Dear Doctor Seckel, What is the difference between a “thread lift” and a “lifestyle lift”? Thank you, Cathy, Danville, CA
Dear Cathy,
The “Thread Lift” is a plastic surgery procedure during which small plastic “threads” are passed beneath the facial and neck skin on a needle to lift sagging facial skin. The threads have small barbs on them which attach to the undersurface of the skin and pull the skin tight when the thread is pulled from above and attached to the tissues above the face and neck. The Thread Lift is not a Face lif, which is the gold standard.
Proponents of the thread lift mention that incisions in the face are not required although occasionally the threads do need to be removed, a procedure that does require incisions, which can leave scars. Some physicians report that the results of the Thread Lift do not last and that the facial skin sags again after as early as two months. Some patients have reported very unhappy results.
The lifestyle lift is a modification of the face lift procedure using smaller incisions and usually done under local anesthesia, purports to require a shorter recovery time. I have no experience with the lifestyle lift and only know what I have read.
Both of these procedures are heavily marketed on the web. The most important thing for you is to find a good, ethical, experienced plastic surgeon who can advise you as to the best procedure to achieve the result you desire. Let the doctor decide which procedure is best for you. You are not shopping for a car or other consumer item. You are seeking medical care and need the expertise of a board certified plastic surgeon to advise you.
The aesthetic outcome and duration of the results of any face lift, lifestyle lift, thread lift or standard face lift is determined by several factors.
First, the type of facial skin, your age, and the degree of facial aging are very important. Generally, the younger you are, the less the degree of facial aging, and the thicker your skin, the longer your face lift will last. Patients with very thin skin, that is very fair skin like a red head or very fair blond hair-blue eyes and severe wrinkling and skin laxity may see recurrence of facial laxity and aging changes as early as two years after a face-lift. Patients with darker, thicker skin, that is brown hair, brown eyes, and darker skin, who have mainly facial sagging along the jaw and neck and are younger, 35-60 years old, can, if the face-lift is done by an EXPERIENCED surgeon, using modern techniques which include tightening of the muscles and SMAS tissues beneath the facial skin, called a SMAS face lift, can get a satisfactory result that lasts 15 years.
Second, the type of face lift procedure is, in my opinion, a very important determinant of the duration of face lift results. Some surgeons simply remove a small amount of skin around the ear and pull the skin tight and suture the skin closed. This is often referred to as a mini lift, weekend lift, minimally invasive face lift, face tuck or other marketing term to indicate a minimal procedure. I have seen patients who have had this type of surgery who feel their results have lasted only a few months. In my opinion, and my practice, a proper face lift needs to include tightening of the tissues beneath the facial skin as well as the skin using well-established modern face-lifting techniques to obtain a pleasing facial rejuvenation, which lasts. The recovery time and bruising are usually no different from the minor or mini face-lift techniques, and in my hands the results are ALWAYS better than with simple skin excision.
The MOST IMPORTANT recommendation I can give you is to seek the opinion of two Board Certified Plastic Surgeons who are very experienced in Facial rejuvenation surgery. In my opinion, cost should be your least concern, you are talking about surgery on your face and in my experience patients usually “get what they pay for”. I urge you to read Chapter 10 of my book, Save Your Face, which is entitled “Don’t Let Just Anyone Touch Your Face”. Be sure to ask your friends who have had plastic surgery who they recommend and what their experience has been.
I have no experience with the Lifestyle Lift-have never done it.
Thank you for your important question.
For more information on face lifts and plastic surgery read Save Your Face or contact me.
Boston, Massachusetts
DISCLAIMER: This communication is for general reference use only and is neither represented as nor intended to serve as medical diagnosis, specific advice, and/or treatment. If you are experiencing a medical problem, see your physician