Aesthetic Medicine: Notched threads : How do they work?
The placing of notched threads is a new technique, aiming to obtain a rejuvenating lifting effect to the face that is almost immediate and natural. Notched threads (fibres) also make it possible to obtain a repositioning and restoration of volume to the face. The effects are immediate and can last for 18 or up to 24 months. Several areas of the face can be treated: face oval - loss of volume to the cheekbones and cheeks - moderate relaxation of the neck –sagging eyebrows that result in a saddened expression.
Note: Not everyone can be treated with notched threads (fibres): specifically cases of serious ptosis of the face, either very thick or very fine skin, significant clumps of fat around the jowls, cannot be corrected with this technique. In these cases, a facelift or mini facelift more or less associated with a liposuction of the neck are essential.
The aim of Notched threads
The principle is to introduce, under the skin, a system of fully resorbable threads to create tautness in the facial tissues and thus achieve a younger, less tired look.
Before laying the notched threads
A consultation with Dr. Christelle Santini, cosmetic surgeon in Paris, to determine whether your anatomy and your wishes are compatible with this technique. A detailed examination will be carried out by your cosmetic surgeon to check for possible contra-indications to certain products (allergies) and for any medical history that requires caution (labial herpes, medicinal intake, recent aesthetic treatment to the face such as a laser session, Injection of hyaluronic acid or botulinum toxin, peeling, ...). A careful examination of the face and the signs of aging is carried out. Your cosmetic surgeon will then advise you of the most suitable technique for you. If your wishes and your anatomy allow the placing of threads, you will be left completely satisfied. Aspirin-based or anti-inflammatory medicines are prohibited 7 days prior to the resorbable (absorbable) notched threads being placed. It is best not to drink any alcohol nor to expose yourself to the sun for long periods the day before the treatment. Exposure to the sun is also proscribed if any bruising occurs after the notched threads are placed.
Procedure for laying notched threads
The procedure takes place in the medical surgery. The placing of the resorbable notched threads is performed under (pure/non diluted) local anesthestic. Minimal injections at the thread entry points are applied for complete analgesia. For added comfort an anesthetic cream can be applied an hour before the procedure of placing the threads. The duration of a session varies from 20 min to 1 hour depending on the number of areas to be treated and the number of threads to be placed. The number of tensors to be laid depends on the anatomy of each patient, as well as the number of zones being treated. After placing the notched threads, the first 6 hours should be complete rest, being in a calm place and refraining from any sustainable effort. Using/ Activating the face should be avoided, no mimicary, not too much talking or laughing. In the few days following treatment avoid alcohol, aspirin, anti-inflammatories, the sun and sauna/ hammam. The immediate results may be marked by a slight swelling, by redness of the areas treated with the notched threads. This result varies from one patient to another but remains moderate and disappears completely within 5 to 7 days. In the majority of cases professional activity can be resumed the day after treatment. It is possible that in the first few days, some temporary irregularities may appear, due to the inhomogeneous distribution of edema and skin or an over emphasized aspect that disappears in a few days. The definitive result of the effects of notched threads is visible a few days after they are placed: the time it takes for the notched threads to adapt, blend in, for the edema to disappear and for facial tissue to become supple again. Occasionally some areas cannot be treated by placing threads and the treatment may be deemed insufficient for certain deeper or older wrinkles. Another treatment can sometimes be associated: filler injections with hyaluronic acid and/ or Botox.
Possible complications due to the laying of notched threads
Any medical act regardless of how minor, presents a certain number of uncertainties and risks. Do not hesitate to talk to your cosmetic surgeon. Among the undesirable effects are: exceptional allergic reactions; local reactions after injections; edema, redness, pallor, irregularities, sensitiveness, itching, ecchymosis, these reactions are temporary. Effects of labial herpes in predisposed patients. An acute or prolonged inflammatory reaction. Granuloma: small hardened nodules more or less sensitive, perceptible to the touch, sometimes visible and unsightly, appearing as a rosary along the thread. They correspond to a localized inflammatory reaction which can evolve/appear by period. They can appear from a few days up to a few weeks after the session.