The Contour Thread Lift is Unproven and Possibly Harmful
Don't Waste Your Money!

As your doctor, I feel a duty to protect you from some of the dubious procedures being foisted on the public these days. This is the first in a series of articles I'll be writing on "snake-oil" cosmetic rejuvenation you should avoid.

In the quest for a less invasive path to facial rejuvenation than the traditional facelift, many women are being lured into trying a procedure called the Thread Lift. It's a quick outpatient procedure in which barbed sutures are threaded through the fatty layer beneath the face.

The tiny barbs grab the inner layer of tissue, which is then hoisted upwards. The suture is secured near the hairline in the forehead. The idea is to pull the skin taut and reposition it upwards. Multiple threads are used thoughout the face and neck. Sometimes a total of 18 threads are placed in the face and neck.

Several years ago I was trained to perform the Thread Lift. But after hearing multiple reports about problems associated with it, I've chosen to exclude it from my offerings.

A Cornucopia of Problems
The rumors about Thread Lift are legion. Some doctors say they've seen cases in which the sutures slide off the barbs like an ill-hung coat from a hanger. Sometimes this happens because the knotted threads in the scalp come untied, or because the threads break.

A variety of strange-looking side effects have been reported. The sutures can show through the skin if they are placed too superficially in the fatty layer. They may also migrate.

Embarrassing Results
One surgeon said he's seen cases in which the sutures slid down patients' foreheads and "bunched themselves into knuckles" in the eyelids. Contour threads can cause the skin to fold temporarily into accordion pleats, a problem that usually goes away within a couple of weeks. If improperly inserted, the sutures can be visible when patients laugh or smile, like rows of bulging veins in the face.

At a meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery last year, 60 percent of the doctors present said they had experienced complications. In some cases, they said, the threads popped out of the skin.

One of the Fastest-Growing Cosmetic Procedures
Despite these problems, the Thread Lift is growing in popularity, thanks in part to wide television exposure.

Since September 2004, when the Food and Drug Administration cleared Contour Threads (one of two brands of barbed sutures) for use in the United States, 1,400 doctors have taken courses in how to use them. These doctors have now done more than 8,000 Thread Lifts.


Less Downtime
The Thread Lift became popular quickly because patients like the idea of a procedure that does not require large incisions and long recovery.

A traditional face-lift, which typically costs $8,000 to $20,000, involves much stitching and bruising, and recovery can take two to four weeks. But after the scars have healed, the face can maintain its new position for 5 to 10 years.

A thread lift involves no transplanting of tissue, so recovery can take as little as a week. The scar tissue that forms around the threads helps suspend the skin, but only for several months to a few years.

More Studies Are Needed
Because this procedure has only been available to doctors for two years, it hasn't been subjected to the kind of peer-review clinical studies that would demonstrate that it's both safe and effective. In my opinion, any new procedure should be predicated on a good 10 years' worth of lab work and clinical studies before it is widely adopted.

Lack of Training
Another problem is that this procedure can be done by anyone, not just plastic surgeons. Dermatologists, ophthalmologists, obstetricians and family practice physicians can take a two-day course given by the manufacturer and begin offering it to their patients.

They may have only a superficial knowledge of facial anatomy. That can spell disaster for their patients, particularly if they are unaware of how nerves are distributed throughout the face.

Even the Best Case Scenario Is Bad
Even under the best of circumstances, with a problem-free outcome, the Thread Lift is a loser. It will take $5,000-$6,000 out of your pocket and give you only minimal improvement. That improvement could disappear in a few years or even a few months.

In my opinion, don't waste your money!

www.lawlercentre.com