Thread Face Lifts: Plastic Surgery for Face Lift
Thread lifts are a quick alternative to the conventional face lifts. They are quick, less expensive and usually require minimal recovery time. Thread lifts can be performed within 60-90 minutes and hence are sometimes referred to as “quick face lifts”.
Thread lifts are not as effective as facelifts. Thread lifts are undertaken by people who have minimal signs of ageing on their faces. Typically, women in the age group of 35-45 who tend to show some signs of losing fat on the face and show signs of skin starting to just droop a bit will go for the threadlift face procedure. Some other people who may look for thread lifts are people who need a little face lift after an aggressive face lift surgery; so a slight touch up using thread lift would suffice. Get more information on how to find and prepare yourself before face plastic surgery.
Contour and Aptos Threads Face Lift Procedure
There are two types of thread face lift procedures in practice: The Contour Thread Lift and The Aptos Thread Lift. The Contour Thread Lift procedure has been practiced  in the United States before the Aptos Procedure. The main difference between the two is the way these procedures are design. Contour Threads are unidirectional and fixed in the area of initial access. The FeatherLite or Aptos Threads are bidirectional.
Thread Lift Plastic Surgery Procedure
The surgeon uses a very thin needle to insert the thread under the facial tissues. There are barbs at one end of the sutures and an anchor at the other end. The barb holds and lifts the sagging skin. the other end of the thread, the anchor root in to hold the skin up. The surgeon will make small incisions in the identified areas to insert the threaded needle. There are various techniques employed by plastic surgeons for the thread face lift procedure. the most common are the open thread lift and the closed thread lift procedures. Some surgeons use a hybrid of the two.
Since thread lifts involve minimal of or zero invasive procedures, they are performed as outpatient procedures. Local anesthesia provided in some cases.
Sometimes the thread lifts are used to complement and support the conventional face lift plastic surgery.
Recovering from a Thread Lift: After the Thread Lift
You may take about a week to completely get back to you normal life. The surgeon will brief you on the precautions you need to take after the surgery.
- Arrange for help to drive you back from the hospital immediately after the thread lift.
- Eat semi solid to liquid foods.
- Avoid hard and strenuous work for a week.
- For a week, sleep with your head elevated using a pillow.
- Try not to sleep on you face while recovering (for at least a week)
- Do not scrub of rub your face too hard, in fact just dab your face when you wash. Be very gentle.
- If you have pain, ask your surgeon to prescribe some oral painkillers to relieve you of the pain.
Risks and Complications of Thread Face Lift Procedure: Side Effects
Some of the risks and side effects of thread lift are:
- Your face may swell and fell itchy for some time.
- Sometimes the sutures may become visible under the skin due to negligence or inexperience on the part of your surgeon
- Scar tissue may form if your incisions get infected.
- Sometimes the thread may break – needing another session of thread lift.
- There are chances of you face looking a bit uneven, if not properly done.
Cost of Thread Lift Surgery
Thread lifts may cost anywhere between $1500 and $3000 depending on how much work is to be done. The cost will also vary from location to location and from surgeon to surgeon.