Coveteur recently wrote an exposé detailing the uses and limitations of thread lifts in cosmetic surgery. To get an expert opinion on the matter, Coveteur consulted Dr. Devgan on what it is and why she recommends it to patients.
While commonly referred to as simply “thread lifting,” the official name of the procedure is: “suture-suspension lifting.” Dr. Devgan explains that this minimally invasive cosmetic option works by using barbed surgical sutures; first the threads find purchase deep in the tissue, then tension is applied to reposition sagging skin.
Debuting in the 1990’s, Dr. Devgan details that the sutures have credibly improved over time. Using modern technology, custom-molded polymer sutures are able to be placed deeper in the tissue and hold more weight - two and a half pounds each - than ever before. Even though suture-suspension is still not as permanent a solution as facelift, it has nonetheless improved “exponentially.”
Some plastic surgeons are hesitant to practice thread lifts as they believe the results aren’t permanent enough. Dr. Devgan - who has performed the procedure over a thousand times - believes they provide an important middleground between injectables and surgical facelifts. While facelifts remain the gold standard of cosmetic surgery, suture-suspension presents a great option for those patients who do not wish to undergo the general anesthesia and prolonged recovery times associated with more traditional surgical methods.