Facelift: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

A one stitch lift is a marketing ploy and will not work. Anytime you pull on tissue with just one stitch and place it under tension it will eventually cheesewire and pull through.

This is why the thread lift really never worked for more then a few months. (Kurtis Martin, MD, Cincinnati Plastic Surgeon)

A one stitch facelift will offer short lived results

This procedure is a limited facelift which uses one stitch in the deep layers of the face to achieve these results. These results are limited and short lived and should not be compared to those of a traditional facelift. (Yannis Alexandrides, MD, London Plastic Surgeon)

Limited results

If you think about the principles used for this procedure, you would eventually realize that the desired results would be limited, due to the limited correction from the surgery. I would not recommend this approach to your face. (Brian K. Machida, MD, FACS, Ontario Facial Plastic Surgeon)

I am of the opinion that minimalist procedures like this also provide minimal results. In surgery, generally if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. (Ben Lee, MD, Denver Plastic Surgeon)

Results from this kind of technique are universally disappointing. Without undermining of the skin and gentle repositioning of the soft tissues, the sutures used to lift the face will cut through the tissue in the short term and the problem will recur.

Only way to achieve long-lasting results, is to have a correctly performed, fully dissected, low-tension facelift. (James Murphy, FRCS(Plast), Manchester Plastic Surgeon)

Facelift with one stitch

No facelift can hang on one stitch. This is at best an advertising gimmick. On similar lines, Silhouette lifts, Contour threads, Threadlifts, Featherlift et all going by many other fancy names have only garnered bad press / reviews, are ineffective, with results that are short lived, disappointing & heavy on the pocket. (Sameer Karkhanis, MS, DNB, India Plastic Surgeon)

1 stitch lift?

Be weary of advertising campaigns such as this. There are ‘thread’ lifts that exist but the results seem to be of limited effectiveness and duration. I recommend a formal consultation by a board certified plastic surgeon. (Bryan Correa, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

There is no way a single or two stitches can rejuvenate the face or neck. This has been tried by many with absolutely no long term results. (Andres Bustillo, MD, FACS, Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon)

One stitch? i dont think so

Another marketing ploy. you can’t lift a face or neck with “one stitch”. the old saying, no pain, no gain applies here.while everyone would love the “magic wand approach” it doesnt existsitck with traditional apprach and get real, lasting results. (Michael E. Kelly, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

If its too good to be true, it probably is

When I think of the one stitch lift, I think of something that might be a quick fix to something that might need more than that. Using one stitch to lift the face is like trying to build a house with one pillar for the foundation.

The face and what it looks like cannot be naturally changed with one stitch. If you were to use one stitch, it would likely make the face appear significantly abnormal. I have done over 1200 facelifts and I know that using just one stitch would not allow the lifting process to pull a wide enough area to pull the face naturally. (Philip Young, MD, Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Never heard of this, but it is most likely a marketing tool by some company that wants to promote “facelifting procedure.” One stitch probably will last one minute!

(Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

This is when we use a suture to do exactly what you are explaining. We can suspend the tissues with this. There are some major downfalls with this technique though.

1. It is temporary. The sutures are absorbed and no skin is removed so once the suture is gone, the lift returns to where it was.
2. There is no skin removed so there can be bunching of the skin in the hairline. Overall, I am not a fan of this procedure. I prefer to see the muscles, move the tissue and get predictable results.

To each their own I suppose. (Benjamin Caughlin, MD, Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon)

In my opinion, threadlifts (or “one-stitch” lifts) should be banned. I have seen many issues resulting from them — nerve damage and scarring to name a couple. Plus, they are not very long lasting. Additionally, it’s extremely difficult to perform a facelift on someone who had a threadlift because of the scarring that it causes under the skin in the plane that the facelift is performed.

It’s best to invest the money and time into getting a face lift. I would recommend a consultation with a facial plastic or plastic surgeon to go into your options and evaluate you in person as well as to talk about what your expectations from surgery might be. (Parker A. Velargo, MD, New Orleans Facial Plastic Surgeon)

“One Stitch” gimmick

There is very convincing hard scientific proof that procedures such as this provide minimal temporary results. The key is to elevate the fascia and muscles of the face beneath the skin and suture them as a flap to strong fascia.

The degree of lift achieved is several times greater and longer lasting. Don’t be enticed by these minimal procedures. (Jeffrey Marvel, MD, Nashville Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Be careful with mini procedures on the face. Some “lifts” support tissue by suspension, other support with healing of the deep lifted layers of the face.

Small thread lifts can leave the skin unnatural and pulled. (William C. Rigano, MD, Dayton Plastic Surgeon)

No such thing as one stitch

I agree with what has been offered so far in terms of advice. The concept behind the procedure is a good one, but the surgery has fallen out of favor after poor results, and many surgeons find themselves revising the surgery. (Barbara Persons, MD, FACS, Bay Area Plastic Surgeon)

In my opinion, a one-stitch facelift or one-stitch lift is just a marketing gimmick. Look for a board-certified plastic surgeon in our are and have an in-depth discussion. (Francisco Canales, MD, Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon)

I would be skeptical of any quick fix promises. There is no shortcut to a good result. (Ronald J. Edelson, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

What is the ‘one stitch lift’?

This is a procedure from which you should run. It refers to a thread lift with has a short lasting minimal or no result. I find that patients are much happier with ‘real’ surgery by ‘real’ surgeons.

When you want to do something, do it right from the start. A good plastic surgeon can offer you better alternatives with more result and longevity. (Stephen J. Ronan, MD, FACS, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon)

A one stitch facelift is a relatively blind technique to suture the jowls. The effects are not long lasting as only one vector is suspended. (Jose E. Barrera, MD, FACS, San Antonio Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Stitch Lift Marketing

Unfortunately this is a case of something sounding too good to be true that really is too good to be true. Simple procedures that don’t require much recovery are very tempting. However, this is an example of a procedure that has a very high rate of dissatisfaction after surgery as a result. In general, the results are not long-lasting. (John K. Wakelin III, MD, FACS, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)

Thread lift or ‘One Stitch’ facelift

The utility of this type of facelift is rare. When facial tissue descends, it’s not limited to one area of descent. Most individuals need to have their cheek, jowl, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, neck, etc addressed and I think its difficult for one stitch tacked in one spot to address all of these at its best.

The term is a marketing term to make it seem minimally invasive, which it is, but so are the results. I would save your money and opt for a mini-facelift at the very least instead. (Mike Majmundar, MD, Atlanta Facial Plastic Surgeon)

One-stitch lift, does it work?

Facial rejuvenation needs to address the varied components of aging. Just a single point of lifting cannot achieve a balanced long lasting improvement. The thread lift techniques are limited in what they can correct and often do not provide a sustainable result.

More significant improvement without surgery can often be obtained with soft tissue filler injections. A thorough consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon will provide answers regarding all the options and anticipated results. (Andrew Goldberg, MD, Fairfax Plastic Surgeon)

The aging process consists of fatty deposits above and below the platysma muscle in the neck, laxity of the neck muscles, laxity of facial muscles, and laxity of facial and neck skin. A comprehensive face/neck lift can rejuvenate the facial features by addressing all of the issues described above.

A one stitch facelift will not accomplish anything described above. (William Portuese, MD, Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon)

The one-stitch lift – too goo to be true.

Often times doctors will brand their procedures, to help gain exposure. A one-stitch lift sounds like a marketing campaign. I would request to see before and after images, and make sure the images are several months to a year after the procedure.

Chances are if you have moderate laxity in your jawline and neck then one stitch won’t get the job done. While this procedure may sound like a nice, easy procedure, it might not be right for you.

Take your time, and see several different physicians for a consult. You want to feel comfortable with the physician that is going to be taking care of your face. (Amir M. Karam, MD, San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Not much better than the “One Tape Lift”

First of all I think you’re going to need two stitches — one for each side. However, if what you’re looking for a cheap facelift that bunches up your skin and won’t last long, you can either get the $2500 one stitch lift or a $25 adhesive tape lift.

One tugs from under the skin and one from outside the skin. The threads are very expensive, hurt alot without anesthesia, tend to distort the skin for awhile and can become infected and extrude through the skin, and if you don’t like them, you’ll pay another hefty fee to have them removed.

The tape is cheap, doesn’t hurt, looks very natural, is extremely safe and you can apply and remove them at will in the comfort of your own home. (Richard Parfitt, MD, Madison Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Mini face lift

This sounds like a fabulous treatment. I generally say that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Although I do not have first hand knowledge about this treatment, I would definitely consult a board certified plastic surgeon to get a more thorough answer. (Christopher J. Davidson, MD, FACS, Boston Plastic Surgeon)

What is a one suture facelift.

There are all sorts of marketed and hyped versions of “so called” specialty Facelifts. This may be a version of these as Facelifts must, in my opinion of performing Facelifts for over 25 years, have the following characteristics to be effective: Incisions around the front, of the ear, to allow removal of excess facial skin.

Dissect, lift, trim and re-suture (not simply lift with a single looping suture) the underlying Smas Layer.

Shape the cheeks my removing excess facial fat and shaping the cheeks. (Francis R. Palmer, III, MD, Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon)

One-stitch Facelift — Too Good To Be True

The “one-stitch facelift” is a derivative of other minimally-invasive (and minimally effective) techniques based on the threadlift model.

The theory behind these procedures is that placing a semi-rigid thread at certain key points can suspend tissues.

However, without adequate release of the underlying connective tissue and ligaments, this is doomed to failure. Best to seek out a consultation from a facial surgery expert to discuss other options. (Evan Ransom, MD, Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon)

One stitch facelift is a gimmick

Facelifts reposition tissues in a more youthful location. In order to achieve a natural result the tissues are repositioned in more than one vector. That said, one-stitch can never be adequate. (Raj S. Ambay, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)

One stitch lift

One stitch lift doesn’t sound like a Threadlift to me but rather like the Lifestyle Lift which has been heavily marketed in infomercials. This is a short scar procedure under local anesthesia which takes about an hour.

It is not a true facelift with undermining of the tissues and would not have a lasting improvement. A single stitch does not have the capacity to hold up the face and results are short-lived.

This is not a procedure which I would endorse or perform on patients as, within six months to one year, they will be back complaining that the appearance of the face has reverted to its preoperative condition. (Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Lifts need stitches

The basic concept of a facelift is to reposition sagging tissues back where they belong and remove excess skin. Excess skin is cut away with an incision. The incision must be closed. Stitches are used to close incisions.

Unless the “lift” is a single suture thread lift, which is largely out of favor these days due to numerous concerns, and the patient has no extra skin to remove, a single-stitch facelift is a physical impossibility.

Sounds like a nice miracle cure, though, doesn’t it? (Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS, Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon)

Marketing terms and a facelift

It used to be that advertising in plastic surgery, or medicine in general, was not the norm. Now of days, there are so many “cosmetic” surgeons who have approached these procedures without formal plastic surgery training, that they tend to use marketing, advertising and catchy names to try to promote business.

The length of time that a procedure takes is dependent on a frank and honest discussion with your plastic surgeon about your goals and expectations. Don’t get fooled by a fancy ad, but make sure you discuss your complaints with a board certified plastic surgeon. (Jason Brett Lichten, MD, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)