PDO (Polydioxanone) threads have been around for about 10 years. Many people refer to the use of PDO facial threading as “mini face lift”. The PDO threads are made of the same material that is used for surgical procedures such as open heart surgery. These are specially made sutures that have small fine barbs on them to anchor them into place. There are several different types of threads for different types of applications. Some are smooth, barbed or twist depending on the results you are trying to achieve.
In my practice I use a majority of barbed threads for lifting the facial tissue and giving people a more youthful appearance. Results can vary widely depending on the skill level of the person performing the procedure and the amount of threads being placed. I have found that the more threads that are used, the better the results will be.
The procedure itself is not painful. I typically like to inject the area with a small local anesthetic at the place of insertion. under the skin is numbed to help with patient comfort. The cannula are placed under the skin to place the thread. The thread is placed in the proper position and the cannula is removed. The thread then trimmed and slips under the skin and not visible. The procedure takes about 45 – 60 minutes.