A thread lift takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Local anaesthesia with or without light sedation.

This is a simple outpatient procedure. The patient can leave immediately after completion.

Temporary discomfort and pain in the temples or behind the ear. Postoperative swelling and bruising are minimal. Some patients experience difficulty in opening their mouth widely. Puckering or dimpling of skin and pleating usually fades within two to three weeks.

Bleeding at the time of the procedure causing a hematoma (accumulation of blood) in the temple, infection of the threads, granuloma (suture reaction), snapping of threads, migration, extrusion, localised pain when thread end abuts against underside of the skin (which is easy to locate, shorten, or remove completely). Collective risk of complications is 15 to 20%, but all are minor and easily corrected.

Patients look presentable after 24 to 48 hours. Occasionally, puckering and pleating may persist for several weeks.

These are excellent techniques for achieving a temporary face lift effect. The effects after the procedure last one to two years after which new threads need to be inserted to maintain or enhance the patient's appearance. These threads should be viewed in the same way as other temporary procedures such as botulinum toxin or temporary dermal fillers where the loss of result after some time is not considered a failure. Together with other non-surgical techniques such as botulinum toxin injections, hyaluronic acid soft tissue fillers, IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments, laser therapy, or Thermage® (radiofrequency skin tightening), the rejuvenation can be powerful but remains temporary.