While searching for the latest and greatest in skin-rejuvenating treatment options or simply scrolling social media, you may have come across the PDO Thread Lift. This treatment has become popular on Instagram and TikTok videos with many influencers touting it as a sort of holy grail of nonsurgical face-lifts.
It’s a minimally invasive treatment claimed to have the ability to lift, rejuvenate and tighten the skin, decreasing sagginess and looseness. This might sound enticing, but at Greenwich Medical Spa, we do not offer PDO threading because it does not provide long-lasting results. Worse, this treatment can come with painful and unsightly complications. We’ll explain more below, and we won’t leave you wondering what is a better option for a nonsurgical face-lift — we’ve got you covered!
Now that PDO threading has been around for a while, its effectiveness and side effects have been well documented. This treatment consists of inserting barbed polydioxanone threads beneath the skin then tightening them, which pulls up drooping facial tissues and brings the skin into a tighter, higher position. The action immediately lifts the face, providing a look somewhat similar to a face-lift.
Unfortunately, the benefits are short-lived. Much of the results seen from a thread-lift are simply due to post-treatment swelling. Once the swelling and inflammation subside, results quickly fade because PDO threading does not affect facial volume – a major contributor to the skin sagging that comes with aging. Excess skin can also remain even after the treatment has been given.
Beyond short-term results (as little as two months), complications from the treatment can include infection, dimpling of the skin as well as scar tissue. In fact, some of what seems like collagen formation may actually be scar tissue! This can be both an immediate problem and cause problems going forward. In addition, the downtime and treatment regulations associated with PDO threads are quite extensive including, no exercise for 2 weeks, no sleeping on the sides of the face for 2 weeks, no skincare laser treatments for 3 months and no facials for minimum 6 weeks. Patients are also not able to make extreme facial expressions for an extensive period of time.
“Scar tissue developed from a PDO Thread Lift has been discussed in many plastic surgery and dermatology journals from the very beginning of the trend. This scar tissue in the dermis of the skin can negatively impact how the skin ages as well as making it more difficult to achieve results from other non-surgical and surgical aesthetic procedures. The tissue becomes thicker, uneven, and can eventually cause worsened laxity over time when threads are no longer present” according to GMS Clinical Director Amanda Pucci. “It can create complications for future treatments a patient may decide to receive. For example, scar tissue can reduce the effectiveness and success of a face-lift because it may not be amenable to the movement and restructuring required from the surgery.”
Rather than rolling the dice with this risky treatment, we recommend that our patients consider the Greenwich 3D Lift or dermal fillers — two safe, successful treatments that improve the appearance of the face today and keep it healthy for the future.
We developed the nonsurgical, no-downtime Greenwich 3D Lift to tighten, retexturize and rejuvenate the skin by simultaneously targeting multiple dermal layers. This proprietary treatment combines skin-rejuvenating RF Microneedling with skin-tightening ultrasound energy and skin-regenerating injections of a special serum to boost collagen and elastin production, strengthen muscle fibers, even skin tone, shrink pores, and impart a youthful glow. Best of all, this treatment is an ideal fit for all skin types and tones, and patients of any age can benefit from its lifting effects.
Our second recommendation that offers safer, better and longer-lasting results than a PDO Thread Lift is dermal fillers, which effectively reduce or eliminate wrinkles. Our hyaluronic acid fillers can be used to fill lines and wrinkles, replace facial volume, improve scarring and plump lips. At GMS, we offer multiple fillers and formulas to best meet the needs of each individual patient. Our expert injectors are true artists and know how to provide natural-looking results. Some fillers can last up to 18 months before a touch-up is needed.
We have more than 17 years of experience with skin tightening, resurfacing treatments, and injectables and fillers. We only offer those that are safe, effective and beneficial. While a surgical face-lift offers the most dramatic results, if you are not ready for surgery or not interested in the recovery time it requires, the Greenwich 3D Lift or dermal filler injections will give you visible, long-lasting and beautiful results.
Contact us today to get lifted!
