ThreadLifts

The History of ThreadLifts

The idea of using sutures (known to the public as “threads”) with anchoring “barbs” to suspend facial skin tissues in a minimally-invasive way was first popularized in 1991 by Greg Ruff, MD, inventor of the FDA-approved “Contour Threads.” These were permanent sutures that were much like a bird tail feather in design. Dr. Kessler Hudak was personally trained in using these by Dr. Ruff. Sadly, if the patient did not adhere strictly to the post-procedure directives, there could be undesirable outcomes with these Contour Threads. This occurred enough times over a couple of decades that the FDA took them off the market about 2009.

Since that time, various physicians have toyed with the idea and set upon ways to improve “Thread Lifts” to render reliable results. Thus were born the dissolvable PDO, PLA, and PCA threads, each with many different anchoring barb designs to optimize lift of the skin in specified parts of the face, neck, or body. Some designs are more preferred to others, considering the actual tissue being targeted for the lift.

In general, the particular material the thread is made of effects the longevity of the lift. PDO threads, for instance, tend to dissolve in 3-6 months, and the lift lasts 9-12 months. PLA and PCA threads tend to dissolve in 12-18 months, and the lift lasts 24-36 months.

To summarize, the suture/thread material determines the duration of lift,…and the suture/thread design determines the effectiveness and “look” of the lift.

ThreadLifts Used by Dr. Kessler Hudak

She uses many different thread designs, depending on the skin thickness, texture, and heaviness of the skin and/or fat being targeted for lift. She predominantly uses PLA and PCA threads due to their proven greater longevity, although there are times that PDO threads are preferred. Dr. Kessler Hudak customizes the choice of sutures/threads to you and what your goal is.

Sometimes, she will recommend that attention first be paid to the volume of the infrastructure bones to get optimal results. In these cases, she will suggest a volumizing filler be used prior to the thread lift. You can think of this as making a cake. The volumizing filler is analogous to the baked cake, and the thread lift is analogous to the icing over the cake.

Sometimes, she will discuss chemical peels, medical-grade skincare, laser resurfacing/ultrasound/ micro-needling/radiofrequency/plasma procedures with or without platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and its stem cell growth factors to improve the quality of the skin to optimize results.

In all cases, she will recommend what things she believes will optimize results while simultaneously giving you the best value for the money.