Thread lifts

A thread lift uses fine threads, placed under the skin through a needle or cannula, to give a subtle lift. Threads with small barbs, or cogs, grip the tissue so it can be held in a lifted position.

Most of our options use PDO (polydioxanone) threads, which your body absorbs over about 6 to 8 months. APTOS and MINT are thread brands.

Our thread lifts are carried out by a doctor. The evidence is limited. Studies show an improvement straight after treatment, but most are small, and long-term results haven't been well studied. So we talk about a subtle, temporary change. A thread lift isn't a substitute for a surgical facelift.

In the studies, people over 50 had more skin dimpling and infection after a thread lift. We'll talk through what that means for you at your consultation.

1. 1

   Step 1: Consultation and assessment

   We look at your face, talk through what you'd like to change and go through your medical history. We'll explain which threads we'd suggest, and why.

2. 2

   Step 2: Preparing the area

   The area is cleansed, and the doctor numbs it with a local anaesthetic injection.

3. 3

   Step 3: The treatment

   The threads are placed under the skin through a fine needle or cannula, then positioned to give the lift we planned together.

4. 4

   Step 4: Straight afterwards

   Swelling, bruising and tenderness are common. You'll get aftercare advice, including the signs to look out for.

Common and expected

Swelling, bruising and tenderness. In a review of 26 studies, swelling was reported in about a third of people.

Less common

Dimpling or puckering of the skin (about 1 in 10 people), numbness or tingling, and threads you can see or feel under the skin.

Rare but serious

Infection, or a thread working its way out through the skin, each in about 2 in 100 people. Contact us straight away if the area becomes hot, very painful or swollen.