30 to 60 Minutes
One visit, in the office, with the area numbed first. No general anesthesia.
Home Facial Esthetics Skin Treatments Lifting PDO Threads
Skin Treatment
Lifting PDO Threads: The PDO Thread Lift
Expert, top-rated lifting PDO threads for sagging cheeks, jowls, jawline and neck
Skin laxity and sagging come with age, and for a long time the only real answer was surgery. Lifting PDO threads are a minimally invasive answer. Dissolvable threads placed under the skin lift sagging cheeks, jowls and neck the same day, then keep working as your skin builds new collagen around them. Every treatment is performed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI, an 8-Time Top Dentist and official Care Esthetics partner, at a practice with 800+ five-star reviews. Start with a $49 in-person consultation, applied to your treatment.
- Official Partner Care Esthetics
- $49 In-Person Consultation Applied to your treatment
- Performed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI
What Are Lifting PDO Threads?
Lifting PDO threads, also called barbed threads, are made from polydioxanone, the same material used in internal sutures for surgical procedures. Each thread has tiny barbs. Once it is placed under the skin it can be tightened, pulling the skin taut and lifting it into place. This is the treatment known as a PDO thread lift, often called a non-surgical facelift.
The threads do two things. The lift is mechanical and shows right away. Then, as your body absorbs the threads, they rebuild the skin’s substructure with collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, and that support outlasts the threads themselves.
PDO is not new. It is an absorbable suture material that has been used safely in surgery for decades.
For an independent overview, read the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ guide to the thread lift.
A PDO Thread Lift at a Glance
The short answers, before the details.
A Lift the Same Day
The lift is mechanical, so you see it right away. It keeps improving for two to three months as collagen forms.
3 to 7 Days of Swelling
Mild swelling, bruising and tenderness along the threads are common, and they pass.
The Threads Dissolve
Your body absorbs the threads in about 6 to 8 months. The collagen they leave behind stays.
Lasts 1 to 3 Years
Depending on the patient, with ongoing maintenance.
Placed by the Doctor
Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI, places every thread himself.
What Areas Can a PDO Thread Lift Treat?
Lifting PDO threads are a treatment for sagging skin. They are used where the face and neck have begun to drop:
- Cheeks: a mid-face lift
- Nasolabial folds, the lines from nose to mouth
- Marionette lines, from mouth to chin
- Jowls
- Jawline
- Neck: a neck thread lift
Dr. Godko maps the areas that will benefit most at your consultation.
Barbed, Smooth or Twisted: Which PDO Threads Do What?
Not every PDO thread lifts. The shape of the thread decides what it does.
Lifting Threads: Barbed or Cog
Tiny barbs along the thread grip the tissue, so the thread can raise what has dropped: cheeks, jowls, jawline and neck. This is the thread lift, and the subject of this page.
Smooth Threads: Mono
Smooth PDO threads have no barbs. Placed in a mesh pattern under the skin, they build collagen for firmer skin and better texture over the following months.
Twisted Threads: Screw
A smooth thread wound into a spiral, made to add a little fullness where the face has hollowed.
Used Together
Dr. Godko often combines both kinds in one treatment: lifting threads for the cheeks, jowls and jawline, and smooth threads for skin quality in the areas around them.
What Happens During a PDO Thread Lift?
A PDO thread lift takes 30 to 60 minutes, and you go home the same day.
1. Your $49 Consultation
Dr. Godko evaluates your skin, reviews your medical history and tells you how much lift to expect. The $49 is applied to your treatment.
2. Numbing and Marking
The area is numbed, and Dr. Godko marks the path each thread will follow for your face.
3. Placing the Threads
Each thread is placed under the skin through a fine needle or cannula, then tightened, pulling the skin taut and lifting it into place. The ends are trimmed.
4. The Lift, the Same Day
You see the result before you leave. Most patients return to light daily activities the same day.
What Is PDO Thread Lift Recovery Like, and What Should I Avoid?
There is no surgery to recover from, but the threads need a few weeks to settle. Here is what to expect, and how to protect your result.
The First Day
Swelling and tenderness are at their most. A cold compress helps. Rest, and sleep on your back with your head raised.
Days 2 to 7
Mild swelling and bruising fade over 3 to 7 days. Wash your face gently and do not rub or massage it. Skip hard exercise, saunas and hot tubs.
Weeks 2 to 4
A feeling of tightness when you smile or chew is normal and fades. Keep facial movements gentle, and put off dental work for a few weeks. We are also your dental office, so we plan the two around each other.
Months 2 to 3
The lift keeps improving as new collagen forms along the path of each thread.
How Long Does a PDO Thread Lift Last?
Two things happen after a thread lift, on two different clocks: the lift is immediate, and the collagen builds slowly and stays longer.
The Lift: 3 to 12 Months
The lifting effect of the barbed threads can persist for three to twelve months.
The Threads: 6 to 8 Months
Your body absorbs the PDO material in about six to eight months.
The Collagen: Up to 2 Years
The collagen the threads stimulate can last up to two years, supporting the skin after the threads are gone.
Overall: 1 to 3 Years
Depending on the patient, the overall effect can last one to three years, with ongoing maintenance.
Lifting PDO Threads vs. a Facelift, Fillers and Botox
Each of these treats a different part of an aging face. They are often used together.
Lifting PDO Threads
Raise what has dropped. Minimally invasive, with an immediate, visible lift. The threads also improve the skin’s substructure and texture by rebuilding collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.
Surgical Facelift
Also effective for sagging skin, and it does more for heavy sagging and loose skin. It is a maximally invasive procedure with potential surgical complications, it does not improve the skin’s substructure or texture, and it often needs injectable treatments as well.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers restore lost volume. They do not lift. Fillers and threads are often part of one plan: threads for the lift, filler for the volume.
Are Lifting PDO Threads Right for Me?
Lifting PDO threads suit adults with mild to moderate sagging of the cheeks, jawline or neck whose skin still has some spring, and who want a visible lift without surgery.
If your skin has loosened a great deal, a thread lift will not do what a facelift does, and Dr. Godko will tell you so. You may be asked to wait if you have an infection or a breakout in the area, a dental infection included, or if you are pregnant.
Every visit starts with a consultation. Dr. Godko reviews your medical history, looks at how much your skin has loosened and tells you whether lifting threads, a different treatment or a combination fits the result you are after.
- A visible lift the same day
- Minimally invasive: no surgery
- New collagen that outlasts the threads
- Made from the same material as dissolvable sutures
- Placed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI
Who performs your treatment
Who Performs Your Treatment? Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI
Every treatment at Deluxe Esthetics is performed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI, an 8-Time Top Dentist. Perfecting smiles has always been his passion, and he came to see that true beauty extends beyond a radiant smile.
His search for natural, holistic solutions led him to Care Esthetics. Today he offers botulinum toxin, dermal fillers and PDO threads alongside the Care Esthetics treatments, Bio-CARE® and Bio-LIFT®.
More About Dr. GodkoLifting PDO Threads Questions and Answers
The questions patients ask most before a PDO thread lift, answered plainly.
What are lifting PDO threads?
Lifting threads, also called barbed threads, are made from polydioxanone, the same material used in internal sutures for surgical procedures. The threads have tiny barbs that can be tightened, pulling the skin taut and lifting it into place.
Are PDO threads worth the money?
For the right person, yes. If your cheeks, jowls or neck have begun to sag and your skin still has some spring, the threads lift it the same day and then build collagen that supports it after they dissolve. If your skin has loosened a great deal, a thread lift is the wrong tool, and Dr. Godko tells you that at your consultation.
Why do plastic surgeons not like PDO threads?
The usual criticisms are fair ones. A thread lift is subtler than a facelift, it does not last as long, and it cannot remove loose skin. Used for heavy sagging, or placed at the wrong depth, threads can disappoint or leave dimpling. That is why it matters who is a candidate and who places the threads. Dr. Godko places every thread himself.
How long does a PDO thread lift last?
The lifting effect can persist for three to twelve months, while the collagen stimulation the threads provide can last up to two years. Depending on the patient, the overall effect can last one to three years, with ongoing maintenance.
How much does a PDO thread lift cost?
The cost depends on the areas treated and the number of threads used. You receive a personalized quote at your $49 in-person consultation, and the $49 is applied to your treatment.
Do lifting PDO threads hurt?
The area is numbed before the threads are placed. Afterward, on average, patients report mild pain from one day to a few weeks. It depends on the number of threads used, their thickness and the depth at which they are placed. Dr. Godko explains how to manage it.
What are the downsides of a thread lift?
Mild swelling, bruising and tenderness for 3 to 7 days are common. Side effects such as redness, pitting or skin irregularities are rare and typically subside within one to two weeks. When people speak of a thread lift gone wrong, they usually mean dimpling, an uneven lift or a thread that can be seen or felt. Tell Dr. Godko right away if anything looks or feels wrong.
What is the difference between lifting threads and smooth threads?
Lifting threads have barbs that grip the skin and lift it right away. Smooth threads have no barbs: they tighten the skin gradually by stimulating collagen. Dr. Godko often uses both in one treatment.
How is a PDO thread lift different from a facelift?
A PDO thread lift is minimally invasive, takes 30 to 60 minutes and also improves the skin’s substructure and texture. A surgical facelift does more for heavy sagging, but it is a maximally invasive procedure with potential surgical complications, and it often needs injectable treatments as well.
Where can I get lifting PDO threads at Deluxe Esthetics?
We have offices in Lawrenceville, NJ and Skillman, NJ. Schedule online at www.deluxedentistry.com or call our Lawrenceville, NJ office at (609) 400-1393 or our Skillman, NJ office at (609) 303-2005.
What Pairs Well With Lifting PDO Threads?
Lifting threads raise what has dropped. These pages cover what goes with them.
See everything we offer: Skin Treatments, Skin Conditions, Facial Esthetics.
Ready for a Lift Without Surgery?
Find out in one visit what lifting PDO threads can do for you. Your $49 in-person consultation with Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI, is applied to your treatment.
Deluxe Dentistry & Esthetics, with offices located in Mercer County, NJ, in the town of Lawrenceville, NJ, proudly serving the towns of West Windsor, East Windsor, Robbinsville, Lawrence Township, Hamilton, Pennington, Hopewell, Hopewell Township, Ewing, Trenton, Hightstown, Princeton, NJ, as well as in Somerset County, NJ, located in Skillman, NJ, near Watchung, Hillsborough, South Bound Brook, Warren, Somerville, Manville, Far Hills, Branchburg, Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Bernardsville, Green Brook, Peapack-Gladstone, Franklin Township, Rocky Hill, Raritan, North Plainfield, Millstone, Bedminster, Bernards Township, Montgomery, NJ. Schedule online at www.deluxedentistry.com or call our Lawrenceville, NJ office at (609) 400-1393 or our Skillman, NJ office at (609) 303-2005.
Two Locations
Deluxe Dentistry & Esthetics
With offices in Lawrenceville, NJ and Skillman, NJ.
