ThreadLift - Feather Lift, Aptos or Suture Lift

The surgery-free facelift that's said to leave you looking younger and fresher in just one hour.

What is it?

The ThreadLift - also known as the Feather Lift, Aptos or Suture lift - is a revolutionary, minimally invasive procedure that uses fine surgical threads to lift areas of the face that have headed south.

Think brows, cheeks, jowls and neck, all repositioned higher.

The Contour Threads that are used to lift and rejuvenate have tiny barbs or cogs that are spaced evenly apart. Once inserted under the skin (via a long needle), they open much like an umbrella and pull tight. This tension then creates a suspension that gently lifts soft tissue, creating a more uplifted and contoured look to the face.

Due to the unique design of the cogs of the contour threads, the surrounding tissues act to hold the thread in place without any telltale scarring.

This procedure doesn't replace a conventional facelift, rather it offers patients an innovative, non-surgical approach to looking younger.

What can it do for you?

The ThreadLift is touted as the hassle-free facelift that can make you lose a decade in less than an hour.

In properly selected patients, droopiness of the brows, cheeks, jowls and neck can all be lifted and improved with this procedure. The ThreadLift can be done on a single area of the face or several areas.

The results are said to be immediate. The lift effect can be up to 30-40 per cent of what a surgical facelift procedure could achieve. The amount of lift that the procedure's likely to achieve will be demonstrated during your consultation.

In general, the best candidates are women in their thirties through to their sixties, who don't want a facelift but feel their look would benefit from a little lift along with stronger facial contours.

However, patients shouldnt be too heavy or too thin or on blood-thinning medication.

The procedure

Performed under local anaesthetic, a typical ThreadLift is quick and easy to perform, usually only taking about an hour to complete. The threads are inserted through tiny (1.5mm) incisions in the hairline and then passed under the skin in precise locations using a small needle.

The threads and their tiny barbs grasp on to droopy fat and tissue, lifting and repositioning it to give a more uplifted and youthful appearance. Once the threads are in position, the body will produce collagen bundles which will surround each one and maintain the lifting effect.

The colourless threads used stay within the deep fat and subcutaneous tissue for life, with little risk of reacting. They're non-absorbable and provide prevention against further ageing.

Patients are able to go home soon after the procedure, but driving is not recommended.

Cost

Prices vary from £1,500 for brows, jowls or neck and £1,800 for cheeks to £2,000-£2,300 for two or three areas.

Recovery time

In general the skin will feel quite swollen, bruised and tight for up to a week after the procedure. Facial movements will be limited for the first two weeks - chewing gum and hard food, facial massages and sleeping on your face aren't allowed for three to four weeks.

However, pain and discomfort is said to be minimal and most patients can resume 'quiet' activities the following day.

What can go wrong?

Risk factors include slight asymmetries and bunching of the skin - in other words, pulling and surface irregularities of the skin.

However, this usually resolves itself spontaneously after two to three weeks.

The comforting thing about this procedure is that it's reversible - the threads can be adjusted or removed altogether if you aren't happy with the results.

There have been reports that the threads can break, but they can hold 61b of weight, so breaking would be very unusual. However, it's possible that you can disrupt the threads if you don't follow the aftercare advice carefully.

How long does it last?

Most ThreadLift results last for three to five years. However, because the threads don't dissolve, the procedure prevents further droopiness for many years.

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