"They say one round of thread lift lifts sagging cheeks right up — would it work for me too?"
"My friend saw results, but I'm on the fuller side, so I'm hesitating."
These are things people thinking about a thread lift bring up all the time.
Hello.I'm Kwon Si-jin, the director preparing to open in Myeongdong ^^
We're getting ready to open our doors in Myeongdong soon, and since so many people have been asking about thread lifts ahead of our opening, we wanted to put together this overview for your information first.
If there's a lot of cheek volume, pulling hard with threads alone can do the opposite of what you hoped — little effect, or it settles back quickly. I'll tell you straight, without holding back.
With a thread lift, what decides the result isn't 'how many threads go in' but 'on whom, and in which direction.' Wherever you have it done, let's go through the standards worth keeping.
A Thread Lift Is a Treatment That 'Supports and Lifts With Threads'
A thread lift is a non-surgical treatment that places threads absorbable by the body (the PDO, PCL, and PLLA families) into the appropriate layer beneath the skin to pull up sagging tissue.
The placed thread supports and lifts the tissue immediately, while at the same time inducing collagen regeneration around it.
It's easier to understand if you picture lifting a drooping curtain slightly with an invisible pin and fixing it in place ㅎㅎ
The thread itself is absorbed naturally over 6–12 months, and the collagen regeneration effect tends to last longer than that, about 1–2 years.(it differs from case to case)
First, Honestly, We Don't Recommend It for Those With Too Much Volume
A thread lift is a treatment that 'lifts up' sagging tissue, so the heavier the weight it has to support, the harder it is to hold.
The first thing I want to point out is this part.
If someone with full cheeks or deeply advanced sagging tries to solve it with threads alone, they may find the effect falls short of expectations or sinks back quickly.
So rather than "let's put threads in first", we look at the amount of sagging and the thickness of the volume first, and sort out whether threads are right for that person. For those with a lot of volume, we tend to discuss other approaches alongside, which we consider the honest way to practice.
Second, the Vector (Direction) and the Thread Layer Are the Real Key
Many people ask 'how many' threads were put in, but what's actually more important is in which direction and into which layer they're placed.
Sagging flows in a different direction for each person.
If you get the direction that lifts against that flow — the vector, that is — wrong, the line can look awkward no matter how many threads you add.
The same goes for the layer the threads are placed in.The result differs depending on whether you place them in the deep layer (SMAS) or the subcutaneous fat layer, so you have to look at the sagging pattern and design it personally for each individual.This is exactly the point where the results diverge even when the same thread is used.
Third, Hollowing at the Back of the Cheek and the Cheekbones Need to Be Checked in Advance
As you pull the front up with threads, the back of the cheek can look slightly hollowed by the amount it's pulled.
The less cheek volume someone has, the more this part needs attention.
So before the treatment we look at the bone structure together.Depending on whether the temples are hollowed or the cheekbones protrude, we have to adjust the degree and direction of the pull.
Rather than pulling a lot and hard no matter what, it's about deciding 'how much' to pull to match your own facial bone structure. This is something that helps to check in advance, wherever you have it done.
Honestly, If It Came Loose in 6 Months, There's a Reason
You'll occasionally hear the story, "I had a thread lift but it sagged right back in half a year."
But since this is a treatment where, factoring in the collagen regeneration effect, you usually expect 1–2 years, if it came loose all of a sudden in 6 months, the likelihood is high that the issue was the fixation point or vector design rather than the treatment itself.
If the fixation point the thread hangs from is weak, or the direction of the pull doesn't match the flow of the sagging, it can sink back quickly over time.
Of course, since tissue condition and recovery speed differ from person to person, there's individual variation in how long the effect lasts. That said, if it came loose too early, I'd recommend you make sure to go over the fixation point and direction design next time.
The thread material divides the duration
Even within "threads," the material divides — and the duration divides with it.
- PDOthe most widely used. Generally given as six to twelve months
- PLLAdescribed as lasting longer, with twelve to twenty-four months mentioned
- PCLspoken of as the longest, with some sources putting it beyond eighteen months
So when you're judging "it loosened after six months," checking the material first is the right order. If it's markedly early for that material, that's when the anchor points or the directional plan get looked at alongside.
And the effect doesn't vanish with the thread. There's an explanation that collagen formed along the thread's path continues to do some work for a while, so the thread's lifespan and the result's lifespan don't overlap exactly.
Recovery runs in this order
- Day 1 to 3the most uncomfortable stretch. The pull is distinct when you yawn or laugh broadly
- Around a weekswelling drops noticeably and the pull eases with it
- 2 to 4 weeksit settles and the expression becomes natural. This is close to the actual appearance
For the first few days it's safer not to open your mouth wide or rub firmly, and best to postpone anything that adds a lot of heat, such as saunas.
That said, if pain doesn't ease but worsens, if only one side swells with warmth, or if a thread can be felt through the skin, don't wait — contact where you had the treatment immediately.
Set the three families side by side
Inside the single word "sagging" sit things of different character.So the approaches diverge too.
- Ultrasound (HIFU)deep layers, point by point. Lifting what has descended. Ultherapy PRIME, Shurink Universe, Sofwave
- Radiofrequency (RF)warming the dermis as a plane. Firmness and texture. Thermage FLX, InMode, XERF, Volnewmer
- Microwavereaching the fat layer. Tidying the contour. Onda
Threads are a family of their own again, because they don't contract tissue with heat — they physically hook and lift.
The reason we have all of these families at our Myeongdong clinic is simple: you can only say "you don't need this right now" if there are alternatives. With one device, whatever sagging walks in converges on that one device.
- Not the number of threads but direction and anchor points make the result
- With full cheeks, pulling with threads alone tends to settle back quickly
- The thread material changes how long it lasts
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do the threads stay in my body permanently?
A. The threads used in a thread lift are of a material absorbable by the body, so over time they break down naturally.We use absorbable threads of the PDO, PCL, and PLLA families, and they usually dissolve and disappear over 6–12 months.So they don't stay permanently. That said, the collagen regeneration effect stimulated while the threads are being absorbed lasts longer than that, about 1–2 years. So rather than "it goes right back to the original state once the threads dissolve", it's more accurate to see it as the firmness improvement being maintained for a while even after the threads are gone.There is individual variation in how long the effect lasts.
Q. Can I go back to daily life right after the treatment?
A. A thread lift is done with local anesthesia and no incision, so it's not a treatment where you have to rest for a long time to recover. That said, it doesn't mean you can carry on exactly as usual from the same day.Slight swelling or bruising may show right after the treatment, and it usually settles within a week.And for the 1–2 weeks while the placed threads settle into position, avoid expressions that laugh big or open the mouth wide, and saunas and intense exercise.When sleeping too, it's good to sleep facing the ceiling so the treatment area isn't pressed against the pillow.You may feel a slight tightness for about 1–2 weeks, but it gradually becomes natural.
Q. Can I have it together with other lifting treatments?
A. A thread lift is often received together with Botox or filler, or with radiofrequency and ultrasound lifting like Thermage and Ultherapy.While the thread physically supports and lifts the sagging tissue, radiofrequency and ultrasound firm up the elasticity and skin texture, so the roles differ slightly.So for those worrying about sagging and elasticity together, combining can be helpful.That said, having several all at once isn't unconditionally the right answer — looking at your own sagging pattern and skin condition to decide which combination suits, and the order of treatments, while diagnosing, comes first.
Direction over count
Keep only the point and it's this.
A thread lift — more than the number of threads, it's 'candidate selection, vector, and fixation point' that make the result.
That question you raised at the start — can you see its answer now?
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share news of our opening and treatment information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thank you for reading to the end.This was Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article intended to provide general medical information; the effects and side effects of treatments may vary by individual. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon. (Medical Service Act Art. 56)