Direct answer: Yes — thread lift threads are fully absorbed by the body. Mainstream APTOS threads use PDO, PCA, and similar absorbable materials that degrade into water and carbon dioxide within roughly 6-8 months and leave nothing behind. More importantly, the lift does not disappear with the thread: while present, the threads induce new collagen formation around them, creating a fibrous scaffold that keeps tissue anchored in its lifted position after the threads are gone. Clinical results typically last 1-2 years.
‘Do the threads stay in my face forever — what happens when I’m old?’ ‘If the threads dissolve, won’t my face just drop back?’ — the most common thread-lift misconceptions all revolve around the thread itself. This guide covers thread materials, the degradation timeline, and the collagen-scaffold principle behind ‘the thread leaves, the lift stays’.
What are the threads made of, and how long do they last?
- Absorbable threads are the standard: APTOS threads use PDO (polydioxanone) and newer PCA/PLA materials — the same class used in surgical sutures for decades, with a complete safety record and designed specifically to be absorbed
- Degradation timeline: PDO threads fully degrade in about 6-8 months; newer PCA/PLA composites dissolve more slowly with a longer collagen-induction phase. The end products are water and carbon dioxide, exhaled and metabolized naturally
- Degradation is gradual: thread strength declines noticeably from 2-3 months after insertion and is essentially gone by 6-8 months. During this period the thread is doing more than holding — it continuously stimulates tissue
- Non-absorbable threads are outdated: early techniques used permanent threads, but problems with migration, infection, and palpability made them obsolete in reputable clinics
Why does the effect remain after the threads dissolve? The collagen scaffold
- Two phases of lifting: phase one is mechanical — the barbs (or cogs) physically catch and hold tissue in the lifted position, visible immediately. Phase two is biological fixation — the thread acts as a stimulus, inducing collagen to wrap around it, forming ‘collagen tunnels’ along the thread’s path
- The scaffold is the new foundation: after the thread degrades, these collagen tunnels and fibrous anchor points persist and keep supporting the tissue. This is why thread-lift results last 1-2 years — far beyond the thread’s own lifespan
- Collagen needs time: the scaffold matures over 1-3 months, so the final result is not ‘best on day one’ but stabilizes at 1-3 months, looking increasingly natural
- Why results fade: not thread failure, but the scaffold slowly metabolizing with natural aging while skin laxity progresses — the same opponent every anti-aging treatment faces
What changes absorption speed?
- Age and metabolism: younger, faster-metabolizing patients degrade threads slightly faster — but their collagen response is usually more vigorous too, which is not a disadvantage
- Smoking and lifestyle: smoking suppresses collagen formation, producing a weaker scaffold and shorter duration. It is the single most worthwhile variable to change before a thread lift
- Thread type and count: the physician selects thread type, length, and implantation layer based on laxity — good planning balances immediate lift with long-term scaffold quality
- Depth of placement: threads placed in the proper subcutaneous fascia layer get the most stable fixation and collagen response; threads placed too shallow are palpable and less effective
Rappoel’s real thread-lift process
- Step 1 — laxity assessment: analyzing the direction of sagging and priority zones (mid-face, jawline, neck), confirming threads are the right approach or should be combined with other treatments
- Step 2 — marking and baseline photos: insertion paths and lift vectors are marked upright; standardized front and side photos are taken
- Step 3 — anesthesia: local anesthesia along the insertion paths — awake throughout with pain kept tolerable
- Step 4 — insertion and fixation: APTOS threads are placed along the marked paths, with tension and symmetry checked — every thread’s position shapes the scaffold
- Step 5 — aftercare and follow-up: icing, briefing on avoiding big expressions and massage for 1-2 weeks, and a 1-month review of scaffold maturation and symmetry
The genius of the thread lift is trading a temporary thread for your own collagen. The thread is only the trigger — what holds your face up is your own tissue.
Side effects and who should not do it
- Common and temporary: swelling and bruising along the paths (3-7 days), pulling and tightness (1-2 weeks), tenderness (days to a week), transient surface unevenness in some patients (improves over weeks as tissue relaxes)
- Less common risks: thread palpability (related to placement depth), thread-end exposure (simple in-clinic fix), hematoma, infection (rare with sterile technique)
- Not recommended for: pregnancy and breastfeeding, active infection or significant skin disease in the area, coagulation disorders or anticoagulant use (disclose first), severe diabetes (wound-healing risk), allergy to thread materials
- Expectation management: threads suit mild-to-moderate laxity; severe laxity yields limited results, and the assessment will honestly say so rather than push treatment
Related reading: how long results last in Thread Lift Longevity; pain levels in Is a Thread Lift Painful; nose-thread swelling in Nose Thread Lift Swelling; the recovery guide in Thread Lift Recovery Guide; the technology overview in APTOS Thread Lift Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are thread lift threads absorbed by the body?
Yes. Mainstream APTOS threads are made of absorbable materials such as PDO and PCA, which degrade into water and carbon dioxide within about 6-8 months and are metabolized out naturally. These materials have been used in surgical sutures for decades with a complete safety record.
If the threads dissolve, doesn’t the lift disappear?
Not immediately. While present, the threads induce a collagen scaffold (fibrous fixation) around themselves. After degradation, this scaffold keeps tissue anchored in the lifted position, so results typically last 1-2 years. What eventually fades is the scaffold itself, metabolizing with natural aging.
Do the threads stay in my face forever?
Not with a proper thread lift. Absorbable threads are fully metabolized. Permanent threads used in early techniques caused migration and infection problems and are no longer mainstream — you can ask your clinic which material they use.
How much do absorption timelines differ between thread types?
PDO threads degrade fully in about 6-8 months; newer PCA/PLA composites dissolve more slowly with a longer collagen-induction phase. The physician chooses the type based on laxity and area — absorption speed is only one planning factor, and slower is not automatically better.
When do I see the final result of a thread lift?
The mechanical lift is visible immediately, but the final result stabilizes at 1-3 months as the collagen scaffold matures. Initial tightness is more pronounced; contours become increasingly natural as tissue relaxes and collagen forms.
How long do thread lift results last?
Typically 1-2 years, depending on individual aging speed, lifestyle (smoking shortens duration), thread type, and placement depth. When results fade you can re-thread or rotate with other lifting treatments.
How can I maximize the collagen scaffold effect?
Quitting smoking is the most effective step — it visibly suppresses collagen formation. Also avoid exaggerated expressions and firm facial massage for the first month, keep protein intake adequate, and protect from sun. Scaffold quality is half technique, half your tissue’s response.
Can I feel the threads under my skin?
Not when properly placed. Threads belong in the subcutaneous fascia layer; superficial placement causes palpability or surface unevenness. If you still feel threads or bumps after several weeks, return for assessment — most cases improve as tissue relaxes and collagen matures.
Can the threads break or migrate as they degrade?
Thread strength declines from 2-3 months, but by then the collagen scaffold has taken over the support, so normal expressions and daily life won’t break or displace them. What to avoid early on is forceful compression — hard facial massage or exaggerated facial exercises.
Who should not get a thread lift?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding, active infection in the area, coagulation disorders or anticoagulant use, severe diabetes, and thread-material allergy. Severe skin laxity yields limited results — a good assessment will tell you honestly rather than push treatment.
Want to know which thread material suits your collagen conditions? Rappoel provides professional APTOS thread-lift assessment!
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