Come on, admit it, you’re out for a night of fun and you retreat to a mirror with your friends to “freshen up” your look. A little blush, an eyelash touch-up and a fresh coat of lipstick, but then something else…You take your fingers, gently push up on your cheeks, and there it is, a subtle lift of your skin. Your jawline emerges. The edges of your lips create a subtle smile. For those few seconds, you look a few years younger. We’ve all done it. Nothing to be ashamed of. But here’s the best part: You can get that look, without painful surgery, without the scars, without devoting an entire day to it. The thread lift can accomplish that subtle, lifting, youthful look, all in about the time of your lunch break. Check out the thread lift frequently asked questions, and answers, below to learn all about the Wrinkle Fairy thread lift in Chicago.
So here’s the deal. The thread lift is not surgery. It’s a minimally invasive procedure, where we place special threadlike sutures just beneath the skin. The special texture of the threads, combined with subtle tugging, grasps the surrounding tissue, which reveals a gentle lifting and tightening of any loose or wrinkled skin. These threads are used in all types of other medical settings, so they’re safe and proven. And they dissolve over time. That means to maintain results, you’ve have to repeat the procedure every 12-16 months, or so. So if you’re not thrilled with the end result, no worries, as the threads will gently dissolve and be absorbed and flushed out of the body in time. Ohh, one more thing. The body’s natural response to these threads is to surround them with collagen and elastin, which is great for you, because it helps the treated sites look full and healthy. And this is all done in 30-45 minutes, start to finish, so you could easily do it on a lunch break or while you drop the kids off for a quick play date somewhere.
Our Wrinkle Fairy squad likes to refer to the treatment as the Dynamic Duo. Why? Because it does two things:
This one is easy. A rejuvenated face, really. To be more specific, we can lift and tighten the spots on your face that need it most. Jawlines, noses, cheeks, temples, etc.
The threads are made from an absorbable material known as “PDO,” or if we want to get scientific, polydioxanone. That’s the most common and popular choice. But there’s also PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid), or a blend of both. These are all FDA-approved for medical use. We insert the threads using a blunt cannula, which leaves no scar, only a small hole, similar to when you receive an injection.
If you’ve got loose, wrinkled, sagging skin on your face, we can help with a thread lift.
This is not a very involved procedure. We can do it on a lunch break, anywhere from 20-45 minutes. And then you can pretty much go do whatever you’d like.
You’ll see results when you walk out of our office after the procedure, sit down in your car, and look in the rearview mirror. But that’s not the final result. As we’ve been over, your body will continue to stimulate new collagen and elastin around the treads, which will only enhance the result over the next few months.
These PDO threads are equipped with tiny cones. When we first push the threads through, we go pointed side first so they slide in easy. Then when the thread is set, we gently tug back on the thread. The fat side of the cone then catches the surrounding tissue, pulling it back with the tread. This is was creates the tightening we see post-procedure.In addition to the special shape, these threads dissolve over time, meaning they’re not a permanent solution like surgery or other permanent cosmetic treatments.
Absolutely, we wouldn’t put anything in your body that we feel isn’t safe. PDO is used in all kinds of medical sutures, from cardiovascular to plastic surgeons. They dissolve and are flushed out of the body naturally.
We can put these threads pretty much anywhere on the body. The best results will be seen in areas of focused drooping and sagging, most commonly on the face.
Usually, only one every 12-16 months. Some patients come back in a few months, after the collagen and elastin stimulation has slowed for added tightening, but most patients are happy with the 12-16 month window. Every patient is different, though. Don’t make the mistake of comparing your result to your friend’s result. We’re all different organic beings, and our bodies all react differently to different things.
Not much, if any. This isn’t surgery. No anesthesia. No scalpels. No pain. Minor discomfort, if any. The only thing we ask you to hold off on is excessive face touching and manipulation. It’s best to hold off on makeup for about 48 hours post-procedure, just because our makeup is crawling with bacteria, and we don’t want to risk bacterial infection of the entry sites.
This depends on your goals, your budget and the scope of the procedure, meaning how dramatic are your sagging, your loose skin, your wrinkles? When we answer those questions together during consultation, we’ll have a better idea.
Most patients report no pain, because we precede the treatment with a little local anesthetic. There may be some minor discomfort during the procedure, but little to no pain.
The best alternative for lasting skin tightening is a face lift, brow lift or neck lift. But most people these days want no part of surgery, and we get that. Things like ultrasound and radio heat energy can provide lasting skin tightening. These treatments are called Ulthera and Thermi. Then there are the usual suspects like Botox, facial fillers and laser skin resurfacing. Inquire during your consultation about these procedures for a great compliment to our thread lift.
Yes, when some people change their look dramatically, it can be a tough change. We get it. So, yes, we can remove the threads, as long as it’s done shortly after insertion. But remember, these threads dissolve within the body, so once that process begins, it’s tough to get them out. But as we’ve discussed, these results are not permanent.
Here’s the deal. Everyone should be on these three skincare products:
Again this depends on how many threads we’re using and how many areas we’re treating. Think $700 on the low end and $2500 on the high end.