Thread lift is an innovative aesthetic medicine technique that visibly rejuvenates the face and neck without surgery, under local anesthesia. The result is very natural and long-lasting.
This technique is used to correct jowls, bitterness folds, the nasolabial fold, the oval of the face, the neck and the eyebrows, using suspension sutures. Thread lift can also be useful for supporting sagging tissue after facial paralysis or during facial reconstructive surgery.
The “Tensor Threads” technique – Cosmetic surgery Paris
The technique involves inserting absorbable threads under the skin to restore tension to facial tissues that have sagged. The main aim is to restore a fresher, younger face without surgery. These threads are made of various materials and are generally notched.
Tensor threads can be used to treat a number of problems associated with aging skin:
- the oval of the face, which loses definition ;
- loss of volume in the cheekbones and cheeks;
- moderate sagging of the skin around the jowls and neck;
- drooping eyebrow tails, which tend to give the eyes a sad look.
The technique is particularly suitable for moderate sagging, but is not indicated for everyone. In the case of excessively sagging skin, skin that is too thick or too thin, or excessive fat deposits in the jowls, tensor threads are not the right solution, as they will not be very effective. In these conditions, you’ll need to turn to a facelift or mini-facelift surgical technique, or to other aesthetic procedures.
Very fine suspension threads are used to lift sagging areas of the face using resorbable notched threads that cling to the deep tissues and thus provide considerable traction on the slackened tissues. These tissues are then lifted to the desired height.
The tensor thread technique not only restores tension to facial skin, but also boosts collagen production. Depending on the indication and after analyzing your face, it is possible to use absorbable or permanent tightening threads. Here’s everything you need to know about this non-surgical facelift procedure to combat sagging skin.
Medical consultation prior to thread placement
During the initial consultation, Dr. Cornette de Saint-Cyr performs a meticulous clinical examination of your face and neck to validate the indication. He checks that you are a good candidate for tensor threads, based on your wishes and the morphology of your face.
A detailed questioning is also carried out to look for possible contraindications (medical history, allergies, etc.).
He studies the signs of skin aging present, and then recommends the technique best suited to your situation.
If all the conditions are met, he or she validates the indication for the application of tensor threads, recommends that you stop certain medical treatments 10 days before the session (aspirin, anti-inflammatories, etc.) and also gives you the necessary recommendations for use before the procedure.
Facial lifting with tensor threads
Thread tightening is a non-surgical technique for facial rejuvenation. This medical facelift is a perfect alternative to a surgical facelift, since it restores tension to the cutaneous tissues of the face and body in the presence of sagging, in order to counter sagging volumes.
In addition, the technique offers the advantage of boosting collagen production to improve skin firmness. The production of this protein tends to decline significantly with age, which favors a crumpled appearance and sagging skin.
The tensor thread technique is not, strictly speaking, a wrinkle treatment procedure, since its main aim is to tighten the skin. However, the volumes of the face will be repositioned in their original location, and certain wrinkles will be visibly reduced by the skin’s re-tensioning.
This tensor thread facelift is perfectly suited to repositioning structures that have become ptosed due to skin aging, such as cheekbones, cheeks, eyebrow tails…
It can also be used to smooth out certain wrinkles such as forehead wrinkles, lower eyelid wrinkles, nasolabial folds or bitterness folds. Tensor threads can also be recommended to smooth the skin of the décolleté.
Tensor threads can be used to redefine the contour and oval of the face, to correct jowls, to mark the junction between the lower jaw and the neck, and in some cases, to erase small imperfections on the nose (small bump on the bridge or drooping tip) or to obtain a “foxy eyes” effect (almond-shaped eyes).
Facial tensor threads: how the procedure works
The initial consultation for the installation of tensor threads is an important step. Your surgeon will carry out a detailed interview and clinical examination of your face to clarify the project and understand your expectations.
During the examination, your practitioner determines the entry points for the tensioning threads to be inserted under the skin. A disinfectant is applied to the area to be treated, as well as a sterile field around your face.
The surgeon then administers a local anaesthetic to the tensor threads.
Then, using a sterile needle or microcannula, your surgeon inserts the tensors subcutaneously, securing them in the appropriate tissue (usually the superficial hypodermis) to tighten the skin completely undetectably and with a natural result.
The threads used can be absorbable or permanent. The choice of thread depends on several criteria studied during the initial consultation, such as the patient’s age or the extent of skin slackening. A distinction is made between absorbable and permanent tensor threads.
Absorbable tensor threads
They tighten the skin and stimulate collagen production to promote skin hydration. A single injection point is generally required at cheek level, passing in one direction and then the other. The procedure is very quick and performed in the office, without incision. Sutures are often notched to ensure secure hold. Once the threads are in place, your surgeon gently compresses the tissues with his or her hand to remodel and obtain the desired tightening effect. Collagen and elastin production is stimulated along the thread path, after a period of local inflammation (a natural phenomenon of the skin reacting to a foreign body, which induces the tension effect as it heals). Results are immediate and last a year or two.
Permanent tensor threads
They lift tissues that have suffered the effects of gravity and slow down skin aging, for an effect that lasts up to 5 or 10 years. The procedure takes longer and there is no inflammatory reaction.
Regardless of the type of thread used, there is no scarring.
Tensor threads before/after photo
Women’s face tensor thread photo
Before / After women’s face tensor thread photo
Key benefits of tensor thread facelift
Tensor threads are absorbable. They are gradually eliminated from the body without the need for removal. The result is long-lasting, but not definitive, which is an advantage over surgery. There’s no need to avoid social life, and the final result is achieved in around ten days.
What’s more, the components in tensor threads stimulate the production of collagen, which is involved in skin firmness. As we age, this production diminishes, as does that of hyaluronic acid, contributing to skin sagging and dryness.
Although tensor threads are not, strictly speaking, a treatment for wrinkles, they can nevertheless be used to smooth out some of them on the lower face and neck by restoring tension to the tissues.
Tensor threads can be applied as soon as the face begins to sag. By stimulating sagging skin, they restore sagging volumes and give the skin back its tone, firmness and plumpness.
What results can I expect after a facial tensor thread session?
The mechanical action of tensor threads is immediately visible, as soon as you leave the surgery. However, you’ll need to wait one to two weeks to really appreciate the first aesthetic results, as swelling and bruising disappear.
- After 3 to 4 weeks, the dermis begins to curve more smoothly.
- After the sixth month, facial skin is visibly smoother and plumper, collagenesis continues its rejuvenating effect, and you regain harmonious volumes.
- The tensor thread technique can be combined with facial injections of hyaluronic acid for even better results in terms of hydration and volume correction.
- Your face looks fresher and younger.
Before and after photo of tensor threads
Photo tensor thread for women’s face, before and after results
Price of facial tightening threads
The price of a tensor thread session depends on a number of criteria, not least the number of threads required to achieve the desired result. This procedure is also known as thread lifting.
- Price for absorbable tensor threads for the face: from €1,800
Price for permanent tensor threads for the face: from €5,000
The price of facial thread surgery can also vary according to the type of thread used. Indeed, some may be more expensive due to their durability or quality. Dr. Cornette de Saint Cyr uses the highest quality facial tightening threads for these surgical procedures. Finally, the cost may vary according to the number of threads used and the complexity of the procedure required to achieve the desired results. The final price of your surgery will be communicated to you by the Practice during your pre-surgical consultation.
A 100% reversible face-lift technique
Infinite-Thread® ensures visible, long-lasting results to effectively combat the (first) signs of ageing: however, this technique remains totally reversible. It can be removed at any time, just as easily as it was applied and without any after-effects.
Since the thread retains its integrity over time (thanks in part to the properties of its materials), all that’s needed to ensure removal is a mild local anesthetic. Its violet color means that it cannot be mistaken for natural tissue on ultrasound. Like the application, the procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and takes just a few minutes.
This thread-lift technique is both simple and minimally invasive: full resumption of activities is possible within 3 to 8 days – which may appeal to active patients. Last but not least, the reversible nature of the procedure provides a certain peace of mind, which can make it easier to make the right decision.