A new study published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery comes to the conclusion that Thread Lifts, a popular type of lunchtime facelift, just don't work. Here are some details:
- 33 patients who underwent thread lifts were compared to 10 patients who underwent other surgical procedures.
- Follow-up averaged 21 months.
- On a scale of 0 (no improvement) to 3 (considerable improvement), those patients undergoing thread lifts scored lowest, showing only 0.3-0.5 degrees of improvement.
- For those patients who underwent traditional surgical procedures, their scores ranged from 1.5-2.3.
- The authors conclude that the improvement seen by thread lifts at 1 month were likely due to swelling and inflammation.
- The authors conclude that thread-lifts carry a high risk of complications, while extensive scarring may make it difficult to remove the threads, which is problematic because studies have found up to 20% of patients need a repeat surgery.
I do not perform thread lifts because the results I've seen from even the most respected plastic surgeons have been unimpressive. Most physicians who perform thread lifts are not real plastic surgeons, but cosmetic surgeons who learn the procedure in a course. There is no real substitute for a well-done facelift or mini facelift (in selected patients).
For more information on the threadlift study, click here.
Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:
