A face thread lift is a minimally invasive, non-surgical treatment where medical-grade absorbable threads, typically made of polydioxanone (PDO), are placed in targeted areas beneath the skin.
Other thread materials, such as poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL), may also be used.
Some are longer with fine barbs that anchor into tissue to provide structural support, while others are shorter, used in areas where refinement or skin quality is the focus.
A face thread lift sits between injectable treatments and surgical lifting. It does not involve incisions or removal of skin, and is typically considered when there are early to moderate changes in facial support.
At Illumia Medical, we typically use a face thread lift to support and refine areas such as the brows, cheeks, jawline, and lower face. This is not to be confused with a nose thread lift, which instead focuses on shaping and supporting the bridge and tip of the nose.
A face thread lift creates both an instant shift in support and a slower, more gradual refinement that continues after treatment. Here’s how that works.
Beyond this initial lift, your body responds to the threads by activating a natural healing process.
As the threads are gradually broken down over the following months, your body produces collagen along their pathways. This forms a network of supportive tissue that helps your skin maintain its structure more effectively.
You won’t see this change overnight. Instead, you may notice that your skin starts to feel firmer and hold its shape better over time, even as the threads themselves dissolve.
This process supports skin quality rather than adding volume, particularly in areas where early laxity or creasing has started to appear.
A face thread lift is designed for subtle but noticeable structural improvement. Depending on the concerns you seek to address via the non-surgical treatment, you may see:
At Illumia Medical, both V-Face and Baby V-Face lifts use medical-grade PDO threads. The difference lies in how the threads are designed, where they’re placed, and what they’re intended to achieve.
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Our V-Face Lift uses longer threads to create support across a wider span of the face, rather than concentrating on isolated points.
Because these threads extend further beneath the skin, they can influence how larger areas — such as the cheeks and jawline — sit in relation to each other. This makes them more suitable when changes are no longer localised, but affect the overall facial structure.
In practice, this allows us to address areas where definition has softened or shifted by re-establishing support across the mid to lower face in a more continuous way.
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areas where early changes tend to appear.
Because of their length, these threads support specific zones rather than influencing broader facial structure. This makes them suitable for areas where the concern is less about position and more about how the skin looks and holds itself.
The focus here is on refinement. Instead of altering how different parts of the face relate to one another, the treatment supports areas that a
To determine the right face thread lift approach for you, we take a look at how these shifts show up across different areas.
A refined, more structured look is achievable with the right placement.
Schedule your consultation to explore your face thread lift options in Singapore.
At Illumia Medical, each stage of a nose thread lift is planned from start to finish. The procedure is typically completed in under an hour.
Here’s what you can expect:
These make up the upper third of the face.
The mid-face also includes your smile lines (which run from the nose to the corner of your mouth).
This area covers the lower face along the jawline.
This area focuses on the overall lower-face structure and balance.
The submental area refers to the region beneath the chin and along the upper neck, where a ‘double chin’ may develop.
These are typically areas where changes in support become more noticeable over time, whether through subtle descent, softening of contours, or a loss of definition in how different parts of the face connect.
You may consider a face thread lift if you’ve started to notice small shifts in your features. For example, if you notice:
You may also be considering this treatment if you:
A face thread lift may not be the right option if the changes you’re seeing require a different level of correction.
This may include situations where:
We begin by assessing your facial structure, skin quality, and how different areas have shifted over time. This helps determine whether a thread lift is suitable and which areas to focus on.
Based on your assessment, we map out where the threads will be placed and in which direction they will be positioned. These markings guide how support is created across the face.
The treatment areas are cleansed, and a local anaesthetic is applied to keep you as comfortable as possible throughout the procedure.
Threads are inserted beneath the skin using a fine needle or cannula, following the planned placement and direction.
Once the threads are in place, we make small adjustments to ensure balance and alignment across both sides of the face.
After the procedure, we’ll walk you through aftercare instructions and let you know what to expect in the following days.
A face thread lift in Singapore is typically completed within 30 minutes to under an hour, though it varies depending on the treatment area:
More focused treatments may take less time, while addressing multiple areas of the face can extend the session slightly.
Facelift threads are typically absorbable, dissolving within six to nine months. However, the effects may last longer — often around nine to 18 months — depending on your skin quality, degree of laxity, and how your body responds to collagen stimulation.
We typically recommend a face thread lift when you’re starting to notice changes in structural support, but before more sagging develops.
Some patients choose to maintain their results with repeat treatments, often spaced about nine to 12 months apart, depending on how their face changes and what level of support they want to keep.
A face thread lift typically has minimal downtime, with temporary and mild after-effects.
It’s normal to experience some temporary changes in the treated areas, especially within the first few days.
You may notice:
These effects are usually short-lived and tend to improve gradually over the following days.
You may be able to return to your normal routine within one to three days post-procedure, with minor adjustments during the initial healing period.
To allow the threads to settle properly, we may advise you to:
You may be able to return to your normal routine within one to three days post-procedure, with minor adjustments during the initial healing period.
Like any procedure that involves inserting materials beneath the skin, there are potential risks and limitations to a face thread lift, including:
he price range of a face thread lift in Singaporevaries. Here’s what you can expect at Illumia Medical:
The final price of a face thread lift in Singapore typically depends on the:
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Our friendly team is looking forward to serving you. For urgent enquiries and appointment requests, please call the clinic directly.
The Illumia Face or Baby Thread Lift is best for people who:
Some mild bruising after the Thread Lift procedure is expected as the threads are inserted into the skin. To speed up healing and minimise the bruising, our patients are advised to avoid the following:
Once the bruising and mild swelling has gone down, you should expect to see a lifted and tightened face for a Face Thread Lift, and visibly smoother and volumised skin for a Baby Thread Lift procedure.
The bruising and swelling may stick around for up to five days.
Work and most regular activities may be resumed immediately with minimal side effects. Common side effects include mild swelling and bruising, which usually subside within a week.
To help speed up recovery of the bruising and swelling, and ensure that the threads are kept in place for best results, these guidelines are for you.
Do:
Don’t:
You are strongly discouraged from drinking alcohol two weeks before and the month after your Face or Baby Thread Lift. Consuming alcohol will dehydrate your skin and may increase your blood pressure, both of which will slow down the healing process.
The PDO threads will organically dissolve in about six to nine months, but the boosted collagen production from the threads will help rejuvenate your skin naturally until a year post-procedure. For a continual lift, the best time to get a repeat Face or Baby Thread Lift is about nine to 12 months after the first treatment. Our doctors will advise you on the best treatment plan based on your personalised needs, so do book a consultation with us today!
