At a recent Conference of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons in Auckland NZ, Dr Yoshimura from Japan spoke about the changes that non-surgical procedures such as thread lifts and the use of fillers had produced in Japan.

In fact, in Japan, 90% of people having facelifts actually have a thread lift. Only >10% now have a surgical facelift.

This could be due to the difference in skin type and differences in ageing between Asian and Western skin.  Certainly in Australia many patients with loose facial skin would achieve a superior benefit from a facelift operation compared to thread lifting.

Nevertheless, thread lifting is increasing in popularity. For slight sagging of the jowls in a younger person it is now the preferred procedure.  This is because the modern threads consist of tiny absorbable cones that elevate the tissues of the face and, by causing a pinpoint scar deep in the tissues, hold the tissues in place.

Especially when performed with other procedures, such as liposuction to the neck and fat or fillers to the lips and cheeks, thread lifting is an excellent way to reverse the effects of ageing.