What thread treatments exist and what are they used for?
Threads are normally used to combat flaccidity, whether it is mild or moderate. There are many types of threads that are used today, but the most important, the ones with the longest history and the first to be used are the gold threads. I have been using gold threads for about 25 years with really good results. Besides, when gold threads appeared, other types of threads appeared, such as the apt threads or also called Russian threads, spring threads, silouette threads and lately the PDO, the famous magic threads, which are made of polydioxanone. The gold thread consists in the introduction under the skin of sutures, which is not only gold, but contains Maxon (polygluconate monofilament), contains white natural silk, and contains polyoglycolic acid, and of course, gold. These threads must be assembled on one of them and we obtain at the end the four assembled threads: the gold, the silk, the maxon and the polyoglycolic acid. With this we are going to build on the skin a mesh that will hold the skin. And the importance of these threads with respect to the others is that their duration is very long in time, between six, eight or ten years, depending on the characteristics of the patient, the patient’s skin and the age of the patient. Apart from these threads, other more important traction threads emerged, such as the spring thread. These are the traction threads, they are threads that are serrated, siliconized and with Teflon, semi-elastic. And they are threads that are going to be traced on the face to lift the face. Then we have the most commonly used threads now, which are very simple, which are called polydioxanone threads. These polydioxanone threads are reabsorbable, they last six to seven months, they are mounted on a needle, the needle is introduced into the skin and when the needle is removed the threads remain inside the skin.
What advantages do these thread treatments have over other treatments?
The advantages of the treatment with threads at facial level, compared to other treatments, the most important is, as I said, the prevention and correction of facial flaccidity. We insist, a slight facial flaccidity. When we talk about moderate or severe facial flaccidity with an excess of skin, obviously the threads or any treatment will allow to correct it, only the operating room. The advantage it has is the duration in time, especially at the level of the gold threads, as I say, they last from six to eight or ten years, which prevents skin aging.
What is the compatibility of this treatment with other facial rejuvenation techniques?
The treatment with threads, gold threads, PDO, apt threads, Spring, Silouette, any of them, especially gold, is compatible with any type of treatment. We have to keep in mind that the gold thread does not volumize, it has no filling capacity and none of the other threads either. So what do we do? We reinforce the skin, we lift the tissues and when there is a need for volumizing or remodeling at facial level, we can use any of the other substances that are used in aesthetic medicine such as hyaluronic acid, etcetera.
When is it convenient to start with thread treatments?
The age at which you can start a treatment with threads, at a corrective level and especially at a preventive level, can be from 35 years old. When there is an excess of skin and the flaccidity is very important, the threads can no longer make any action, therefore it is necessary to resort to surgery. There are even people who repeat the implantation of gold threads, in this case, at eight or ten years of age, and probably these people or this type of patient will not go to the operating room.