After completing his residency at the University of Florida and fellowship in facial plastic surgery at the University of Toronto, Dr. Kian Karimi has maintained an active practice in Los Angeles focusing on facial, head, and neck surgery. Dr. Karimi sat down with Haute Beauty to discuss the PDO thread lift, and how he has helped develop the latest design of Nova threads, one of the leading PDO thread companies.

First making headlines in the late ’90’s paired with Hollywood names like Gwyneth Paltrow and J. Lo, the ‘thread lift’ procedure was dubbed the ‘quick fix’ alternative to a face lift. After a rocky experience with the original thread lift in the United States in the early 2000s, medical providers were quick to denounce the controversial procedure for its unproven benefits, lack of efficacy, and adverse side effects.

Thanks to advances in modern technology over the years, as well as thorough research and development from both manufacturers and the medical community, the new and improved thread lift is not only a viable FDA-cleared option for those wanting to improve areas of mild sagging but also becoming increasingly popular for its little-to-no downtime.

The threads used today vastly differ from the threads that were used in the past. What primarily sets the threads of the past apart from the threads we use today is the composition. Previously, a non-dissolvable barbed suture was used, with risks including scarring, infections and noticeably visible bumps and nodules. Now, the newest version of sutures are composed of polydioxanone or PDO, which has been safely used in surgery for decades. PDO is fully absorbed by the body within four to six months, meaning there is less risk of infection and results can safely be improved over time with additional threads or combined therapies such as fillers.

The threads are deployed into the superficial subcutaneous plane which is a safe layer that avoids injury to major blood vessels or nerves.

The biodegradable sutures will breakdown over a period of 4-6 months, depending on the thickness of the thread and the relative metabolism of the patient’s skin. Thread lifting provides immediate results typically lasting from 12 to 15 months. As the polydioxanone (PDO) material is broken down, we are seeing significant collagen production being stimulated in the treated area, which has been proven to happen in medical literature studies. Patients can also expect improvement in skin quality and texture over time.

If you’re considering undergoing a thread lift procedure, there are important factors to consider. Importantly, PDO threads are NOT a replacement for a surgical facelift. It is essential for patients to have reasonable expectations for the results that can be achieved from this procedure. The best candidate for a thread lift procedure is someone in their 30’s to 50’s with mild-to-moderate sagging, looking to achieve lifting of the cheeks, the jowls, and the neck bands.