The latest trends, techniques, and insider secrets—revealed.

Saving Face
Unlike suspenseful reality-TV reveals, today's face-lifts are promising fast, easy, and subtle rejuvenation.
By Marlene Montanez

Once we reach a certain age, it’s a constant battle to hold our own in the war against aging. Fine lines deepen into wrinkles, and before we know it, cheeks sag, lips thin, and jowls seem to appear out of nowhere. Up until recently, one of the only facial-rejuvenation options was the traditional face-lift—major surgery requiring general anesthesia and weeks of downtime. But with the rising popularity of quicker, easier, and less invasive age-reversing products, such as Botox and injectable fillers, new procedures are constantly emerging, promising to deliver more natural-looking results with less risk and drama. The most widely publicized has been the thread lift, a minimally invasive, nonsurgical face-lift that typically takes less than an hour to perform and requires only a few days’ recovery.

Pulling Strings
The thread lift (also known as the threadlift, the featherlift, the contour lift, suture suspension, the lunchtime facelift, and the weekend facelift) uses barbed suture threads to reposition sagging tissue, giving the face a fuller, more youthful appearance. The technique resembles sewing: Thread suture through the cheek with needle, pull out through the other side, and lift the skin up, tying a knot at the top to keep it all together. The threads themselves, known as Contour Threads, are similar to those that have been used for years in brain, heart, and abdominal surgeries, and thread lifts typically cost between $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the areas of the face being treated, such as the brow, cheeks, jowls, and neck.

Unlike with traditional face-lifts and most cosmetic surgeries, the patient needn’t submit to general anesthesia; with the threadlift, the skin is anesthetized locally with lidocaine injections, eliminating one of the major risks and offering almost instantaneous results (since patients are awake, some even hold up a mirror so they can watch the procedure and see exactly how much is being “pulled”). Patients may experience swelling, soreness, bruising, and/or overcorrection afterward, but most leave the doctor’s office an hour after the procedure and return to work in a few days to a week. After a traditional face-lift, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons advises to “avoid alcohol, steam baths, and saunas for several months,” but thread-lift patients can resume their usual activities and even wear makeup the next day. The effects are said to last approximately three to five years, and if desired, a standard face-lift can still be performed at a later date.

Reported Wrinkles
If you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror and used your fingers to pull back sagging skin, you can effectively gauge how a thread lift might work for you. But for those seeking dramatic results—especially anyone with thin skin, with very little facial fat, or who’s over 70—experts agree that a traditional face-lift is still the way to go (thread-lift candidates are typically between 30 and 60 years of age). And complications may occur. Scarring, dimpling, infection, and asymmetry have all been reported, and it’s possible that the threads may become visible, break, migrate, or poke through the skin. Because the thread lift is still relatively new, little is known about the long-term side effects, so many plastic surgeons remain on the fence, while others are sharply divided on the issue. Some believe the thread lift is safe, effective, and long-lasting, while others have criticized the procedure for its complication rates and lack of longevity, claiming that typically, the results lasts months, not years.

Another major concern is that anyone with a medical license can take a weekend course and perform a thread lift, “even nurses or physicians trained in skin but not plastic surgery,” explains Christine Hamori, a plastic surgeon at Cosmetic Surgery + Skin Spa in Duxbury, Massachusetts. “Let’s hope none of the important facial nerves that control facial expression and movement are skewered in the process,” she adds. Before you commit to anything, Hamori recommends asking numerous questions, including: “How many of these procedures have you done in the past three years? Are you a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery? Can I see a few of your two- to three-year results? Can I speak to a patient who had the procedure done more than a year ago?” While the jury is still out on the thread lift, the most important steps you can take are doing your research and, if you decide to proceed, seeking out a qualified, experienced doctor.

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