FOLLOW THIS THREAD – COLLAGEN-STIMULATING NOVATHREADS

I’ve long been a skeptic when it comes to threads.  So you can imagine how delighted I am to be wrong!  While I’m still not impressed with the efficacy of the “Thread Lift”, I am finding the collagen-stimulating NOVAThreads to be imminently useful in a number of ways.  Let me explain.

PRIMER ON THREADS

Collagen boosting threads come in three different styles.  The “barbed” threads, the smooth threads and the twists.  

BARBED THREADS (think, rose stem with thorns) are intended to catch the undersurface of the skin and pull the skin upward for a quick and easy facelift.  These are the threads that are getting lots of press and their promise of lifting with minimal downtime is very appealing.  The problem is, in my hands, it doesn’t work — or if it works, it doesn’t work for very long.   

SMOOTH THREADS (think, strand of straight hair): The second kind of thread is a smooth thread, about the size of a hair on your head.  It can be used to fill in linear wrinkles or to create a scaffold beneath the surface of the skin, adding sturdiness to lax skin.  I’ve been using these in the crows feets area around the eyes, in the cheeks to minimize smile-related wrinkles and around the upper and lower lips.  These fine threads do a wonderful job redefining the margins of the lips without giving an over-corrected “ducky” look.  

TWISTS (think stretched out spring in a ballpoint pen): The third kind of thread is a twisted thread.  These threads are also as fine as a hair but they have a twist to them that takes up more space when inserted into a wrinkle.  These threads are excellent for treating etched wrinkles such as the nasolabial folds, the scowl lines (otherwise known as 11’s), the horizontal forehead lines and the necklace lines on our necks.  

Want to know more?  Read on.

HOW IS IT DONE?

In the office, a local anesthetic is used to numb the areas that will be treated.  The threads are then inserted along the deep surface of the skin using a sharp needle or a cannula (blunt needle).  The discomfort associated with treatment is similar to the discomfort experienced with most injectables.  You can expect the procedure to take 30-45 minutes and although there is some risk of bruising whenever sharp needles are used, there is minimal swelling and you should be able to return to work after leaving the office.  Some patients tell me that they feel a momentary zing or twinge of pain during the first several days after the procedure.  There is no significant downtime associated with the treatment and visible improvement is often appreciated within days.  And, lucky for us, the results will improve over time, as your body makes more collagen in the areas where the threads have been inserted.

 

HOW LONG DOES IT LAST:  NovaThreads are made of PDO (Polydioxanone threads), a substance used in suture material. The threads will last in your body for 6-9 months depending upon the thickness of the threads as well as your individual response. To maximize your results, we recommend three treatments, spaced one month apart followed by one maintenance treatment once or twice a year, thereafter.  

BENEFITS OF THIS PROCEDURE:

As your body reacts to these absorbable threads, it will be stimulated to produce collagen, an important component of youthful skin.  You will notice a gradual improvement in the resilience of your skin and by stimulating your body to make more collagen, the threads will provide you with progressive and persistent rejuvenation of the areas treated.  

WHY NOT JUST USE FILLER?

There are certain areas of the face where filler can be problematic so it’s awfully nice to have an alternative.  In the area between the eyebrows, the scowl area, injections of fillers can inadvertently cause vascular injury and skin loss if some of the filler material enters and occludes a blood vessel.  With threads, the risk is markedly decreased.

In other areas of the face, particularly the infra-orbital (lower eyelid) area, fillers placed beneath the surface of the skin will occasionally impart a puffy, bluish hue to the skin.  This is due to the way the light reflects off of the filler gel.  Threads provide an alternative method of improving contour in the lower lid/cheek area without running the risk of creating unsightly puffiness.  

 

Adding a definition to the borders of the lips provides a subtle way of enhancing the appearance of the lips without the risk of overcorrection.  It’s so nice to have options!!!

 

TOP 10 FAVORITE AREAS TO TREAT WITH THREADS
  1. Crows feet
  2. Upper lip wrinkles
  3. Lip margins for definition
  4. Necklace lines
  5. Crepey neck skin
  6. Scowl lines (11’s)
  7. Cheeks 
  8. Nasolabial folds
  9. Marionette lines (from corner of lips to jawline)
  10. Forehead wrinkles

 

Want to respond to this thread?  Call the office to make an appointment so we can tell you how threads can be incorporated into your rejuvenation and maintenance care plans.