How Can Sagging Face Lifting Improve Nasolabial Folds, Jowls, and Marionette Lines? (Thread Lift)

By the late 30s and beyond, volume begins to diminish and the midface starts to sag overall.

The lines around the mouth become more noticeable, and the area below the jawline becomes less defined, almost like jowls.

At this point, most people try changing their cosmetics or intensifying their skin care routine.

However, jowls and wrinkles caused by sagging and loosened skin do not improve simply by caring for the surface of the face.

Various treatments that promote elasticity also have limits when the skin has already become lax.

To restore already sagging skin, some degree of physical intervention is needed.

A thread lift works by directly lifting and fixing loosened tissue from the deeper layers beneath the skin.

Because it is performed without incisions, the recovery period is relatively short compared with facial contouring surgery, and many people choose it because it is less burdensome.

Why Does Facial Sagging Occur?

As we age and the skin loses elasticity, noticeable changes appear in various areas of the face.

Among them, many people first notice nasolabial folds and marionette lines in the jowl area.

Although their locations differ, these are changes that occur as the structures beneath them collapse and lose their position.

Our face is made up of multiple layers, including a fat layer beneath the skin and, below that, fascia and ligament tissue.

These structures are firmly connected to support the cheeks and jawline so they do not sag downward, and to maintain the shape of the face.

However, as time passes, these support structures gradually weaken and elasticity begins to decline, causing the fat in the face to slowly move downward in the direction of gravity.

In particular, as the midface area, which was maintained by volume from fat, sags downward, various changes appear on the skin surface.

What Is a Thread Lift?

A thread lift is a procedure that inserts special threads beneath the skin to pull up and lift loosened skin tissue.

The threads used are safe, absorbable threads approved for medical use, and they break down in the body after a certain period of time.

As they break down, collagen production is induced around the threads, which helps improve the skin’s own elasticity as well.

There are also device-based lifting treatments that provide “elasticity” to the skin.

Procedures using commonly used devices such as radiofrequency and ultrasound work by applying heat stimulation to induce collagen production and help elasticity recover over time.

However, device-based lifting has difficulty producing sufficient lifting effects when the skin has already begun to sag.

It is generally more suitable for prevention or for improving early loss of elasticity.

On the other hand, a thread lift is useful in situations where the skin has already loosened and the facial contour has collapsed, because it directly lifts and pulls up the sagging skin.

In particular, when there are deep lines such as nasolabial folds and marionette lines, or when the cheeks have sagged downward like jowls, it can physically lift those areas and help sharpen the facial contour.

Things to Keep in Mind About Thread Lifts

A thread lift is known as a relatively simple procedure.

However, because it is a procedure that makes direct changes to the face, there are points that must be checked and followed before and after treatment.

The first thing to consider is whether your current skin condition and facial structure are suitable for a thread lift.

If the skin is too thin, the cheeks are very heavily sagging, or there are many areas where volume has already been lost, a thread lift alone may not produce the level of lifting effect you expect.

In such cases, it may need to be combined with other procedures.

You should also be careful not to insert too many threads or pull too strongly, as the result may look unnatural.

Everyone’s face is different, and even if the same thread is inserted into the same area, the response can vary from person to person.

The result also depends on how deeply it is placed, in what direction, and with how much tension it is pulled.

In particular, because facial skin thickness, fat distribution, expression habits, and muscle movement all differ, the procedure should be designed to suit each face rather than using a fixed formula.

A thread lift is a delicate procedure that can change the impression of the face with even a 1 mm difference.

Therefore, if you are looking into lifting procedures, we recommend choosing a medical professional with a deep understanding of facial structure and plenty of procedural experience, receiving a careful diagnosis, and proceeding only after thorough consultation.

Thank you for reading this long post.

| This post was written for informational purposes in compliance with Article 56, Paragraphs 1 through 15 of the Medical Services Act. All treatments carry a risk of side effects and complications depending on the individual. Before treatment, please be sure to make a decision only after having a thorough consultation with a medical professional who has extensive experience. |