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Amazing new Facelifts without the incisions.
Thread Lifts…Thread Face Lifts…Feather Lifts…Contour Threads…Non-Surgical Lifts and Non-Surgical Facelifts…there are many names for this exciting new procedure. The bottom line… these Thread Lifts are alternatives to the more traditional open facelifts. If you are looking to take years off of your appearance but don’t want the telltale incisions…the Thread Face Lift may be just the ticket.
The Thread Lift is a type of Suture Suspension Facelift that allows loose skin and tissues, of the face/neck/eyebrows to be lifted into a more youthful position. While traditional facelifts use incisions hidden around the ear to gain access to the tissues of the face, these newer, less invasive Thread Lifts can be done through a tiny opening hidden in the scalp. Through this very small opening, Dr. Francis Palmer places sutures with unidirectional barbs that engage loose tissue and allows them to be lifted into a more youthful position. Thread Facelifts and Suture Lifts are the latest innovation in minimally invasive plastic surgery procedures. Who has time for a lengthy surgery or recovery...if you don’t…the Thread Face Lift or the Suture Suspension Lift may be just what you have been seeking.
As we age, the eyebrows begin to shift downward from the inexorable pull of gravity. The Tissues around the mouth roll inward forming the Nasolabial Folds (fold from the corner of the nose to the mouth) and the Jowls (fold from the corner of the mouth to the jaw). Similar aging and tissue shifting occurs in the neck where tissues slides towards the midline accumulating under the chin. Reversing the signs of facial aging used to mean some type of open facelift. Although the facelift still remains the gold standard for facial rejuvenation, clearly there are many individuals seeking a more youthful appearance who do not need a facelift. The Thread Lift and Suture Suspension Lifts are a great way to roll back the clock and look years younger with a minimally invasive procedure.
Thread Face Lift…Suture Lifts…Contour Lifts…Feather Lifts…
Indications:
- Individuals seeking a more youthful appearance.
- Individuals seeking minimally invasive procedure.
- Those with early signs of aging and loose skin.
- People who do not want visible scars.
- People looking for short recovery time after the procedure.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these indications for a Thread Lift or Suture Lift:
We are all seeking a more youthful appearance. We live in a fast paced youth and beauty oriented society. Just one glance at the TV or Magazines today will confirm that fact. People are becoming more and more interested in looking their best and there doesn’t appear to be any end in sight. With experts predicting increased life span, we will have many more years to live and we’ll want to look good as long as possible. Thread Lifts offer a viable alternative to open surgery as a means of capturing lost youth and gaining a more beautiful appearance.
Because we live a fast paced life…you may not have time for an extended recovery after open surgery. Let’s face it, not everyone is a candidate for a full Facelift and that’s OK. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t quick and easy fixes, like the Thread Facelift that can give you a meaningful improvement in your looks. The Thread Lift may be called different names (Feather Lift, Contour Lift and others) but it still means something quite similar. Basically, some type of a suture material is used to reposition aged tissues so that you look more youthful. There are numerous types of Threads or Sutures used to perform the Lifts. These include the following:
- Contour Threads
- Apthos Threads
- Feather Lift
- Contour Lift
Many of these names are created by individuals seeking to brand their particular type of Thread or Suture or by those naming their particular type of Lift procedure. The basic premise however is similar. Tissues of the face and neck are engaged by a Thread or Suture and are lifted to a higher, more youthful position. The suture may contain barbs (hooks) on the suture itself that act to engage (hook) the tissue. This enables the tissues to be lifted by pulling (lifting) on the Suture or Thread. The various types of material used in Thread Face Lifts are:
- Smooth Sutures or Threads that dissolve.
- Smooth Sutures or Threads that do not dissolve.
- Barbed Sutures or Threads that Dissolve.
- Barbed Sutures or Threads that do not dissolve.
- Cross linked or hatched Suture or Threads that dissolve.
- Cross linked or hatched Suture or Threads that do not dissolve.
What is the difference between Thread Lifts using a dissolvable suture and Lifts using a permanent suture? Think of a dissolvable suture as something that will disappear after 1-3 months. Ask yourself, “after that Thread dissolves...what’s left to hold up my Lift?” Thread Lifts that use a permanent, non-dissolving, suture leave the Thread there for a continued Lift. No we all know that nothing lasts forever but in the opinion of Dr. Francis Palmer, longer lasting is better and this generally means choosing a Thread Face Lift that uses a permanent suture.
The barbs or cross-hatching on the Threads act as the catch or how the Thread is able to grasp the tissue. Remember you can’t pull something if you don’t have a hold on it in the first place. The barbs or cross hatching allows the Thread to grab a hold of the tissue so it can be lifted and pulled upward. Barbs are typically smaller than the cross hatched Threads used in Thread Lifts but there are several variations of Threads manufactured for these Thread Face Lifts and sure to be many more varieties in the very near future. Dr. Francis Palmer a world-renowned Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon believes that the Method of how and where the tissues are lifted is as important as choosing the proper Thread Lift material. Recognized by the international media for his revolutionary “Palmer Beauty Principles”TM , Dr. Palmer creates natural youthful beauty using his aesthetic judgment and years of experience. Using Dr. Palmer’s Beauty Principles, we can see how the facial beauty changes with aging (see below).
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Soft rounded feminine features equate with youthful beauty. As the face ages the tissues fall towards the nose, mouth and center of the neck-giving the face a more angular and therefore a more relatively masculine look. The left figure above shows a young youthful and feminine face. The figure in the middle has undergone aging due to the pull of gravity… the direction of which is shown by bold arrows. The overall effect is a relatively angular and more masculine appearance. The Thread Face Lift can reverse these signs of aging by repositioning the fallen tissues back to their more youthful position (far right above). The arrows represent the direction of pull that Dr. Francis Palmer uses during the Thread Face Lift as a means to re-create a natural, youthful face and neck following his “Palmer Beauty Principles”.
The type of Thread Face Lift technique does matter.
Dr. Francis Palmer believes that using a Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift technique where one end of the Thread is fixed as a lifting point ensures better elevation of sagging tissues. Some other threads are meant to be free floating and are not attached (anchored) which may not give a long lasting effect. Basically, Dr. Francis Palmer wants to decide where your face varies from the aesthetic ideal using his “Palmer Beauty Principles”. Once that is determined, the direction of placement and the number of the Threads to accomplish the Non-Surgical Facelift are determined. The pathway (direction of elevation) for each Thread for the Non-Surgical Thread Lift is then marked, on the face, with a surgical marking pen with the patient sitting upright. Once the Thread pathways have been decided, the area is infiltrated with a Novacain-like solution as are the pathways for Thread placement.
The procedure is typically done with these Novacaine-like injections, but some patients may opt for a short Intravenous sedation. The entry sites are within the temporal scalp, along the top of the ear and in the scalp behind the ear. From these entry sites the Threads are passed through the fatty tissues of the face, neck and forehead where the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift is to be performed. The Thread is pulled through the skin near the far end of the tissues to be lifted with the Thread Lift Procedure. The thread is then pulled backwards toward the entry site and the tissues are engaged by the barbs or the cross-hatched segments along the Thread. This provides the method of lifting in the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift. After multiple Threads have been passed and the tissue engaged, the Threads should be fixed or anchored to a stable point in order to maintain the lift. Typically, this is done by placing the opposite end of each thread through the Fascia of the underlying scalp muscles. The fascia offers a tough tissue barrier with which to anchor and tie the far end of the Threads. The ear cartilage also offers an excellent anchor point during the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift Procedure. Once the Threads have been anchored, the Threads are trimmed so they are below the surface of the skin and the entry sites are closed with sutures. The recovery is quick however you will be over-pulled initially and because of that, you may not wish to engage in social interaction or return to work for a day or two. Ice applied to the face typically controls the minimal amount of swelling and makeup can be applied in a few days for further concealment of your Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift Procedure.
Thread Lift/Suture Suspension Facelifts/Non-Surgical Facelifts…Pictures & Photos…
Here’s a picture (photo) example of a patient who is having a Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift. Dr. Francis Palmer has marked the pathway for the Threads and the direction of the elevation of the tissues according to his “Palmer Beauty Principles”. In this Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift, 4 Threads will be placed to create a more rounded fuller cheek, 2 Threads are used to lift the Jowls and 2 Threads are placed to lift the sagging neck. In the Picture, the purple marks were made with a surgical marking pen while the patient sits upright. The top 4 Threads will be anchored to the Temporalis Muscle fascia (within the hairline), the 2 Threads to Lift the jowls will be anchored to the ear cartilage and the 2 Threads to Lift the neck will be anchored to the posterior neck fascia (within the hairline).
Here’s a picture of the same patient immediately after the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift has been completed. You can still see the purple marks indicating the Thread pathways for the Thread Face Lift. The patient had the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift done under a local anesthetic using a Novacaine type substance and was awake during the entire procedure. She’ll have a gauge wrap placed as a dressing overnight that will be removed in our office the following morning. As you can plainly see, from the Photo, the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift has elevated and lifted the sagging tissue and skin nicely. There is some minimal degree of over-correction. This settles in the first week or two after the Thread Lift but you may not want to return immediately to work or attend social functions for the first week or so. It’s very important after having one of these Thread Non-Surgical Face Lifts, not to lie, tug or move the tissues against the direction of the pull or lift. For that reason, we ask patients to sleep on neck pillows and limit facial movements for the first 2-3 weeks following the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift Procedure. Patients are given a course of Antibiotics and some mild pain medication.
Here’s the same patient about 1 week after the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift Procedure. There are few telltale signs of the Thread Face Lift although there is still some over correction that will settle down in the following 2 weeks or so. The patient has returned to work and is thrilled with the results of the Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift. Contact us today for your Thread Non-Surgical Face Lift Procedure.