At some point, many adults look in the mirror with a bit of frustration. While we’ve come into an era in which aging gracefully actually allows for some fine lines, wrinkles, and other conditions, we may never fully embrace a world without various beauty treatments. If you’re riding that line of wanting to look like your younger self but don’t want surgical facial rejuvenation, you may love what you’re about to read. At our Cincinnati office, Dr. Krummen helps patients in your shoes by inserting durable yet imperceptible threads. The PDO Thread Lift may be your ideal beauty solution. 

What Is a PDO Thread Lift?

The PDO Thread Lift is a sophisticated nonsurgical lifting technique that has been carefully developed to achieve optimal results. While this treatment may not mimic what a facelift can do, it has proven itself a formidable rival to surgery. The way that the PDO Thread Lift works is by stabilizing the skin and underlying tissue higher across the mid face. This is possible because the biocompatible threads are specially designed to adhere to surrounding tissue as they are placed in an upward pattern. Some PDO threads are barbed and some are not. Each patient may benefit from a particular type of thread, which is discussed during their consultation. 

Because the PDO Thread Lift is not a surgical procedure and requires no incisions or tissue trimming, the procedure can comfortably be performed with a local anesthetic. Minor injections and a topical cream may be used in tandem to numb the skin and underlying tissue. This initial step can take about 20 minutes to allow the anesthetic to take full effect. Once numbing is achieved, the doctor may mark the face using a temporary surgical pen. The marks plot the placement of the threads to achieve the desired outcome. 

Threading takes from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the area or areas treated. PDO threads are commonly used to lift only the brow area. Treatment may also be performed as a type of nonsurgical facelift, focusing on the lower regions of the face. To rejuvenate appearance, the doctor inserts PDO threads using a fine, hollow cannula. This passes through the subdermal layers, grabbing loose tissue as it goes. When the needle is removed, the skin is higher and tighter. Recovery after a PDO Thread Lift is brief. While full healing happens over a two week period, the majority of swelling and activity limitations resolve in two to three days. Results can last years.

It isn’t a must that  you turn to surgery or injectables to refresh your appearance. Contact our Cincinnati office at 513.985.0850 to learn more about the PDO thread lift. 

The effects of gravity are inescapable, as are the age-related changes that occur in the body. Together, these two factors alone can result in weakened, sagging skin. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Krummen has seen the benefits of procedures like facelift surgery time and time again. Still, there must be options aside from the surgical lift. In our Cincinnati office, that option is the nonsurgical PDO thread lift.

What is a Thread Lift?

Thread lifts are not new. They were first introduced many years ago but never quite took hold. Over time, technique and technology improved to create a reliable nonsurgical lift. The PDO thread lift is a minimally-invasive process performed in the office in under an hour. Patients are pre-treated with a local anesthetic that numbs their skin and underlying tissue. While the numbing medication is taking effect, Dr. Krummen may mark the area or areas she will treat. Threads are selected based on the size of the treatment area and are inserted into subcutaneous tissue in the appropriate position to lift the skin upward and slightly outward.

PDO threads are biocompatible polydioxanone suture material, which has a long history of clinical use. Cosmetically, PDO threads have been used to lift the brows, the lower face and jawline, arms, breasts, and buttocks. When inserted beneath the skin, the suture material stimulates collagen production that continues for up to several months. The threads themselves gently adhere to the tissue around them, repositioning the skin to look smoother, firmer, and younger. Threads absorb in four to six months.

Could a Thread Lift be Right for You?

If you wish to revitalize your appearance without undergoing more extensive surgery, you may be a good candidate for the PDO Thread Lift. It is important to consult with an experienced surgeon who can discuss with you what a thread lift may accomplish based on the condition of your skin and underlying tissue. While PDO thread lifts are reliable, there are limitations to what can be achieved using this technique. Our goal is always to achieve the best outcome possible using the most appropriate technique. In some cases, surgery may be the more beneficial option.

Learn more about the benefits of a PDO Thread Lift. Call 513.985.0850 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Krummen.

As we approach a new year, many of us are contemplating what we can bring into our lives and what we can leave behind.When it comes to beauty, jowls absolutely fit into the “leave behind” category. The problem is, jowls are tricky. The softening and widening and sagging along the jawline is bound to happen to most of us, if not all of us, at some point. The question is not how to prevent them but how to postpone them as long as possible and then, when they do appear, how to get rid of them. We have an answer for that. But first, let’s discuss why we get jowls in the first place.

What Causes Jowls

A Decrease in Key Proteins

You may know that you need collagen and elastin for your skin to look young and healthy. Over time, two things happen to these proteins. First, those that make up the matrix of the dermis and epidermis degrade. The primary factor at work here is UV exposure. The second thing that happens is that the body stops producing as much collagen and elastin as it once did. Without sufficient production, there is little to make up for the degradation that occurs.

Genetics

Here is one more thing we can blame on our genes. Studies suggest that a person who has naturally thin skin may have more pronounced jowls. Those with thicker skin, on the other hand, may have more subtle jowls. Still, the amount of collagen and elastin every individual has present in their skin will interplay with skin thickness or lack thereof.

Lifestyle

For healthy skin at any age, it helps to keep good habits. Lifestyle factors that contribute to jowls, as well as other signs of aging, include:

• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol use
• Weight fluctuations
• UV exposure

Now for the Good News

Jowls are not something you have to live with. In the past, the solution to jowls was to surgically lift the skin and tissue of the lower face and neck. Today, thanks to innovative advances, we can correct mild to moderate lower face laxity using absorbable threads.

Dr. Krummen is pleased to offer the PDO Thread Lift to qualified patients. This nonsurgical procedure is conducted in the office and incurs very little downtime. The PDO thread lift rejuvenates the skin in three distinct ways:

• Instant lifting through a light mechanical repositioning of tissue
• Skin tightening through the contraction of fat tissue
• Cellular renewal due to neovascularization and collagen stimulation

Let’s plan your best look together. Call our Cincinnati office at 513.985.0850 to schedule your consultation for a PDO thread lift.