If you miss the firm, wrinkle-free skin of your younger years but don’t feel like a facelift is for you, don’t fret. There are surgery-free ways of rejuvenating your skin, and a thread lift is one of our favorites.
At Wrinkle Fairy with locations in Arlington Heights, Oakbrook, Naperville, and the Gold Coast, Chicago, Illinois, Leslie Forrester, APRN, and our team are experts in providing surgery-free cosmetic services, including minimally invasive thread lifts. This service provides incredible results and requires only the commitment of a lunch hour.
We’ve put together this guide to explain what thread lifts are and why you should consider one if you’re not ready for a facelift!
A thread lift is just what it sounds like and uses tiny threads to tighten and lift your skin. These aren’t just any threads, though; they’re made from an FDA-approved absorbable material, either polydioxanone, poly-L-lactic acid, or a blend of the two.
The threads have tiny barbs that cause no pain and are placed using a needle called a blunt cannula. This needle doesn’t leave a scar, just a hole like from an injection.
Once the thread is in place Leslie pulls it tight, causing the barbs to grab your skin and hold your muscles and tissues in place. The threading is repeated until your aesthetic goals are reached.
The needle and barbs create microscopic wounds that trigger your body’s natural healing processes and increase collagen and elastin production. Collagen and elastin are essential proteins that help your skin look and feel younger and tighter.
After your thread lift you’re left with tighter and younger-looking skin, all without the need for surgery. That’s really the biggest benefit—all the great results of a facelift without the need to go under the scalpel!
Threads dissolve in about six to eight months, but the benefits of triggering your body’s natural healing processes and collagen and elastin production last so much longer. These proteins work to improve the quality of the skin in the thread lift area, meaning your benefits can last up to three years.
You may notice some swelling or bruising at the site of the suture, but most patients don’t experience major side effects. Avoid any dental work for two weeks and strenuous physical activity for three weeks to give your skin time to heal.
The other great thing about thread lifts is that you’ll see noticeable improvements immediately, and as you heal, your skin continues to look better. Optimal results usually show in about three months.
At Wrinkle Fairy, we can use a thread lift to treat nearly any part of the face where your skin is loose, sagging, or wrinkled, including:
Thread lifts can also be used in other areas in some cases, like wrinkled skin around the belly button from pregnancy, cellulite, and buttocks. However, it is more difficult to do a thread lift on the body, and not as many patients are good candidates.
To determine if you are a candidate for a thread lift, Leslie reviews your health history, evaluates your skin, and discusses your aesthetic goals. Before recommending a PDO thread lift, she reviews your health history and evaluates your skin.
She then develops a customized treatment plan for your thread lift, including a maintenance schedule if you want one. Leslie can also suggest other treatment options to enhance the results of your thread lift and help you achieve all your aesthetic goals.
If you’re ready to learn more about a thread lift, we’re here to help. Schedule an appointment online or over the phone at the Wrinkle Fairy location nearest you, today.
