outcomes of the thread lift procedure.
How Does A Thread Lift Help with An Aging Neck?
Collagen plays a key role in supporting the growth factors that significantly improve your skin condition. Along with being used for wound healing, collagen also helps provide strength and volume to the skin.
The threads not only help to lift the skin but also activates the healing process in your body. The ‘injury’ that occurs due to the insertion of the threads elicits an augmented synthesis of collagen in the skin.
Physiologically, around 70 years of age, 80% of collagen is depleted. With aging, the strength of your skin reduces with little support from the underlying tissues and muscles. This results in a loss of volume and strength, thereby potentiating excess skin and wrinkles. Weakened skin is lax and loose and is pulled downward by gravity.
Thus, the thread-lift procedure acts as a benevolent method of boosting collagen production, reducing skin slackness by providing hydration and thickness.
Who Is Suitable for A Neck Thread Lift?
Individuals with sagging or wrinkled skin on their necks or those troubled by double chin can benefit from neck thread lift treatment. Typically, people aged between 30 and 50 are the ideal candidates for a thread lift. Any person who notices signs of aging on his neck and is overall in a healthy state can make the best out of a thread lift treatment.
Moreover, people who cannot opt for a surgical facelift because of general anesthesia and its associated health-risks can consider thread lift as a safe alternative. However, it is not an ideal treatment for the removal of fat deposits.
Types of Threads for Treating Wrinkled and Sagging Neck
Even though the neck thread lift procedure has been in practice since the 1990s, the evolution of the thread material used has led to an increase in its popularity lately. There are several types of threads available. These include:
PDO Dissolvable Threads
Polydioxanone (PDO) threads are non-anchoring. Although these threads do not provide a facelift, they potentiate collagen for volume restoration. PDO threads are dissolvable sutures inserted underneath the skin.
These threads work by tightening, lifting, and supporting the weak tissues without using invasive techniques. The procedure done with PDO threads takes about an hour to complete with minimal pain. The time for which the PDO thread’s effect lasts is about 18 to 24 months on average.
Mono Threads
Mono thread is a kind of single PDO filament. Mono threads are smooth and lack barbs that are minimally invasive. These threads are often placed in the skin in a mesh-like fashion to accomplish maximum tightening effects.
After insertion into the skin, the threads trigger collagen production for a steady tightening effect on the skin and its rejuvenation. As mono threads are a type of PDO threads, they tighten the skin but do not substantially lift it.
Mono threads can be utilized to treat the sagginess on the neck by tightening your skin and collagen rejuvenation. Generally, 10 to 30 mono threads are used for each treatment area on average.
Cog Threads
Cog threads and mono threads are similar. However, cog threads differ in the way that they consist of barbs that are attached to the underside of your skin. The barbs allow the cog threads to offer enhanced support to the skin for the lifting of sagged tissue. This occurs by the formation of collagen around the threads and their barbs.
Cog threads can be inserted alone or coupled with mono threads for a greater mechanical suspension of the tissues in the skin. This would give a firm and smooth look and feel. Cog threads are used when the purpose is to create a slimmer face by tightening saggy skin at the jawline. These are also used for lifting jowls, eyebrows, and nose.
Screw Threads
In order to produce the face and neck some volume, screw threads can be a suitable option. The results can be augmented by using the screw threads available, having one or two threads entwined around the inserting needle.
The purpose of using screw threads is to form a V-shaped face by helping to overturn the sunken areas of the skin. In cases where two entwined threads are used, it is known as the “multi screw” method.
What Happens to The Threads Beneath My Skin?
Even though many people relate to the old procedure of the 90s, the neck thread lift procedure has remarkably evolved with time. With very minimal side effects, this procedure offers noticeable yet subtle results for your neck skin.
With no cuts involved, the PDO threads inserted under the skin remain there and dissolve eventually. While stimulating your body to make more collagen for skin tightening, the threads also lift the skin upward.
Can Neck Thread Lift Replace the Need for Botox And Fillers?
Both Fillers and Botox treatment have their own pros and cons. The aesthetic goals may vary from individual to individual, so do the capacity of these procedures. There is a huge difference in the downtime and discomfort associated with these procedures.
According to experts, Fillers create volume, and Botox limits wrinkle-causing muscle movement. A thread lift is by far the easier and more convenient procedure. It has the potential to replace fillers and Botox in combination with other treatments.
It is always better to schedule an appointment and consult your case with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon. You can discuss your needs and understand each procedure to decipher which of them will best suit you.
How Long Do Results from Neck Thread Lift Last?
Although there might be some swelling and bruising, the results from neck thread lift treatment will be noticeable right after the procedure. After the procedure, the patient can return to their routine life. However, your doctor may advise you to avoid rubbing your face and neck.
The American Academy of Plastic Surgeons also recommends that the daily moisturizers should be avoided in the first few weeks after a thread lift treatment. High-intensity workouts and saunas should also be restricted for a few weeks.
The outcomes of the thread lift are not permanent. However, the results of a successful treatment generally last from 1 to 3 years.
Conclusion
Although the neck thread lift procedure has its exciting benefits, it is important to keep realistic expectations. The neck thread lift procedure can provide a more refined and natural outcome than facelift surgery. Thus, the best candidates are the ones who have mild to moderate skin laxity.
About Dream Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery
Bespoke surgical for cosmetic or medical reasons is what Dream covers to bring out the beauty in every individual. Going beyond the aesthetics and working on physical anomalies are what we value the most in leading our patients to cherish self-improvement and confident lifestyles.
Derived from Associate Professor Vincent Yeow’s long-standing experience performing plastic surgery in Singapore, our treatment plans deliver physical remodelling in our patients’ favour. One of the notable remodellings is droopy eyelid correction. The ptosis surgery used for treatment eventually fixes drooping eyelids, improves vision and enhances appearance.
Most importantly, as a trustworthy plastic surgery and aesthetic clinic, we treasure positive and natural outcomes for each individual. We will ensure to deliver the beauty refinement of your dream without compromising your safety and privacy.
