"Is a thread lift better the more threads you put in?"
"If the threads dissolve, does the effect disappear with them?"
These are what people looking into thread lifts ask about most.
Hello, I'm Kwon Si-jin, the director you'll be meeting at DA Clinic Myeongdong shortly ^^
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, I wanted to put this together for your information first.
Today I'll set out three things worth confirming in consultation wherever you go.
Do they tell you what the threads are made of?
What most decides how long a thread lift holds isn't the number of threads but the thread material.
Three are mainly used.
- PDOthe most widely used. Duration is 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
You needn't memorise the numbers. Just ask "what material is the thread you're using today?" and see whether the duration you're quoted lines up with that material.
If the material never comes up and only the thread count does, it's worth asking again.
And one common misunderstanding here: the effect doesn't vanish when the thread dissolves. 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.
Do they explain how many threads, and in which direction?
More threads doesn't mean more lift. If anything, placing more than needed can make expressions look unnatural or leave threads palpable.
What matters is placing them precisely where they will catch, against the direction of the descent.
Going a little deeper, three things get decided together.
- Anchor pointwhere the thread catches to hold. Get this wrong and it feels loose within months
- Vectorwhich direction it lifts in
- Layerthe same thread gives a different result placed deep versus in the subcutaneous fat
So ask this in consultation.
- How many threads will be used
- Which direction the plan pulls in
- Why that direction
If it's a consultation where they point it out with you in the mirror and show you what goes where, you can generally trust it.
Do they first assess your degree of sagging?
A thread lift isn't the answer to every kind of sagging.
Where a lot of skin is left over, or the sagging has progressed deeply, threads alone have clear limits.Pushing the thread count up here means the strain grows faster than the result.
Conversely, if threads are recommended while the sagging is still light, that may not be the right order either.
And watch for whether the facial framework is looked at before starting.Whether the temples are hollow, whether the cheekbones project — these change where threads anchor and which way they pull.Pull an already hollow area further and it looks more sunken.
The mapping is better done sitting up.Lying down pushes sagging tissue up and back, so where it has actually descended looks different.
In my experience, a place that says "another method would suit you better than threads right now" tends to be the more trustworthy one.
Sometimes it isn't threads that suit
Inside the single word "sagging" sit things of different character.There's sagging that needs physically hooking up, there's the skin's own firmness having dropped, and there's fat having increased and buried the contour.
Let me be a little more candid.
Threads are strong on the first.The second calls for tightening with heat; the third needs another approach again.
That's why the energy-based lifting families sit separated out at our Myeongdong clinic: Ultherapy PRIME, Shurink Universe and Sofwave on the ultrasound side; Thermage FLX, InMode, XERF and Volnewmer on the radiofrequency side; and Onda on the microwave side.
It isn't about laying out devices. You can only say "threads aren't the answer right now" if there are alternatives. With threads alone, all sagging converges on threads.
What the so-called side effects actually are
Let me pick out three that come up often in thread lift accounts.
- The expression looks unnaturalgenerally described as dividing on the layer the thread caught or the directional plan
- The thread is palpablementioned as being placed in too shallow a layer, or more being placed than needed
- It loosened within monthsif that's early for the material, the anchor points get looked at alongside
You can see the common thread.All three divide on the plan rather than the thread itself. So hearing where they anchor and in which direction is more useful for gauging the result than a long discussion of thread brands.
When more threads are suggested, check that too.Whether the reason is a broad area to cover or not enough lift changes the conversation.If it's the latter, it may be the plan rather than the thread count that needs revisiting.
What the recovery period looks like
A thread lift is tightest immediately after the treatment.Over the following days to weeks it settles into a natural position.
Some people feel it has "come loose" during this period, but usually that's the swelling dropping and the original plan reappearing.
- 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.
- Ask which thread is used
- Which direction they go in makes the result
- First check it suits how much you actually sag
Frequently asked questions
Q. Do the threads stay in my body?
A. Absorbable threads are described as breaking down and being absorbed over time.There's an explanation, though, that collagen formed at the site continues to do some work even after the thread has gone.
Q. Does it hurt a lot?
A. It's done under local anaesthesia, and during the treatment what you mainly feel is a pulling sensation. An ache or tenderness when pressed can remain for a few days, and the experience varies considerably between individuals.
Q. When can I have it again?
A. It depends on the thread material and how much result remains.Rather than waiting until it's gone entirely, replanning while some remains is often described as giving a more natural outcome.
Q. It feels loose after six months — was the thread wrong?
A. Duration differs by material, so checking the material comes first.If it's markedly early for that material, it's described as the anchor points or directional plan that get looked at alongside, rather than the thread itself.
Q. Can I have it with energy lifting?
A. They target different things, so they're sometimes planned together. Doing everything on one day isn't always better, though, so order and interval are safer settled in consultation.
Q. Can I go to work the next day?
A. Most people can carry on as normal.Swelling and a pulling sensation remain, though, so if you have an important date I'd suggest leaving a few days.
You need a basis for looking at cost too
This isn't the place to quote prices, but I can give you one basis for comparing.
At the same thread count, a different material means a different duration. So comparing price per thread alone isn't really comparing. Material and duration have to sit side by side for them to be on the same footing.
And a plan that raises the total by adding threads, versus one that uses fewer through better planning, is hard to rank on the opening number alone.What state it's in months later is the real measure.
Hear all three in consultation — material, thread count and directional plan — and comparison becomes possible from there.
Which thread, in which direction
It all gathers here in the end.
With thread lifts, it's not "how many threads" but "which thread, in which direction" that shapes the result.
What I asked at the opening, I answer here.
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 your time today.This was Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article meant to provide general medical information, and the effects and side effects of treatments may vary by individual. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon. (Medical Service Act Art. 56)