Archives of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery  2014;20(3):160-164

doi:10.14730/aaps.2014.20.3.160

Combined, Minimally Invasive, Thread-based Facelift.

Hyun Ho HAN 1 ; Ji Min KIM ; Nam Ho KIM ; Ro Hyuk PARK ; Jong Beum PARK ; Tae Joo AHN

Affiliations

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Keywords

Aging face; Face lift; Minimally invasive surgery; Rejuvenation; Thread

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

BACKGROUND: As society changes, patients have high expectations of plastic surgery and rapid recovery after surgery. A thread-based facelift meets these requirements and is growing in popularity. METHODS: Former thread lifts were either floating or fixed types. The authors used both types. Using a vertical line from the lateral orbital rim as the center, the anterior face was lifted with floating-type threads and the lateral face was lifted with fixed-type threads. The Blue RoseTM thread was used for the combined-type facelift, as it is stronger than other threads. Improvements were measured using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). RESULTS: Eighteen patients out of 28 were followed over 3 months. Five patients (28%) reported a GAIS score of 2, 10 patients (55%) had a GAIS score of 3, 2 patients (11%) had a GAIS score of 4, and one patient was unsatisfied with the surgical results. Results showed improvements in 83% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The combined, minimally invasive, thread-based facelift has some benefits. First, the functional anatomy of the face is considered. Second, the pulling force of the threads is stronger than formerly used threads. Third, especially in Asian patients, the postoperative broadening of the malar area can be minimized. Thus, a combined thread lift using Blue Rose threads can provide a natural-looking and strong facelift.