Guide
- What is a nose thread lift?
- How does it work?
- What can a nose thread lift address?
- What are the benefits of a nose thread lift?
- Is it safe to use threads on the nose?
- Who is a nose thread lift suited for?
- Nose Thread Lift vs. Liquid Rhinoplasty
- Nose Thread Lift vs. Surgical Rhinoplasty
- Are nose threads right for you?
What is a nose thread lift?
A nose thread lift is a non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure for lifting and defining the nose. Taking less than an hour and described as a quick “lunchtime nose job” this procedure may be a great idea if you want to add some subtle, natural-looking definition to your nasal bridge and tip.
When you visit The Kaplan Center for a nose thread lift, the threads are inserted along your nose beneath your skin with a cannula to add extra height to the nose bridge and lift the tip. These threads contain absorbable polymers like polydioxanone (PDO). Also found in surgical sutures.
How does it work?
Threads pull sagging skin to the position you desire. You’ll notice some improvement in the definition and height of your nose bridge almost immediately after the treatment. Over the next few months, the results will continue to improve through the natural stimulation of your collagen.
The suture material of the threads is broken down and absorbed by your body in 6 to 8 months. The results tend to last 1 to 2 years, depending on your natural tissue quality, your body’s response to the collagen synthesis, and the number of threads placed.
What can a nose thread lift address?
Thread lifts can straighten and heighten nose contour, lift the tip of your nose, and elevate your nasal bridge. You will notice minor improvements in the height, projection, and definition of your nose contour after adding threads. Though results are subtle, elevating the bridge and lifting the tip by even a millimeter can visibly improve facial harmony, creating a slightly slimmer or more elevated bridge or tip.
Threads can give you subtle, natural-looking results, but it’s important to note that they do not change the structure of your nose or permanently correct your concerns. They will temporarily reshape your tissues to change the appearance of the height and width of your nose.
Nose thread lifts cannot address dorsal humps because they cannot add volume to conceal them. If a hump on the bridge of your nose is one of the concerns you’re looking to address, you may want to combine a thread lift with filler or go the surgical rhinoplasty route.
If you have realistic expectations and your goals match the capabilities threads offer, a nose thread lift can give you significant nose contouring results that you will be happy with. A study in the National Library of Medicine found a 95% satisfaction rate after 6 months, and 62% at 1 year after treatment based on the reports of 553 patients who underwent nose reshaping with poly-L-lactic/poly-caprolactone threads.
What are the benefits of a nose thread lift?
Nose thread lifts have many benefits for people with busy schedules who don’t have time for a lengthy downtime and only have minor concerns about their nose’s width, height, symmetry, or tip appearance. Some of the main advantages of a thread lift for the nose include:
- Minimally invasive, not requiring general anesthesia
- Sharpens and slims down the bridge and tip
- Can correct asymmetries in the bridge
- Adds height and length to wide, flat-nose bridges
- Improves tip rotation
- Less expensive than surgical rhinoplasty
- Quick procedure; typically completed in less than an hour
- Little to no downtime
Is it safe to use threads on the nose?
Medical threads have been part of various surgical procedures for over three decades. They are safe to use on the nose, provided the physician is well-trained and knowledgeable of this specific application of the dissolvable sutures.
Who is a nose thread lift suited for?
If you have a broad nose or an ill-defined bridge, having a nose thread lift can help boost your confidence about your nose contour. If you feel that your nose appears off-center or asymmetrical in any way, threads can address this issue.
Nose threads temporarily shift and shape the tissues to make certain parts of the nose appear slimmer or more upturned, but cannot permanently alter the structure of the nose, according to RealSelf.
The best candidates for a nose thread lift are usually younger and have decent skin quality that would benefit from the collagen synthesis and act on it.
The usual features of the Asian nose include a flat nose bridge and a rounded, under-projected tip, so threads are used in many Asian countries to make the bridge higher, define the dorsum, and lift the nose tip, making it appear more upturned. The wider, less defined bridge with a bulbous tip is also a common feature in African Americans, and a nose thread lift can provide noticeable results for these patients.
Nose Thread Lift vs. Liquid Rhinoplasty
While nose threads involve placing sutures underneath the skin to add contour to the nose, liquid rhinoplasty involves injecting hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers such as Juvederm or Restylane under the skin to hide the appearance of nose deformities. Fillers can enhance and improve the shape of the nose or highlight the nasal bridge by strategically injecting them to make the nose look smaller and more proportional.
Fillers are safe to use anywhere on the nose to correct specific concerns, from the bridge to the columella and tip. If done precisely, adding filler to your nose can help provide some natural harmony with the rest of your face by sculpting and slimming down the bridge, reducing dents, and minimizing the appearance of dorsal humps.
Threads can’t build your nose’s bridge and conceal dorsal humps like fillers can, but neither are permanent solutions. Both nose fillers and nose threads have limitations when done as standalone procedures, so we sometimes combine the two for definition and a lasting lift. Filler can smooth out the dorsal hump, while threads can lift the bridge of the nose and stimulate collagen for lasting effects.
Nose Thread Lift vs. Surgical Rhinoplasty
Nose fillers and threads are non-surgical and usually take 30 minutes or less, while a surgical rhinoplasty usually takes 1 to 4 hours to complete. Nose threads include little to no recovery period. The recovery from a surgical rhinoplasty can take months, with final results taking up to a year to show because of the swelling.
Nose threads are also more budget-friendly than surgical rhinoplasty, partially because they don’t require general anesthesia, which accounts for a large portion of the overall price of a rhinoplasty. A surgical nose job can give you permanent results if you heal correctly, while nose threads are a temporary 1 to 2-year solution.
Let’s break down the main differences between nose threads and both the liquid and surgical rhinoplasty procedures:
Nose Thread Lift | Liquid Rhinoplasty | Surgical Rhinoplasty | |
Material | dissolvable sutures (PDO or PLLA) | hyaluronic acid dermal fillers | possible skin grafts |
Goals | adds an immediate lifting effect to enhance the bridge and tip results continue to improve because the material of the sutures stimulates collagen synthesis | adds volume smooths out the appearance of bumps and humps enhances the nasal bridge and tip | permanently alters the shape and structure of the nose |
Longevity | 1-2 years | 1 year | permanent if done correctly |
Candidates | want a higher, more defined bridge want to straighten their bridge want a slimmer bridge and tip | want to temporarily hide the appearance of nasal bumps and humps without surgery want a sharper-looking, higher bridge | have dramatic concerns over the shape and structure of their nose that are beyond the capability of threads and fillers want a more permanent result |
Are nose threads right for you?
If your concerns over your nose are minor and are related to the width and height of your bridge, a bulbous or underturned tip, or asymmetries along the bridge, a non-surgical nose thread lift may be the procedure for you. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gordon Kaplan at The Kaplan Center in New Jersey to discuss your goals and candidacy for this procedure.