PDO Thread Lift

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PDO thread lift – UK safest skin clinic

We are the leading medical skin clinic for PDO thread lift and non surgical face lift treatments in UK. Our practitioner Helen Bowes is an internationally respected expert and APDOT accredited global lead trainer in all PDO thread lift procedures for the face, neck and body. We are regulated by the Care Quality Commission to provide surgical procedures including PDO thread lift.

Consider the facts… We have performed over 3500 PDO thread lift and skin tightening procedures in UK without a single injury or complication. We perform both a wider variety and more advanced and complex PDO thread lift procedures than any other skin clinic in UK. We treat every area of the face, neck and body, regardless of complexity (abdomen, legs, knees, ankles, arms, hands, nose, etc, etc), not just the easier ones. Helen Bowes is highly respected among senior peers for her technical skill to perform advanced and complex thread lift procedures and her enviable reputation for safety and correctness. A PDO thread lift costs from only £599 per treatment and we have not one…, not two…, but over 100 different thread lift procedures to choose from.

It is a criminal offence for any clinic to provide PDO thread lift, Silhouette Soft thread lift, APTOS thread lift, in England unless both the clinic and practitioner are registered with Care Quality Commission to perform surgery.

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What is a PDO thread lift?

A PDO thread lift is a surgical medical cosmetic skin tightening procedure designed to lift and tighten areas of the face, neck, stomach, arms, legs or ankles. Fine polydioxanone threads are inserted under the skin through a small cannula. Once in place the threads are manipulated to give the necessary lift and/or tightening of the tissues. PDO thread lift has the advantage over all other thread lift types in that the threads are anchored to give a real face lift and not just skin tightening.

How are thread lifts performed?

Thread lift employs techniques similar to acupuncture with each procedure being performed under local anaesthetic. A small cannula is then inserted into tissues just beneath the skin to guide the thread into place. When the cannula is removed the thread remains, suspending the tissues to give the required lift. Skin tightening and collagen growth occurs over 3-6 months. The threads are fully biodegradable within 6-8 months.

Cog Thread Lift – UK Most Experienced Medical Skin Clinic

Our experience in thread lifting across the UK involves extensive use of barbed cog PDO threads. Cog threads provide tissue lift and suspension. The design allows for almost unlimited use for skin tightening and skin tissue lifting across the entire body. A number of UK clinics provide cog thread lift in a limited number of treatment areas, mostly jaw line and lower face whereas our treatment portfolio for cog thread lifting extends way beyond to the most complex treatment areas: abdomen, arms, knees, legs, back and combined full face and neck thread lift.

The 7 Point PDO Thread Facelift by Helen Bowes

PDO thread lift before & after (7 point face lift before treatment + 4 weeks after)

The 5 + 2 Point Thread Face lift by Helen Bowes

PDO thread lift before & after (5 + 2 point face lift before treatment + 3 months after)

Which areas can I treat with a thread lift?

PDO threads can be placed in many areas of the face, neck and body to give a tissue lift, skin tightening and/or rejuvenation. Different thread types can be used in each area according to the treatment being performed. For example, a PDO thread face lift can lift tissues of the cheeks, jowls and jaw line as well as nasolabial folds. PDO thread lifts can also treat the neck, eyebrows, nose, double chin, abdomen, arms, thighs, knees, and ankles. Smaller areas can also be treated using the smaller mono, screw and double threads including nasal folds, tear troughs, forehead, crow’s feet, lips, chin and nose.

How well do PDO thread lifts work?

A correctly performed PDO thread lift can work extremely well to provide real tissue lift and skin tightening. Correct patient and product selection is essential to achieve this. The practitioner must be able to identify suitable candidates and must use the correct PDO thread type. Only barbed cog threads will provide an actual tissue lift. Many practitioners advertise a thread lift or mini thread lift at a lower cost but do not use cog threads. This is misinformation and a way for less skilled practitioners to benefit from keyword searches for thread lift. They do this because they are not sufficiently trained or skilled to work with barbed cogs, but hope to gain business from those patients searching for a thread lift. Other PDO thread types such as screw and mono threads do not provide a lift but only rejuvenate and tighten the skin. Always check the work, pricing, experience and medical qualifications of the practitioner offering the treatment.

PDO thread lift for men by Helen Bowes

PDO thread lift for men before & after treatment

The 5 Point Thread Facelift

PDO thread 5 point face lift (before & 3 months after treatment)

PDO thread neck lift by Helen Bowes

Skin tightening is particularly effective for turkey necks and sagging neck tissues. Fine threads are inserted at intervals to manipulate and tighten loose tissues, restoring more youthful dimensions to the area.

PDO thread neck lift by Helen Bowes (before and after treatment)

PDO Thread Eyebrow Lift before & after

PDO thread lift gives a highly effective result for eyebrow lifting. Specialist techniques by Helen Bowes will lift the perspective of the brow relative to the eyes and forehead with perfect precision.

PDO thread face lift by Helen Bowes

PDO thread face lift before & after treatment (5 point lift, nasal folds & jowl lift)

Body Contouring & Skin Tightening

PDO thread lift for arms by Helen Bowes (before and after treatment)

Abdominal skin tightening – PDO thread lift by Helen Bowes (before and after treatment)

Effective skin tightening of the abdomen/stomach – PDO thread lift by Helen Bowes. A very effective procedure for fat reduction in the belly, arms, thighs and knees. The image shows improvement following just one procedure.

Why choose Skin Beautiful Clinics for PDO thread lift?

There is no safer, more experienced nor better trained and accredited practitioner anywhere in UK than Helen Bowes for PDO thread lift and fine thread body contouring procedures. Helen Bowes is a leading global expert, masterclass trainer, researcher, medical advisory board member and Key Opinion Leader in PDO thread lift for Intraline Medical Aesthetics. We are an APDOT UK accredited clinic, and the only independently accredited PDO thread trainer anywhere in UK. APDOT is the highest level of accreditation available. Helen Bowes has been examined and scrutinized by a board of Harley Street experts for safe and effective PDO thread lift procedures and was accordingly awarded fully accredited trainer status to the Association of PDO Threads UK. The standards required for accreditation are very high, in the interests of public safety. Many doctors and nurses have failed APDOT accreditation including many that promote themselves industry experts.

We offer the most extensive range of PDO thread lift and contouring treatments of any UK clinic. Helen Bowes is one of the very most experienced PDO thread lift practitioners in the UK and has performed in excess of 1800 successful procedures using the world’s best quality threads, bar none. What’s more Helen’s hands are among the safest in the industry with thousands of advanced cosmetic procedures and zero injuries or complications.

Thread lift treatments

The most popular treatment performed at our clinics is the 7 point non surgical thread facelift which lifts cheeks and jowls, tightens and contours the jaw line too. Other treatments include the highly advanced 10 point thread lift, 5 point facelift, neck lift, nasolabial folds, double chin, turkey neck, eyebrow lift, forehead lines, marionette lines, peri-oral (smoker’s lines), tear troughs, abdominal skin tightening and skin tightening for the knees/thighs, ankles and arms too.

More information about PDO thread lift treatment areas

PDO thread neck lift
Jowl lift & jaw tightening
PDO thread abdominal lift – skin tightening

Advantages of the PDO thread lift

The PDO thread lift is a viable option for anyone who wants a longer lasting lift without undergoing surgery. Whilst it is not a replacement for surgery the thread lift has a much lower recovery time and carries less risk of complications too. Procedures take approximately 30 minutes with local anaesthetic and are at a fraction of the cost of surgery.

Results may be visible for up to 2 years, comparing favourably with BOTOX® and dermal filler treatments. The thread lift also works extremely well in combination with BOTOX® and dermal filler treatments. In particular, the lift is complimented perfectly by the volume and hydration from dermal fillers to give a more rounded youthful appearance.

PDO thread lift versus Silhouette Soft

PDO threads have a number of notable advantages over Silhouette Soft. Polydioxanone (PDO) is the strongest thread material, provides the best skin tissue lifting capacity of all thread types and is the safest material in the body. Results from PDO thread therapy may last for 2 years compared with approximately 12-18 months for Silhouette Soft. There are differences in design too. Silhouette Soft threads contain cones to suspend skin tissues but without an anchoring point. PDO threads are designed with soft 3 dimensional barbs and are anchored to give a lasting tissue lift. The advantage of barbs over cones is in the way they hold and manipulate tissue. The manipulation of the threads actually causes trauma under the skin. This trauma is an essential part of neocollagenesis and the barbs give better collagen regrowth by comparison, mainly due to their design. This in turn gives a longer lasting lift. Polydioxanone as a material provides higher tensile strength compared to Poly L-lactic acid used in Silhouette Soft threads. Poly L-lactic acid threads have also been shown to cause granuloma, can slip or reposition following insertion, give increased puckering and may be visible on the surface.

Why our threads are superior to others

We use the world’s best quality CE marked fine threads designed and manufactured only in South Korea. These threads are proven to be not only the strongest but also give the best lift and tightening thanks to their uniquely designed 3D barbs and cogs. Polydioxanone is the safest and strongest material of all thread types, used in cardiac and ocular surgery within the NHS. Our PDO threads are long lasting and fully biodegradable too.

Numerous problems with other thread types have been reported in the past. Some would break prematurely (especially the older polypropylene threads), whilst others would cause puckering of the skin. Many of todays threads manufactured from poly L-Lactic acid can also give nodules and other complications years after treatment. The key to a successful thread face lift is neocollagenesis or the process of trauma and collagen regrowth. No other fine thread brand or design aids the same level of collagenesis as our chosen PDO threads.

More about the PDO thread lift

Thread lifts are only slightly more invasive than Botox and dermal filler procedures. The lift is achieved by new collagen formation around the area where threads are placed. The PDO material is a main constituent of surgical sutures (medical stitches) which gradually dissolve to leave natural collagen in place.

How safe are PDO thread lift procedures?

Thread lift procedures are very safe when performed by a suitably trained and qualified medical aesthetics practitioner and one with a knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the area to be treated and correct technique. Polydioxanone threads have a proven safety record in suturing procedures. The procedures are performed under an oral nerve block or similar local anaesthetic and so it is important that the practitioner is trained and competent in prescribing and administering the anaesthetic too.

We would encourage any person considering a thread lift to ask for evidence of the practitioner’s training at a medical level, by a certified and accredited expert and in the exact procedure in question. Clients should also ask to see evidence of the practitioner’s work before deciding on a procedure.

What regulation, training and qualifications in PDO thread lift procedures do you have?

We are a fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission to provide all surgical thread lift procedures, legally in England. Helen Bowes is a certified master class PDO thread lift trainer for all fine thread contouring, body contouring, face and neck lift procedures and holds 3 master class certificates in all PDO thread lift procedures.

Am I suitable for a PDO thread lift treatment?

If you are a normal healthy adult and do not have excessively lax skin then you may well be a suitable candidate for a PDO thread lift procedure. As with all medical skin treatments certain limitations apply and some patients may not be suitable candidates. For example, if you have any circulatory problems (e.g. DVT to the lower leg), or if you are diabetic (type II), pregnant or lactating then you would not be a suitable candidate for PDO thread lifting. Additionally, if you have a pacemaker fitted or are taking certain prescribed medications such as Warfarin then a PDO thread lift treatment is contraindicated.

PDO thread lift treatments are designed to lift and/or tighten skin tissues, enhance collagen production and may also improve the ratio of collagen to fat within the skin tissues. However, PDO thread lifts are not fat reducing treatments. If you have recently lost weight or have had fat reduction treatments then a PDO thread lift may be beneficial for skin tightening. Patients with excessive fatty tissue as well as those who plan to lose weight may be suitable candidates for PDO thread lift treatment at a later date.

Decisions as to treatment suitability can only be made following a face to face consultation. On occasion we may decline or defer treatment if we consider it to be in the best interests of the patient.

Thread lift treatment options

• 3, 5, 7 & 10 point face lift
• Upper/mid cheek lift
• Neck lift
• Double chin lift
• Jowl lift/jaw line tightening
• Nasolabial fold correction
• Marionette lines correction
• Lip contouring & definition
• Eyebrow lift / Cat Eye lift
• Tear trough correction
• Nose lift
• Decolletage
• Stomach/abdominal lift
• Arms skin tightening
• Knee & thigh lift
• Ankle lift (cankles)

Author

Page edited and managed by Helen Bowes RGN BSc (Hons) NISP AMAP KOL

Registered Nurse Prescriber (Medical Aesthetics)
Advanced Medical Aesthetics Practitioner (Registration No. MD1248/12 – MedicsDirect)

Care Quality Commission Registered Manager No: CON1-7019221746

Member of Aesthetics Complications Expert Group

Helen Bowes is a leading authority in aesthetic and anti ageing medicine with over 12,500 medical and cosmetic skin procedures performed. Helen is an expert Key Opinion Leader and a certified trainer in the field of PDO thread lifting and holds 3 master class certificates in PDO thread lift procedures for the face, neck and body. Through her outright expertise in thread lifting, Helen provides over 100 different types of PDO thread lift procedures using combinations of threads in nearly every area of the face, neck and body. Helen is fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission for surgical procedures such as PDO thread lift. She is a registered nurse prescriber in Aesthetic Medicine, an active promoter of safety in aesthetics and a member of the Aesthetics Complications Expert (ACE) Group.