Medical aesthetics is a field that is constantly changing and evolving; boundaries are often challenged to improve our treatment options and procedural methods to deliver optimum results while ensuring safety. One of the newer and novel treatments offered recently is often dubbed a “Liquid Thread Lift”.
The idea of a “liquid thread” is confusing for good reason and an oxymoron in itself; most threads one would encounter in daily life are solids by nature, not liquids. At this point, it would help to understand that the threads we are referring to in this article are threads made up of a material called polydioxanone, also known as PDO, for short. PDO is a biocompatible and dissolvable synthetic material that has been used to manufacture suturing threads in surgical settings for many years. It was then adopted into medical aesthetic practice, where it is now commonly used as thin wire-like threads that can be strategically positioned in various areas of the face to give a structural lift to combat signs of ageing.
PDO threads in solid form can offer structural support and tensile strength, but it is also well-known that PDO particles are able to promote collagen production and lead to a tighter and more lifted appearance over time, ultimately enhancing the physical “pull” of a thread alone.
Think of a “liquid thread” as a PDO thread that has been dissolved in water. It is hence now PDO particles in liquid form. As a liquid solution, PDO particles are able to spread evenly in the intended treatment areas and exert their effect - which would be to stimulate your body’s natural collagen and elastin production. Collagen and elastin are essential proteins in your skin’s matrix to maintain shape, structure, texture and youthfulness.
The liquid thread treatment does not involve the injection of fillers or toxins in the face. Inherently, due to the nature of it being a liquid treatment injected superficially in the skin, it is not a treatment that works on the “pulling” properties of a solid thread. The tightened, brighter and smoother skin with reduced fine lines, scars, pore size and wrinkles which you get ultimately in a few months is a result of your body’s own renewal process which has been kick-started and enhanced by the collagen-stimulating properties of the PDO particles in the liquid thread. This is why a liquid thread treatment is probably best described as a skin-boosting solution that leaves one glowing, rejuvenated and fresh from within.
Is this a suitable treatment for me?
The development of liquid threads is likely related to a global shift towards more non-invasive procedures and natural-looking results. While generally not regarded as surgery, the notion of traditional solid PDO threads inserted into the skin with needles might still be considered too invasive for some. If you have some facial concerns that may be related to signs of ageing but are not keen for either a plastic surgical procedure or a traditional PDO thread lift procedure, you can consider a liquid thread lift treatment.
Liquid PDO threads in medical aesthetic usage can be differentiated into 2 main groups currently based on the PDO particle size - smaller or larger particle sizes. PDO100 particles of smaller sizes are best injected superficially in the skin dermis, while PDO200 particles of larger sizes can be injected deeper in the subcutaneous tissue. This means liquid threads can treat a variety of ageing concerns from skin concerns such as poor, rough, irregular texture to deeper layer concerns such as sunken undereye hollows and loss of collagen and elasticity in the cheeks.
Liquid threads may be suitable for you if you are concerned with the following:
- Sagging Skin: Liquid PDO threads help lift and tighten loose or sagging skin, especially around the jowl and jawline areas.
- Fine Lines and Wrinkles: The stimulation of collagen production by PDO threads can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face, promoting smoother skin.
- Nasolabial Folds and Marionette Lines: Liquid PDO threads can help reduce the depth of these folds through healthier and more plump skin and tissue to support the cheeks and “lift” these folds and lines.
- Volume Loss in the Face: PDO threads of larger particle sizes can add subtle volume to the area injected, addressing concerns related to age-related volume loss. Common areas where this may be a concern include the under eye hollows, flattened cheeks and sunken temples.
- Neck Laxity: Liquid PDO threads may also be used to improve the appearance of sagging skin on the neck, providing a firmer look with less lines and wrinkles.
- Aged hands: Liquid PDO can also rejuvenate and plump up aged, shrivelled, veiny hands that is often a give-away for a person’s real age.
The Liquid Thread Procedure
After a thorough evaluation and discussion of your goals, the liquid thread procedure can be completed in the doctor’s office with no specific skin preparation required usually. However, do inform your doctor during consultation if you have any existing chronic medical condition or are on any long-term medication including blood-thinners such as aspirin.
On the day of your treatment, topical anaesthesia will be applied to numb the areas of treatment. The liquid PDO solution will then be prepared and injected by your doctor into treatment areas using a fine-gauge needle or cannula (blunt-tip instrument). The procedure typically takes around 30-60 minutes to complete, depending on the areas being treated.
After the injections, you might experience some redness, swelling, injection marks on the skin or bruising, but these effects are usually temporary and should subside within a few days. It is uncommon to develop skin infections, asymmetry, nodules or lumps from this treatment. You are able to resume most normal social activities including exercise within a day or two depending on individual response to the treatment.
The results of liquid PDO thread treatments develop gradually over several weeks as collagen production increases. We would recommend a series of three sessions for a year of natural beauty.
A Note from Dr. Joanna Chan
I often use an analogy of silk fabric when discussing liquid threads with a patient. Silk threads can be spun and woven into thick ropes with high tensile strength that can support one’s body weight as is the case of aerial acrobatics. On the other hand, they are prized to be luxuriously soft and light as a scarf or drape. I hope this helps one see how one material can have different properties when crafted and designed differently to do so, so that they can have different applications and uses.
Any medical aesthetic procedure involves careful customization based on individual anatomy and aesthetic goals, and the overall result of the procedure will also vary depending on individual factors such as skin laxity, overall health, and specific treatment goals. This is why doctors often recommend a combination of treatments.
While liquid threads are a new and exciting treatment we can now offer, there is still place for energy-based machines, botulinum toxins and dermal fillers in my practice. There is no one-size-fits-all solution in aesthetic medicine, especially when dealing with the topic of ageing - a process that we embrace humbly and gracefully as humans.
Click here to read more about PDO Liquid Thread Lift.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Joanna Chan and Dr. Harold Ma
