Sagging and skin laxity are part of facial aging, and, unfortunately, they happen no matter how well we care for our skin. Not too long ago, the only option for lifting sagging skin was to have an invasive surgical face-lift.
But today, there’s another option — a Polydioxanone (PDO) thread lift, designed to gently lift sagging skin without the need for surgery. Freda Borukhov, PA, and the team at MediFreda offer PDO thread lift treatments for women and men in Merrick, New York, and throughout Long Island who want to enjoy more youthful-looking skin without the hassles of surgery. Here’s how it works.
Quick facts about PDO Thread Lift
Skin laxity usually happens when your body’s production of collagen declines. Collagen is a protein that makes up a lot of your skin’s structure, and when you’re young, it helps your skin look and feel resilient and firm.
As you age, your skin produces less collagen, weakening the skin’s underlying structure and leading to sagging, lines, and wrinkles. Years of sun exposure, hormonal fluctuations, and even your genetics all contribute to collagen decline and sagging skin.
PDO thread lifts improve skin sagging in two primary ways — first, by gently lifting your skin to a more youthful position, and second, by stimulating collagen development in the area around the threads (or sutures). PDO is an abbreviation for polydioxanone, the material used in the thread lift’s absorbable sutures.
Unlike most sutures, PDO sutures aren’t smooth — they’re lined with tiny hooks or barbs. Once the thread is injected under your skin, these tiny barbs latch on to your skin. When the thread is made taut, the barbs gently pull your skin upward. The other end of the suture is fastened in your tissues to hold the skin in its new position.
These sutures also create tiny areas of “controlled damage” that stimulate your skin to produce more collagen as part of the natural healing process. Over time, the new collagen forms strong, supportive networks, repairing collagen damage and restoring lost collagen to help your skin look firmer, smoother, and lifted even after the sutures have been absorbed.
What to expect during your thread lift
One of the benefits of a PDO thread lift is that it can be performed right in our office without any need for general anesthesia. Instead, we numb the areas of your face where the sutures are placed so you stay completely comfortable.
To reach the deeper layers of your skin, we use a special injector designed specifically for PDO thread lifts. The injector allows for very precise placement of sutures for optimal results.
While a thread lift isn’t intended to take the place of face-lift surgery, it can be an ideal solution for many women and men who want to lift sagging in their jowls, cheeks, and neck area, and for those who want to smooth out lines around the mouth or in the lower face area.
There’s no downtime after your treatment, so you can go back to your regular routine. You’ll need to follow aftercare instructions, like avoiding rubbing your face or using makeup or moisturizers for a few days, and sleeping on your back for a few weeks to prevent the sutures from moving. Over-the-counter pain relievers reduce discomfort and swelling.
Learn more about PDO thread lifts
After your PDO thread lift, you can expect an immediate visible improvement in facial laxity, with continued improvements as collagen fibers form during the following weeks. Most people enjoy their results for 1-3 years after their initial treatment.
To find out more about PDO thread lifts and how they can help you achieve your aesthetic goals, call 347-893-6487 or request an appointment online with the team at MediFreda today.
