Thread lift aka thread planting: what are the benefits and risks?

What is the thread planting procedure?

A thread lift is a quick cosmetic procedure in which the doctor will insert a thin needle to insert serrated polypropylene suture threads through a layer of fat under the skin. The threads are then pulled tight to remove loose skin and tissue on the face and neck.

The pros and cons of the thread planting procedure

Unlike face lifts which involve removing the tissue, this procedure relies solely on the skin tightening effect of the thread pulling to make the face appear younger.

If you're considering plastic surgery, thread lifts sound like a tantalizing alternative: they're cheaper than face lifts, painless, and relatively fast.

However, the thread lift has received some harsh criticism from many conventional plastic surgeons. Most of them question the validity of this thread lifting procedure, as thread lift has never been medically researched and through peer-reviewed regarding its effectiveness and safety.

Reporting from NYTimes.com, Dr. Thomas Romo III, director of the department of plastic and facial reconstructive surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital Manhattan , argued that a medical procedure must pass laboratory research and clinical studies for at least 10 years before it can be marketed to the public.

Furthermore, Romo and a number of other surgeons questioned the licensing of a number of thread lift practitioners - not only plastic surgeons, but also ophthalmologists, obstetricians and general practitioners - who have had little training in facial anatomy or surgical procedures, outside of training. short courses offered by a number of informal courses on specialization operations.

A doctor who does not have extensive knowledge and experience, according to dr. Rober Singer, a plastic surgeon at La Jolla, can unconsciously insert a surgical needle and thread into important facial structures, such as the nerves of the facial muscles, causing side effects such as relaxation and infection.

The negative reactions from plastic surgeons seem to stem from many problems arising from complaints from patients and other doctors regarding unsatisfactory results.

Side effects reported by thread transplant patients

Most of the problems with thread implantation reportedly stem from the threads used in procedures that - according to experts - have been used internally for many years in surgery and are so completely compatible with body tissues that they are unlikely to be rejected by the body's systems.

Unfortunately, many patient complaints actually refute these claims. Not a few patients have to undergo repair procedures for the second or third time because of problems experienced due to the insertion of threads.

The most common issues are threads sticking out of the face and clearly visible, headaches after the procedure, or a tingling sensation under the skin. Many patients also complain that the results of their thread lift actually make their facial skin looser or more wrinkled.

This complaint was supported by the results of an informal survey conducted American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2005. 198 out of 900 doctors said they had tried the procedure, and 60 percent reported complications. In some cases, the thread breaks or arises to the surface of the skin (NYTimes, 2005).

Long-term effects of transplanting threads

A study chaired by Rima F. Abraham, MD is published in Journal of Facial Plastic Surgery in 2009, examined the long-term effectiveness of thread lifts for facial rejuvenation.

Quoted from NCBI.com, Abraham and the team gathered 33 thread lift participants: 23 patients had undergone other cosmetic procedures in addition to thread lift, while the rest had only acted as running thread lift. The remaining 10 people acted as a control group of comparisons.

The results of each participant were then examined by a panel of plastic surgeons and assessed for facial structures "before and after" in the session blind assessment , using a scale of 0-3. A month after the procedure, the panel agreed to an increase in appearance for all participants.

However, at the follow-up examination 21 months later, the thread lift group of participants had the lowest aesthetic scores, with a value of 0.2 - 0.5. For the thread lift and other cosmetic procedures group, their performance improvement scores were 0.5 - 1.4, while the control group scored 1.5 - 2.3.

The complications of suturing that were seen in this study included threads rising to the surface of the face, and skin protruding. Researchers agree that the thread lift procedure carries a high risk of complications, while deep scarring may make it difficult for doctors to remove the thread. In fact, 20% of the participants of the study were required to remove their threads.

So, is thread planting effective?

In conclusion, thread transplanting is not an effective procedure for providing long-term results, as it does not alter the volume shifts in the face that occur due to the aging process. The reason is that thread lifts only "hide" excess loose skin by tightening it. In fact, the tissue is still attached to the face. The results shown one month after the thread lift are most likely due to swelling and inflammation, according to Abraham.

There may still be many beauty clinics around you that offer thread lift services, but this is only limited to a limited number of dermatologists compared to conventional plastic surgeons who generally give poor ratings of this procedure.