Thread Face Lift with Barbed Sutures
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Seattle Thread Face Lift from Hypatia
Threadlift Facelifts Without Surgery
Threadlift and Contour Suture Facelift are not being performed as much as they were in the past, when they were first invented. Around the end of 2006, the makers of Contour Sutures, Surgical Specialties, was bought out by a Canadian company, Angiotech. Angiotech discontinued manufacture of the Contour sutures, and the procedure has fallen into disuse. Angiotech does manufacture a new barbed suture, the "Quill" suture, which was originally intended for wound closure. It is a very strong, sturdy suture, and turns out to be well suited for other "threadlift" applications, such as Dr. Stevens' invention, the "Hypatia Non-Surgical Breast Lift (TM)".
The Quill suture is FDA approved for wound apposition (closure of the edges together) and the use in suspension processes is considered "off label." Many products, devices and procedures in use in the cosmetic medical arena today are used successfully and safely in an "off label" manner. By the same token, Contour Sutures were FDA approved for face threadlifts, and now the procedure no longer exists, so FDA approval does not guarantee the safety, efficacy, or long term durability of any procedure, device or product. Doctor Stevens has a stock of Contour Suture Threads, for those select people who may truely need the Threadlift. Often times, when a person thinks she or he needs a Threadlift, another different procedure would suit them better. This is determined in a free consultation.
Virginia T. Stevens, M.D. performs several new treatments which result in a better overall look than threadlift for the face and neck:
- CoolLipo laser lipolysis and skin tightening for jowels, chin, neck (and other body parts)
- New Generation Thermage STC facial and neck skin tightening
- Rhytec Portrait skin tissue tightening and skin regeneration.
- Together, these are called the "Hypatia Non-Surgical Facelift."
Dr. Stevens was among the very first doctors in the U.S. to routinely combine Face and Neck Thermage with Face and Neck Portrait for superlative skin tightening and complexion regeneration. And now she has added the CoolLipo fat removal and skin tightening procedure to make the trio Hypatia's "Non-Surgical Facelift." Patients come to Hypatia Aesthetic Clinic from all over the United States to have CoolLipo, Thermage and Portrait done. Consultations are always free, out of town and out of state patients can e-mail in their pictures for a phone consultation, and Hypatia helps locate local lodging and transportation for our out of town guests.
Consultation can be arranged by calling toll free: 1-866-424-3416.
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The old information about threadlift follows below:
The Threadlift is a simple, office based, outpatient non-surgical facelift procedure. The Threadlift is a revolutionary non-invasive facelift procedure that uses fine surgical threads called barbed sutures to lift the droopy areas of the brow, cheeks, jowl and neck. There are two components to the Threadlift that result in the amazing non-surgical lift effects. In the first part of the Threadlift, smooth and barbed prolene facelift sutures are used to loop around or "lasso" fixation points on the droopy brow, cheek, jowl and neck. This "lasso" lift is performed under local freezing and the threads are introduced using a hollow bore needle. The LoopLift provides lift and support to these droopy regions.
The second part of the Threadlift provides additional lift and shaping and uses tiny "barbed" prolene threads, which are normal surgical sutures modified with little "cogs" on them, making them like tiny fish-hooks or porcupine quills. The barbed threads, like the LoopLift Threads are inserted into the deep fat of the droopy facial elements using a hollow bore needle. The needle is with drawn and the barbed threads capture the droopy deep face, allowing the physician to lift, sculpt and shape the brow, cheeks and jowl. At the completion of the procedure, the threads are cut short. The lift effects are immediate and the risk and recovery minimal.
One of the amazing features of the Threadlift is its adjustable lift feature. As you age after the Threadlift, you may return to your physician to have the LoopLift adjusted or tightened in any, or all of the regions with essentially no downtime!
Threadlift before (left) and after one week.
See a much larger image.
Frequently Asked Threadlift Questions
Who is a Threadlift candidate?
Good candidates for a Threadlift are those patients who are starting to see some droopiness of the brow, cheeks, jowls and or neck and would like to see a lift effect, BUT, do not want the risk, scars, or recovery of a real browlift, facelift, or necklift operation. The Threadlift procedure can achieve 60-70% of what a real invasive surgical procedure can deliver. Good candidates must have realistic expectations and be prepared to follow the postoperative recovery protocol and must be accepting of the risks.
Poor candidates include those patients with unrealistic expectations, have uncontrolled medical illnesses that affect would healing, are grossly overweight (with heavy faces) or are excessively thin, loose skin. The Threadlift may be combined with other, more minor surgical procedures, such as blepharoplasty (lid lift procedures), liposuction, microfat transplantation, Botox, injectable fillers, Thermalift-Thermage or FotoLift-Polaris treatments.
How is the Threadlift performed and the lift effect accomplished?
The LoopLift component is performed by inserting threads under the skin and looping the suture around deep supportive tissues of the brow line, cheek-corner of the mouth, jowl and neck. The LoopLift threads, that run under the skin towards the hairline, are then tightened to lift and support the droopy tissue. Special long "barbed" loop sutures are used in the scalp to provide significant and pleasing vertical lift of the brow, cheeks and jowl (much like you might do in a mirror).
The "barbed" threads are then inserted into the cheek, tail of the brow and jowl, using the same hallow needle. The "cogs" or "barbs" are allowed to grasp onto the approximated soft tissue, shortening the distance between the soft-tissue points and elevating, shaping and lifting the soft tissue.
Does the Threadlift hurt and are there any risks?
The Threadlift, similar to lip augmentation with collagen or Restylane, is most often performed under local freezing anesthesia and, once the freezing is in, there is no pain. If the entire brow, cheek, jowl and neck is being treated with the Threadlift, then it is often a more tolerable experience when performed under twilight sedation, as well as local anesthesia. The procedure usually takes less than one hour to perform and patients leave the clinic within one hour.
Like any procedure using a needle, there is the risk of excessive bruising and swelling, but most patients look presentable in makeup the next day. Your Threadlift physician will discuss the rare risks that can occur, such as visible or palpable threads, infection or rejection and how these complications are managed. A Threadlift performed by a certified Threadlift physician has a complication rate much less than 1% and, when they occur, the complications are manageable. In the rare circumstances that a thread might be reactive, or infected, the thread can be removed.
One of the most common questions patients ask is: Can the sutures used in the Threadlift be seen or palpated?
The answer is no. In the average Threadlift procedure, when the tenderness from the treatment subsides over a few weeks, patients are never aware of the threads. Done without complication, the Threadlift sutures cannot be seen or felt.
However, like all basic cosmetic procedures, even Botox or injectable fillers and peels, a patient must undergo an informed consent process, which involves a consideration of the alternatives, risks and benefits when deciding that a procedure is right for them. All potential Threadlift patients must go through this process with their physician.
What must I do early on after my Threadlift?
Following a Threadlift procedure, there are some practical instructions and care that must be followed to avoid traumatizing or dislodging the threads from their supportive locations in the deep fat of the face and neck. Some of these reasonable post- Threadlift instructions include avoidance of forceful facial rubbing or trauma, sleeping on your back, minimal facial animations, avoidance of excessive mouth opening. After 3 weeks, there are no more restrictions.
Your Threadlift physician will review thoroughly your instructions and will provide a set of written instructions on caring for your Threadlift facelift effects.
What results might I expect?
The results of the Threadlift are immediate. There is a noticeable elevation and shaping of the brow, cheek, jowl and neck. The degree of this non-surgical lift approximates 50-60% of what might be achieved with a more surgical facelift (see the before and after results photos to your right).
One of the many attractive features of the Threadlift is the immediate nature of the lift. Unlike a FotoLift with Syneron's Polaris, or Thermages Thermalift, or the Pan G™ MyoFacial (all of which can produce pleasing lifts but often take weeks or months), the lift effect of the Threadlift is immediate and the most significant of the non-surgical lift treatments.How long do the Threadlift effects last?
Remember, after a Threadlift, or surgical facelift for that matter, the facial aging process continues. With no adjunctive treatments, the lift results of the Threadlift will likely last 3-5 years. The LoopLift component of the Threadlift is often adjustable and can be repeated as more droopiness sets in. After the Threadlift, additional enhancements and lift effects can be achieved with any of the aforementioned Pan G MyoFacial, FotoLift, FotoFacial RF or Thermalift™.
Enhancing the lift results of my Threadlift
There are many non-surgical adjunctive treatments that can be performed during or after the Threadlift procedure. These adjunctive procedures include Botox, injectable fillers, such as restylane, Microdermabrasion or the SonoPeel™, the FotoFacial RF™, Pan G™ MyoFacial.
How can I prolong the nice facelift effects of the Threadlift?
Procedures such as the Pan G™, which works on building the muscles of facial elevation, or the RadioFrequecny treatments of the FotoLift™ or ThermaLift™ can perpetuate, improve or maintain Some of the lift effects of the Threadlift enhancement.
What if I want a surgical facelift in the future?
The Threadlift procedure does not interfere in anyway with subsequent cosmetic surgery of the brow, lids, cheeks, jowl or neck. The Threads do not get in the way of the facelift procedure and, if they do appear, they can be removed easily.
There is no special precaution that your facelift surgeon must take if you have had a Threadlift prior to your facelift. It is advisable that you disclose to you facelift surgeon that you had a prior Threadlift, to ensure that they are aware of the potential of encountering prolene threads.
