People say not to get a thread lift. Would it suit me?
Search for thread lifts and ‘regret’ and ‘don’t do it’ come up right next to them. In the consultation room I often hear, “Just tell me whether my face is one that should have it.” I do a fair number of thread lifts, and that is exactly why I screen out the faces it does not suit first.
The short answer
A thread lift suits sagging, where the tissue of the cheeks and jawline has moved down. Regret tends to come when the main concern is hollowing or skin texture and threads are asked to fix it, or when people expect it to last for years. When sagging and hollowing come together, I often use ligament injection to place support first, then add dissolving threads lightly, and if skin firmness is also lacking, we look at radiofrequency lifting as well. Over 50, or with thin skin, I keep the number of threads and the pull conservative. At Miso Clinic in Daegu I lift your cheeks gently by hand first to tell sagging from hollowing.
Why do people regret a thread lift?
As I see it, regret comes less from the procedure going wrong and more from a mismatch between the concern and the treatment. These are the cases I see often.
- Trying to lift hollowing with threads → a face that has lost its support gets tighter rather than higher when you hook and pull it. Pull hard to reach the height you want and the pull lines show, or the skin dimples in.
- Expecting it to last for years → across 12 studies and 818 people on absorbable threads, follow-up was 2 years at the longest, and long-term data were thin. Satisfaction fell from 98% right after to 88% at 6 months.
- An important date 1–2 weeks away → data on 1,406 people with dissolving threads showed bruising in 19.49% and swelling in 16.79%. With a deadline, a bit of swelling feels huge.
- Skin loose enough to fold → that is more weight than threads can carry. A surgical consultation fits better here.
Read the “don’t do it” posts and nearly all of them fall into one of these four. Put the other way round, once you screen these out, threads are a fairly honest treatment.
→ Read more: How long does a thread lift last?
Is my face one that threads suit?
| Concern | Type of treatment | Miso Clinic pairing | What to expect and the limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jawline and cheeks have moved down | Thread lift | dissolving threads alone, or ligament injection support + dissolving threads | The position shifts straight away. We judge the face once the swelling is down |
| Dropped, tired-looking and some hollowing | Support injection + threads | ligament injection (about 2 cc) first + dissolving threads lightly | With support in place I think the threads need less pull. No study has compared the two directly |
| Mild sagging, firmness and texture lacking | Radiofrequency lifting | Density · XERF · Oligio Kiss | Often enough without threads. Change appears over 2–3 months |
| Hollow cheeks or temples make it look saggy | Filler or collagen booster | hyaluronic acid filler first, a collagen booster if needed | Threads cannot fill a hollow |
| Skin loose enough to fold | Surgery | I suggest a surgical consultation | Beyond what non-surgical treatment can do |
Here is a check you can do at home. In front of a mirror, use the fingers of both hands to lift the cheek just below the cheekbone a little. If your jawline sharpens right away, sagging is the bigger part and threads match the cause. If the cheek stays shadowed even when lifted, hollowing is the bigger part, and filling comes first.
→ Read more: Which faces suit a thread lift?
Why do I often pair support with dissolving threads?
With age, tissue does not just move down; the volume that held it up from below shrinks too. Think of a curtain: the fabric has slipped and the rail has dropped as well. Threads lift the fabric, and ligament injection raises the rail a little.
So in a face with both, I prefer to place a small amount of filler near the retaining ligaments as support first, then pull the threads less. That is about 2 cc for the whole face, about 0.1 cc per point. With less pulling force, I think pull lines and dimpling show up less. This is a judgement from my own practice, though, and I have not yet found a human study comparing the two side by side.
If the skin itself has thinned and lost firmness, we look at radiofrequency lifting too. The device tightens the skin layers with heat; threads move the position of a contour that has dropped. They do different jobs, so one does not stand in for the other. Rather than doing it all at once, I think it is safer to look again once the swelling settles and then decide whether to add more.
→ Read more: Ligament filler versus thread lift: how each one lifts
How common are side effects, and who should be more careful?
A meta-analysis of 26 studies found swelling in 35%, skin dimpling in 10%, sensory changes in 6%, threads that showed or could be felt in 4%, infection in 2% and thread extrusion in 2%. Many settled with time, but as numbers go, these are not something to wave away.
- Non-dissolving threads had more sensory changes (11.7% versus 3.1%) and extrusion (7.6% versus 1.6%). We use dissolving threads and nothing else.
- People over 50 had more dimpling (16% versus 5.6%) and infection (5.9% versus 0.7%). I keep the number and layer conservative and first talk through whether surgery would fit better.
- If a thread end shows or can be felt, do not pull or cut it at home. Contact us.
The threads we use are mainly Hugel threads and Mint threads, and I show you the material and approval details before treatment. For a few weeks afterwards, I ask you to avoid massage and opening your mouth very wide.
→ Read more: Thread lift complications in numbers
When I see it differently
- If hollowing or skin texture bothers you more than sagging, filler, a collagen booster or a skin booster matches the cause better than threads.
- With inflammation in the area, pregnancy or breastfeeding, or a bleeding tendency that is not under control, we do not do it.
- If you do not know where earlier threads or permanent filler are, we check that first.
- We do not offer Ulthera, Thermage, Onda, InMode, Shurink or liposuction.
→ Read more: Skin clinic treatments at a glance
How does the consultation work, and how do I book?
On a first visit we take photos from the front, at 45 degrees and from the side, and together we pick the one concern that bothers you most. I'll ask about any medications you take, any metal or electronic implants in your face, and whether you might be pregnant, and then I split things into what we can do today and what can wait for later. It's completely fine to come in just for a consultation and go home.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Booking | Naver booking · KakaoTalk chat · Phone +82-53-428-2700 |
| Location | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station, Line 3) |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 · Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays |
Thread lift regret and who it suits: FAQ
Why do so many people regret a thread lift?
Regret is common when threads are used to lift hollowing or when people expect it to last for years. It fits when sagging is the main concern.
At what age should I get a thread lift?
I decide by skin thickness and how much has dropped, not by age. Data show more dimpling and infection over 50, so I plan conservatively then.
How long does a thread lift last?
Across 12 studies, follow-up was 2 years at the longest and long-term data are lacking. So I do not promise that it will last for years.
Can I have a thread lift and ligament injection together?
Yes. When sagging and hollowing come together, I often place support first and add threads lightly. No study has compared the two directly yet.
Could I have radiofrequency lifting instead of threads?
If the sagging is mild and firmness and texture are the main concern, radiofrequency alone is often enough. If the jawline tissue has clearly moved down, threads match the cause better.
Where can I get a thread lift consultation in Daegu?
At Miso Clinic in Daegu (4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital Station). You can book through Naver booking, KakaoTalk or by phone at +82-53-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Read next
Product pages
Related treatments: dissolving threads · ligament injection · Density · XERF · Oligio Kiss
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Meta-analysis of thread lift complications — Niu Z et al. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2021;45(5):2148-58. PMID 33821308. 26 studies: swelling 35%, dimpling 10%, sensory changes 6%, visible threads 4%, infection 2%, extrusion 2%. Absorbable threads had fewer sensory changes (3.1% versus 11.7%) and less extrusion (1.6% versus 7.6%) than non-absorbable ones; over age 50, more dimpling (16% versus 5.6%) and infection (5.9% versus 0.7%); satisfaction 98% right after, 88% at 6 months.
- Review of absorbable thread lifting — Riopelle AM et al. Dermatol Surg 2025;51(5):509-14. PMID 39662017. 12 studies, 818 people; all improved right after, follow-up was 2 years at the longest, and long-term data were lacking.
- Adverse events with absorbable threads — Ojha AS et al. Dermatol Surg 2025;51(3):272-6. PMID 39442180. 19 studies, 1,406 people: bruising 19.49%, swelling 16.79%, tenderness 9.96%, infection 2.49%, haematoma 0.64%.
- Support and threads — Miso Clinic column ligament-filler-vs-thread-lift: support at the ligament points is about 2 cc for the whole face (about 0.1 cc per point); I prefer placing support first and pulling the threads less (a clinical judgement); I found no human study comparing the two methods directly.
- Human studies of radiofrequency lifting — Density: Oku 2025 (16 people, 24 weeks); XERF: Hwang 2025 (20 people), Weiss 2026 (39 people), Erlich 2026 (16 people); none had a control group. I could not find a clinical trial of the Oligio Kiss device itself.
- When results show — Miso Clinic column when-results-show: at day 90, 92% of doctors versus 42% of patients. In biopsies after collagen-stimulating products, no new collagen at 2 weeks, type III at 2 months, type I at 3–4 months.
- Korean medical advertising law — Korean Medical Service Act Article 56(2) (no treatment testimonials, no comparisons with other clinics, no superlatives). This is why this column carries no prices, reviews or before-and-after photos.
- Miso Clinic treatment policy — What we have: Density Noir (ALPHA · BOOST tips), XERF, Oligio Kiss; Lituo (Re2O), CellReDM, Reallo; Rejuran; the full Juvelook lineup; Gouri; Everwrinkle and Everwrinkle V; Radiesse; Byryzn; D-Classy; hyaluronic acid filler; Botox (all areas, skin Botox); ligament injection; dissolving threads. What we do not offer: Onda, Thermage, InMode, Ulthera, Shurink, liposuction. Hollow cheeks get dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler first, sagging gets lifting first; no radiofrequency that day with metal or electronic implants in the face, pregnancy or skin inflammation; threads are the dissolving kind, used conservatively over age 50; we decide by the change that bothers you, not by age; results are judged after 2–3 months with photos taken under the same conditions.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.