A Common Assumption: Thread Lifting Means Long-Lasting Pull
Mor Pun believes many people interested in thread lifting expect the pulling force from threads to firm up the face and stay that way for a long time. But as a physician who believes in giving honest, evidence-based information, Mor Pun thinks it's important patients receive complete information — not just the parts that sound pleasing.
A systematic literature review published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2018, by a research team from the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium, thoroughly reviewed research on closed thread-lift procedures, searching PubMed according to PRISMA guidelines and narrowing down to 12 directly relevant studies. Mor Pun wants to walk through this data honestly.
1.What the Literature Review Found
- The first point this research clearly highlights: the lifting effect from threads in many studies often doesn't last as long as expected. For example, one study found correction began fading as early as 6 months post-procedure, and by 12 months, nearly all jowl correction had disappeared, with midface correction also lost by 80-100%. Another study found 42.3% of patients required revision surgery within an average of just 8.4 months. Another study found 50% recurrence of sagging within 6 months, with some cases appearing as early as 8 weeks.
- The second point: of the 12 compiled studies, only 2 reported clearly positive results in terms of satisfaction and durability. Mor Pun thinks this needs to be discussed honestly — both of these studies received funding or compensation from the companies manufacturing the threads used in that study, which the review's authors explicitly noted as a factor worth considering when interpreting the findings.
- The third point: the most common side effects were swelling and bruising. There were also reports of visible or palpable threads, skin dimpling or contour irregularity, and thread extrusion — information anyone interested in thread lifting should know in advance to inform their decision.
An Interesting Detail: Skin Texture Improvement Appears More Consistent Than Lift
A point Mor Pun wants to particularly highlight: in one study using knotless polydioxanone (PDO) threads, which separately assessed lifting effect and skin texture effect, texture ratings were positive in a higher and more consistent proportion than lifting effect ratings. Lifting effect was rated as fair to poor in nearly half of the study group, while texture effect received more consistently positive ratings.
This aligns with what Mor Pun previously explained in an earlier article about the mechanisms of different thread materials — threads don't work through pulling force alone, but also act as a stimulator for new collagen formation around the thread. This may help explain why some patients feel their skin looks "fresher" or "younger" even after the positional lifting effect has begun to fade — because the change patients notice may come from improved skin quality, rather than tissue still being pulled into position.
2.Why This Information Matters for Decision-Making
Mor Pun wants to emphasize that presenting this information isn't intended to suggest thread lifting has no benefit. Rather, it's meant to give those interested in thread lifting reasonable expectations that match actual available scientific evidence, rather than expecting the lifting effect to be permanent or last as long as an open surgical facelift.
The review's authors also noted that thread lifting combined with an open procedure may show more promising results than closed thread lifting alone — information worth considering when planning treatment for those wanting more comprehensive results.
3.What Those Interested in Thread Lifting Should Consider
Given all this information, Mor Pun wants those interested in thread lifting to consider two main points. First, understand that positional lifting force may not last as long as expected, and have an honest conversation with your physician about the expected timeframe for results and the need for repeat treatment.
Second, understand that thread lifting's value may not lie in pulling force alone, but also includes collagen-stimulating and skin-quality-improving effects, which may in some cases be a more consistent benefit. Discussing your true goals for this procedure with your physician is therefore very important.
4.Closing Summary
The systematic literature review published in 2018 candidly demonstrates that scientific evidence supporting the durability of closed thread-lift pulling force remains fairly limited, and studies reporting positive results were mostly connected to thread manufacturers. However, the same data indicates that skin-texture improvement tends to be rated more consistently positive — which may represent thread lifting's true value more than pulling force alone. Understanding this information fully helps those interested in thread lifting set reasonable expectations, and one should always consult a specialist physician to plan treatment suited to their actual goals.