According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), more than 78,000 people underwent facelift surgery in 2023 – and a majority of those people were delighted by the result of the procedure.
But 78,000 is a rather small number when you consider the millions of others who would love the results from a facelift, but are either too scared, nervous, or uninterested in the idea of ‘going under the knife.’
If you’re one of those people, then we might have a solution for you: a little something we like to call a ‘PDO thread lift.’
PDO threads have been around for several decades now, but they’ve taken on a new meaning in recent years and have emerged as one of the safest and most effective alternatives to traditional facelift surgery.
It’s okay if this is the first you’re hearing of them – we’re going to detail everything you need to know about PDO thread lifts below!
PDO Threads: A Facelift, But Without the Surgery
If you were to suffer an open wound, your doctor would stitch you up with a special thread called a suture. These sutures (stitches) are made of a medical-grade material known as polydioxanone (PDO for short).
It’s the same material we use during a PDO thread lift. But instead of using it to stitch an open wound, we inject the thread underneath the skin (where you don’t see it) and use it to lift, pull, and tighten the skin.
In other words, it’s facelift surgery without the surgery.
There are three primary types of PDO threads used today – mono threads (which are smooth), cog threads (which contain tiny barbs), and screw threads (which consist of one or two interlaced threads).
Your goals and desired outcome will determine what type of thread is best for you. Mono threads help rejuvenate the skin, cog threads help lift the skin, and screw threads help restore volume loss in the skin.
What Makes MINT™ PDO Threads So Unique?
Originally founded in South Korea, MINT™ PDO is one of the most popular brands of cog threads today and is the world’s first PDO thread with triple certification by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Being a cog thread, MINT™ threads are equipped with tiny barbs that anchor into the fat pads of the skin and reposition tissue. They basically latch onto the fat like a hook on a fish – allowing for control and grip.
So, what makes MINT™ so unique?
- While traditional cog threads cut their barbs from the core of the thread, the barbs on MINT™ threads are press-molded onto the surface of the thread – improving its structural integrity.
- Not only that, but the barbs on MINT™ threads are positioned in a 360° helical pattern around the core of the thread – allowing the thread to better anchor itself onto the 3D structures of the skin.
If that’s not enough to impress you, MINT™ is one of the few PDO threads available today, with more than six years of published articles, journals, and clinical studies to support (and prove) its safety and efficacy.
PDO Thread Lift: What to Expect From the Procedure
From the minute you walk through our doors, the PDO thread lift procedure will take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour to complete. That’s why so many people call it a ‘lunchtime facelift.’ You’ll be in and out by the time your lunch break is over.
You’ll likely feel pressure, but pain and discomfort are minimal thanks to local anesthesia.
Once the anesthesia is applied, your doctor uses a cannula (needle) to insert the threads underneath the skin’s surface – allowing the tiny barbs to anchor themselves into the surrounding fat pads and tissue.
There will be some excess thread hanging out of the skin, which can be pulled on for a lifting effect before being trimmed at the injection site. Once trimmed, the PDO thread won’t be visible to the naked eye.
A Boost of Collagen When (& Where) It’s Needed the Most
The lifting effect from a PDO thread lift is noticeable right away, meaning you won’t have to wait for the results to appear. Any bruising or swelling will subside within the first few weeks (if not the first few days).
But something incredible happens during that time.
Not only do the threads lift and tighten the skin, but they help stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the skin – two proteins the body produces less of as we get older (and one of the main culprits of aging skin).
With more collagen and elastin comes tighter, stronger, and more youthful-looking skin.
And much like the sutures used to close wounds, the threads used in a PDO thread lift will eventually be dissolved into the skin (within six to eight months) – meaning they won’t have to be removed in the future.
Believe Image: You Won’t Believe What We Can Do for You
Do you wish the skin on your face was tighter? Does the idea of surgery put you on edge? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of these questions, we can help rejuvenate your appearance with a PDO thread lift.
MINT™ PDO threads are the most popular alternative to a traditional facelift – and can even be combined with other cosmetic treatments, including microneedling and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) EZ Gel injections.
At Believe Image, we’ve helped countless Greenville, SC, residents achieve noticeable and long-lasting results without the need for invasive surgery.
Contact us today at (864) 400-2727 to find out if you’re a good candidate for a MINT™ PDO thread lift.