What Is a Thread Lift?

Threads can lift, fill, or smooth the face and other areas that are experiencing signs of aging. A thread lift can gently lift skin almost anywhere a lift is needed, such as "marionette lines" and smokers' lines around the lips. Guys want to look their best but don't want a lot of downtime and so may be reluctant to get a surgical facelift. Krch AESTHETIC MEDICINE in Phoenix, AZ, offers thread procedures to lift, fill, and smooth faces and more. The results are like a facelift and fillers but can be done in about 90 minutes and have almost no downtime. 

The threads or sutures used in these procedures are used in heart surgeries because they temporarily strengthen and help rebuild structural elements. It turns out what is good for the heart is good for the face. A thread lift – beyond lifting the skin – allows your body to absorb the threads, which will stimulate the collagen and elastin in your skin for longer-lasting results. Collagen and elastin are proteins that maintain skin firmness and are naturally present in your body. When you enter your 30's, your body's production of these vital proteins starts to decline, causing your skin to become more prone to wrinkle development. Stress and sun exposure can also cause a loss of these structural elements.  Because a thread lift stimulates collagen and elastin production, it allows your results to last longer. 

Ideal Candidates for Thread Lift

The best candidates for thread lifts are those who want a quick answer to aging faces without surgery or significant downtime. Thread lifts are optimal for you if you are first noticing signs of aging or if your signs are still moderate. A thread lift can help with lines, wrinkles, loosening skin, and sinking or sagging in the mid- and lower face. You are likely a strong candidate if you have any of the following:

• Facial skin that sags
• Volume Loss
• Fine lines
• Wrinkles
• Skin folds
• Jowls
• Turkey neck
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It's best to possess realistic expectations if you are considering a thread lift. The treatment is commonly performed on patients in any age group that are experiencing mild to moderate facial aging. Patients with severe signs of age may be recommended a different treatment. During an initial consultation with Dr. Ryan, your specific concerns will be reviewed, and if a thread lift is beneficial for you. 
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Ask Dr. Ryan about combining a thread lift with an injectable treatment, such as BOTOX®. A Botox injection can help stave off the formation of other lines, such as near your mouth or between your eyebrows, that form because of facial movement. 

What Are the Benefits of a Thread Lift

A thread lift offers many benefits compared to other aesthetic treatments. In addition to boosting your appearance by reducing lines and wrinkles from your image, you can experience the following benefits from a thread lift:

• A quick treatment
• Little to no downtime
• Affordability
• Less invasive than a surgical facelift
• Dissolvable threads, which lessen the risk of complications

What Is the Difference Between a Thread Lift and a Facelift?

A facelift and a thread lift are perfect for patients in generally good health and possess realistic expectations. However, what the two treatments can achieve vary. A facelift is best performed on patients with extensive facial sagging, deep folds, jowls and skin that droops beneath their chin. A thread lift is best suited for patients seeking to alleviate mild to moderate age signs. The treatment can't achieve the same level of correction as a facelift procedure. A thread lift is particularly ideal if you are seeking to delay the need for facelift surgery. The treatment can also be performed after a facelift to help maintain results. 

A thread lift is a preferential treatment for many in comparison to a facelift. While a facelift creates more dramatic results, it is also more invasive, requires a significant recovery time and may result in scarring. 

What Should I Do to Prepare for a Thread Lift?

After you have scheduled your consultation with Dr. Ryan, he will meet with you to discuss your specific concerns and determine the best treatment option to address these concerns. A thorough examination of the area to be lifted will be conducted and your medical history reviewed, after which a treatment plan will be devised. Your treatment plan could exclusively consist of a thread lift but could potentially include other treatments, including an injection of a neuromodulator or filler. 
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The initial consultation is the best time to ask any questions or concerns you may have about the treatment. Getting as much information as you can early in the treatment process will give you a good sense of what a thread lift can do for you. Pre-treatment instructions may be given to help prepare you for your thread lift. Following his instructions will help maximize your results. Dr. Ryan Krch is a primary care naturopathic physician with many years of experience in aesthetics medicine. He firmly believes that nonsurgical procedures can lead to a powerful change in an individual's appearance when performed under an expert's guidance. Dr. Ryan will devise a specialized treatment plan utilizing his expertise and knowledge. 

Thread Lift Procedure Technique

Threads are available in three forms, which are chosen according to your desired result. Lift threads provide traction and gently lift the skin. The Silhouette InstaLift threads we use are the latest technology, so they lift and help increase volume and structure in the skin. Before these threads, most thread lifts lasted a year. These threads are lasting up to 2 years for very similar procedure costs. Twist threads, much like fillers, add volume when they are used. Smooth threads are best for tiny, fine lines, such as smoker's lines above the lip. 
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After Dr. Ryan has determined which thread or threads to use, your thread lift will be performed in our office. It is considered a minor procedure, and you will remain awake, though Dr. Ryan will numb your face with local anesthesia.  If you are typically anxious about procedures, he can provide a calming prescription for the procedure or you can request nitrous oxide during the procedure if it is safe for you to use it.   Dr. Ryan will mark the entrance and exit spots for the threads on your face and then use a very fine needle to place the threads inside your tissue. By gently pulling on the threads, Dr. Ryan can carefully tighten and lift your skin. Depending on the area (or areas) of the face being lifted, your thread lift procedure may last approximately 90 minutes or less.

What to Expect After Your Thread Lift Treatment

With the Silhouette InstaLift threads, you should be able to see your results immediately after the procedure. The effect will continue to improve over the next 90 days as the threads add volume and structure to the areas of the face they were placed. So, what starts out looking good just keeps getting better for several months and stays that way for a couple of years. Very low maintenance!
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The full effect of twist and smooth threads will take about 90 days to transform naturally. Unlike the lift threads, these have a gradual onset, and their effect typically lasts a year. Your skin should appear lifted and smoothed, and you can leave the office immediately after your procedure to recover comfortably in your own home. There is minimal downtime after a thread lift, though you can expect to have some redness, soreness, and bruising at the entry points and less often along the course of threads. Bruising should recover quickly. There can be two to four weeks in which you feel a zinger. A zinger is an odd sensation of the thread settling into its new location. It is not typically painful but a different minor sensation that eventually fades. You will normally require further treatments to keep your results.

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Flow Meter

Our patient’s comfort is always a primary concern. Our procedures are all non-invasive or minimally invasive and relatively comfortable. But, we understand that many people feel a degree of anxiety about any type of procedure. We encourage you to ask about prescription options or our newest addition to creating patient comfort, nitrous oxide! It’s a great way to add comfort to a 15 minute Botox procedure or a full NeoGraft hair transplant.

Unlike our prescription options which typically require you to have a driver to drop you off and pick you up, nitrous oxide is administered at the clinic, it works quickly, and 5 minutes after stopping, its effects are gone and you are good to drive. Nitrous oxide has both an anxiety-relieving and a pain-reducing effect and can be added to any procedure for as little as $75.