PDO Thread Lift

For those who are starting to see some sagging, jowling, crepey skin, wrinkly knees, loose abdomen, or want a little lift to the booty and breast,  yet aren’t ready to go under the knife for heavy-duty plastic surgery,

PDO threads are a GREAT alternative!  

Why we love them!   PDO threads help  correct the  Universal Markers of Aging

Woman's face showing stages of aging from young to older.

The 3 D‘s of Aging

Deterioration – Cellular

Deflation – Volume loss

Descent – Ptosis

Volume loss

 After seeing the amazing results from PDO threads, Dr. Scott decided to offer this suite of products to our patients.   Dr. Scott trained under one of the top Beverly Hills plastic surgeons, and since then, has been excited to see the beautiful results in our patients.   When they are happy, he is happy, and our reviews reflect that!   We use various threads, but Miracu and the Beverly Hills HDPDO threads are our favorites.   These types of lifts are also referred to as Soft Lift, Feather Lift or Happy Lift.

What are PDO Threads

PDO threads are FDA-Cleared absorbable surgical sutures that are inserted under the skin providing a smoothing and lifting effect. PDO stands for polydioxanone, an absorbable suture often used in deep wound closures or surgeries, such as open-heart procedures. It’s one of the safest materials to be planted in the body.  Our treatments using PDO threads, fall more under the category of Regenerative Aesthetics as opposed to Cosmetic Aesthetics.    

Why regenerative?

They increase Type 1 Collagen, upregulate extracellular matrix, and increases fibroblasts. 

Other benefits:

  Builds Collagen AND Elastin.   Collagen helps with Volume, and Elastin is responsible for Smoothness & Tightness

  Increases Nitric Oxide Production

  Vasodilation properties + Increased Blood Flow

  Angiogenesis = Rosy Complexion

  As PDO thread breaks down it stimulates formation of natural collagen and elastin. It enhances health & quality of subcutaneous tissue.

How does PDO Threading work?

The physician makes several tiny incisions into the skin. The special long, antibiotic threads are inserted under the skin. They are then tied in loops to lift the slackened tissue.    The loops are fixed firmly into place to a permanent anchor point.  The threads dissolve over the course of several months and dissolve all by themselves once they have done their job and the tissue has had time to bind to its new position.  The result is a nonsurgical lift with little to no downtime!

Most procedures take less than an hour. These procedures are often done in stages for best results.    Clients need different numbers and types of thread, depending on the condition of the skin, problem areas to be treated, etc.   So you don’t end up purchasing more threads than necessary, Dr. Scott prefers to do an initial insertion, then after the threads settle and the swelling has gone down, he then re-evaluates you in about 4 weeks, to see if other threads need to be placed. Often, no additional threads are needed.  Sometimes, however, after the threads have settled, you may decide there are a few other areas that may need volume or a slight lift.  Dr. Scott will make recommendations, but all decisions are collaborative, and we will always be sure to review pricing with you prior to placing additional threads!

PDO Mono Thread Skin Tightening procedure on a woman's check area.

 We have found that combining treatments often give better and longer-lasting results.  For this reason, threads are often combined with other modalities such as fillers, Sculptra and PRP.

Types of PDO Threading

There are 2 types of PDO thread techniques we use to achieve different results. The duration of your results will vary, depending on your genetics, hormonal adequacy, and how you take care of your skin. We can provide you with the products you need to achieve the best results…. that last.

Lifting: Barbed PDO threads are inserted under the skin to provide lift to the surrounding tissue, giving immediate results. These threads have the ability to immediately reposition excess skin and facial fat pads that begin to descend as a patient ages, restoring a youthful V-shape to the face. This natural repositioning reduces the appearance of age markers and deep expression lines (i.e. nasolabial folds, marionette lines, jowls, “turkey neck).

Collagen Building for Volume: Smooth PDO threads are inserted in a hashtag pattern under the skin. This serves as a foundation for new collagen and elastin production. This technique tightens the skin naturally over time, smoothing the area and providing noticeable volume where volume has been lost due to aging. The results last up to a year. Dr. Scott can also use volumizing threads that fill deeper wrinkles.

How is the PDO Thread Lift procedure accomplished?

The face is numbed with a specially compounded numbing cream for about 20 minutes, and the insertion areas are numbed with a lidocaine injection. There is usually minimal to no pain and results are generally seen immediately.   Keep in mind, there is usually some swelling and slight bruising, but the results will continue to improve as things settle out.

Where are PDO threads used?

FACE: 

  • Brows – to lift and give eyes a refreshed and tighter look
  • Cheeks – lift and restore volume to cheeks for a prettier shape
  • Jawline – helps give a more defined jawline.  A sagging jawline is one of the first things other people notice when they see your face `we can help you tighten that up!
  • Lip flip –great for somebody who just wants definition, a slight plump and maybe a little more long-term, natural alternative to filler
  • Lip Lines:   can really work well for individuals who want to reduce the look of the lines around their mouth but don’t necessarily want more lip volume

BODY:

  • arms (often referred to as bat wings)
  • abdomen – to help tighten
  • mini butt lift
  • wrinkled knees
  • inner thighs
  • decollete  of cleavage wrinkles
  •  lift sagging breasts

How long will my results last?

This depends on a number of factors:

  • Your body’s metabolism, your genetics, your hormonal balance, how well you care for your skin, as well as overall health.
  • It also depends on whether you are lifting or using the threads for volume.
  • The quality of the threads makes a great deal of difference, as does the number of threads inserted, the thickness of the threads, and the area lifted.
  • Areas of high animation (e.g. around the eyes and mouth, the knees, etc.) break down faster than areas of low animation.
  • Barbed PDO threads also promote the body’s production of collagen and elastin which effectively maintains the lift, once the threads have dissolved, and can last 12-24 months.
  • The smooth threads that are used for volume, as they stimulate the growth of collagen and elastin, tend to last 9-12 months. These results are not permanent because even though we are building new collagen, our old collagen continues to break down. 

We have a number of tools to use to help  maximize your lift , and help you to have fewer touch ups, as time goes along.  Check out our video about how the threads work. 

Ready to schedule an appointment?

Give us a call at 704-282-9355.