Threads sit between filler and surgery, useful in the right hands, overused in the wrong ones.
Thread lifts have been in and out of fashion for two decades. The current generation of biocompatible, absorbable threads, like the Aptos range we use, has improved meaningfully in safety and predictability. The honest truth is that threads still need very careful patient selection.
What they are. Threads are biocompatible filaments, often with small barbs or cones, placed under the skin to provide immediate mechanical lift and stimulate collagen remodelling for several months. They absorb over six to twelve months, leaving collagen scaffolding behind.
Who is the right candidate. Clients in their forties to early sixties with moderate jawline laxity or cheek descent but good underlying skin quality. The skin needs to be reasonably elastic to hold the thread and produce a natural-looking result. Clients with very loose or thin skin are not good candidates, the threads can pucker or be visible.
What you should not expect. A facelift result. Threads provide subtle lift, in the range of millimetres, not the structural change surgery delivers. Anyone marketing threads as a substitute for surgery is overpromising.
The session itself takes around 60 to 90 minutes. We use local anaesthetic. The threads are placed through small entry points, then drawn into position. Most clients experience moderate bruising, swelling, and tightness for one to two weeks. Sleeping on your back and avoiding strong facial movement for the first ten days is essential.
The result settles over four to eight weeks. The lift is most visible in the lower face and jawline. The collagen remodelling that builds behind it adds firmness across the following months.
We do not run thread lifts as a first treatment for clients who have never had injectables. Bio-remodelling, RF tightening, or Sculptra often achieve more with less risk for many clients. Threads are a precise tool with a specific role, not a general solution.