Written by Dr. Dominique Laatz MSc. MSc. (German Dental & Dermatology Center, Doha, Qatar)

Who doesn’t want to look young, fresh and energetic? If we are honest to ourselves - nearly everybody. A healthy lifestyle and a balanced nutrition undoubtedly help to maintain the best version of your physical self. But the signs of time, can only be evaded to a certain extent, until loss of skin elasticity and skin aging bring the first deeper wrinkles and frown lines. Our faces are the canvas of time after all.

Multiple medically proven procedures have been introduced to stop or even reverse these signs of aging. A whole discipline within esthetic medicine works for the purpose of Anti-Aging. Botox and dermal fillers are now common terms among the broader population. So what is the role and purpose of Thread Lifts, and can this new technique really be regarded as the latest game changer in the endeavor for restoring a youthful appearance?

 First of all, it is important to understand the purpose of Thread Lifts. This technique is meant to replace the substantially more invasive Facelift (Rhytidectomy) in mild and early cases of sagging facial skin. The procedure itself includes the strategic placement of threads under the more superficial layers of the facial skin. Once introduced, these threads cannot be pulled back the opposite way, due to miniature attachments on the thread surface, which can be imagined as small “anchor hooks”. This allows the dermatologist or plastic surgeon, to pull the undermined section of the facial skin into the preferred direction (usually rearwards and upwards for the neck, cheek and eyebrow area).

A wanted side-effect for certain specifically composed threads, is the induction of collagen production, which also supports a more youthful looking outcome as a natural way of repairing the aged skin.

 So, what are the limitations of this procedure? As already hinted at earlier in this article, thread lifting is only meant for mild and early cases of sagging facial skin sectors. In advanced age and more pronounced cases, the common facelift and mini-facelift techniques still constitute the method of choice. It also has to be mentioned that the effects are not permanent and usually fade after first reaching their maximum potential after 3-6 months.

Nevertheless, Thread Lifts fill an important gap especially for the increasingly younger population considering facelifts. The risk of facial nerve damage, when compared to the more invasive facelift, is extremely reduced. Since the procedure is minimal-invasive and barely takes more than 30 minutes, the growing attention for the “Lunchtime Facelift” seems to be reasonable and entirely justified.