Thread lifts: what it does, what it costs and what to ask before you book
Threads are one of the few non-surgical treatments that move descended tissue on the day. Dr Leah rates them very differently depending on where in the face they go, and the recovery is harder than most patients expect.
In The Ageless Blueprint, Dr Leah rates thread lifts out of 10 for three separate areas, describes the recovery in detail, and sets out the order in which Dr Leah combines threads with other treatments. This page covers what any patient should know before booking.What a thread lift is
A thread lift places absorbable sutures with barbs or cones under the skin through small entry points, under local anaesthetic. The barbs grip soft tissue and reposition it on the day, so the immediate change comes from moving tissue rather than waiting for a collagen response. Over the following months the thread also stimulates collagen around it before it dissolves. Smooth or mono threads are a different treatment: they may be used for skin quality but give no mechanical lift.
Lifting threads in the UK include PDO (polydioxanone) products from MINT and Croma, Aptos designs in absorbable and non-absorbable materials, and Silhouette Soft, an absorbable PLLA suture with PLGA cones. The brand alone does not tell you whether the planned thread is designed to lift. Thread lifting is far less commonly performed than injectables: a 2024 BCAM survey found 24% of responding members offered it, against 98% offering botulinum toxin.
Generally used for
- Early jowls and a softening jawline in the mid and lower face
- Mild to moderate tissue descent where skin quality is still reasonable
- Patients who want a visible change on the day and can accept several weeks of recovery
What the guide covers that this page does not
- Dr Leah’s ratings out of 10 for brow, mid and lower face, and neck threads
- The patient Dr Leah considers ideal, and who should be steered to a surgical opinion
- The order in which Dr Leah combines energy devices, threads and filler, and why
- What a thread lift costs against Ultherapy or Morpheus8 for the same budget, and which Dr Leah would favour
What to expect
| Results | An immediate, often subtle repositioning of cheek, jowl and jawline tissue. Threads do not erase every nasolabial or marionette fold, especially where volume loss contributes, and cannot correct substantial excess skin. |
|---|---|
| How long it lasts | The lift can soften over time and the threads dissolve. No fixed duration is promised; anatomy, weight change and ageing all play a part. |
| Appointment and downtime | Local anaesthetic and small entry points. Expect an over-tight or wind-tunnel feeling for the first few days, with restricted mouth opening, and swelling and bruising that can remain visible for several weeks. |
| What can go wrong | Puckering where the thread grips the skin, which can take several weeks to resolve. Treatment failure, and the need for combination treatment unless sagging is mild. Scar tissue under the skin that may complicate a later surgical facelift. Outcomes depend heavily on thread choice, thread number and practitioner experience. |
| Cost | A face thread lift typically costs £1,000 to £3,500 in UK clinics. The number of threads used affects both the price and the result. |
Five things to ask before you book
- How many thread lifts do you perform each month, and for how many years have you been doing them?
- Which thread are you using, is it a barbed or cone lifting thread rather than a smooth one, and how many will you place?
- What will I look like at day three, week two and week six, and how do you manage puckering?
- Is my sagging mainly descent, mainly loose skin or mainly volume loss, and does that change what you recommend?
- If I am likely to have a surgical facelift one day, does a thread lift now make that harder?
Dr Leah’s verdict is in the guide
Chapter 13 of The Ageless Blueprint rates thread lifts out of 10 for three separate areas, with a reason for each. Dr Leah has performed thread lifts for 11 years and has trained practitioners for a thread manufacturer, and the chapter draws on that: the patient Dr Leah considers ideal, the sequence in which Dr Leah layers threads with energy devices and filler, why Dr Leah believes UK practitioners typically undertreat, what recovery looks like week by week, and how to choose a practitioner. Seven pages, with illustrations.
This page gives general information and does not replace a consultation with a qualified practitioner who can assess your face, skin and medical history. Prices are typical UK ranges, accurate as of September 2026, and vary between clinics. For adults aged 18 and over.
Common questions
The lift can soften over time and the threads themselves dissolve. The chapter deliberately gives no fixed duration, because anatomy, weight change and ageing all affect it. Dr Leah explains in the guide how Dr Leah sets expectations.
Only if they have barbs or cones. Smooth PDO threads, often called mono threads, may help skin quality but do not reposition tissue. Lifting threads include PDO products from MINT and Croma, Aptos designs in several materials, and Silhouette Soft, which uses a PLLA suture with cones.
Puckering, where the skin looks gathered or indented at a thread’s grip point, is common in the early weeks and often bothers patients more than bruising. Dr Leah describes in the guide how long it has taken to settle in Dr Leah’s own practice.