Long-term effect of the insoluble thread-lifting technique.

Background: Although the thread-lifting technique for sagging faces has become more common and popular, medical literature evaluating its effects is scarce. Studies on its long-term prognosis are particularly uncommon.

Patients and methods: One hundred individuals who had previously undergone insoluble thread-lifting were retrospectively investigated. Photos in frontal and oblique views from the first and last visits were evaluated by six female individuals by guessing the patients' ages. The mean guessed age was defined as the apparent age, and the difference between the real and apparent ages was defined as the youth value. The difference between the youth values before and after the thread-lift was defined as the rejuvenation effect and analyzed in relation to the time since the operation, the number of threads used and the number of thread-lift operations performed.

Results: The rejuvenation effect decreased over the first year after the operation, but showed an increasing trend thereafter. The rejuvenation effect increased with the number of threads used and the number of thread-lift operations performed.

Conclusion: The insoluble thread-lifting technique appears to be associated with both early and late effects. The rejuvenation effect appeared to decrease during the first year, but increased thereafter. A multicenter trial is necessary to confirm these findings.