Before the Procedure Try to avoid or reduce caffeine and nicotine prior to your procedure. Avoid Vitamin E, Fish oil, and green tea for 10 days before and after the procedure. DO NOT take Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or anti-inflammatories for 7 days before the procedure.
There are some things you should avoid one to two days before treatment such as, alcohol, caffeine, advil/ibuprofen, fish oil supplements, Vitamin E, Intense workouts, steamroom, saunas, and hottubs.
Avoid alcohol and smoking 24 hours before treatment. Avoid Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Advil, St. John's Wort, oral Vitamin E, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) in the 24 hours prior to your treatment as they may promote the risk of bruising and bleeding in the injection area.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine for at least 24 hours
It is generally recommended that patients avoid caffeine and alcohol for at least 24 hours after a PDO thread facelift. Alcohol can thin the blood and increase the risk of bruising and swelling, while caffeine can tighten the skin and lead to skin irritation.
Following PDO thread lift, patients may experience mild swelling, bruising, or tenderness at the suture sites. Over-the-counter medications can help these symptoms, which should resolve within about 3 – 5 days.
You'll see instant results from the physical lift, but there is more to come since collagen takes 2-3 months to generate fully. You can expect a complete recovery from your thread lift in no more than two weeks.
It is best to avoid aspirins for the next two weeks after the treatment. Avoid applying makeup or facial cream for at least 48 hours. You should not drink a beverage with a straw and focus on drinking liquids or consuming soft foods for at least a week. Chewing gum should be avoided for at least two weeks.
Avoid any direct pressure to the face and area where the sutures were placed for one week after the procedure (for example, sleeping face down, excessive chewing, talking, yawning, smiling and other facial movements during the week after your procedure.
You will want to avoid widely opening your mouth for two weeks while the threads are incorporating. You should avoid eating bagels, tall sandwiches, steak, and other items that require lots of chewing or widely opening your mouth for two weeks.
Sleeping on your side, or even on your stomach, results in pressure on your face. You need to avoid this for about a week after your thread lift procedure. Try to sleep on your back with your head propped up on a pillow to minimize swelling after a thread lift.
CONS OF THE THREAD LIFT:
The thread lift is considered a minor surgery, and as such, once the skin is cut there is the risk of infection, bruising, temporary discomfort, rippling off the skin and temporary numbness.
You should avoid smoking and drinking alcohol for at least 14 days after a PDO thread lift for the most effective results. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes you to lose a lot of water and essential nutrients necessary for proper healing. Drinking alcohol can also cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure.
ICE: Gently apply cold packs immediately after your treatment to help reduce swelling and bruising. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be taken in case of pain/tenderness. Avoid, if possible, aspirin and NSAIDs (Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Ibuprofen) for 3 days post procedure.
Puckering is a very common side effect that lasts up to 2 days or 2 weeks after the procedure as PDO threads will dissolve into the skin after it's stitched in. Rest and minimal facial movement after the procedure will help ease puckering.
A specially designed thin needle is used to insert the threads into the skin, minimizing patient discomfort. Patients sometimes experience mild soreness and swelling for a few days after having this procedure, but it can usually be managed with over the counter pain relievers.
Avoid touching the thread entry points as much as possible while they heal. Also, don't wear makeup for the first 12 hours today. Wait at least four hours before you lie down. Some providers also recommend you avoid washing your face or hair or getting your face wet for the first 24 hours.
How can you tell if a PDO thread broke? You may feel the puncture points used to insert the threads for a few weeks as they heal. There may also be a feeling of tightness from the pulling of the skin. In some cases, the threads can migrate or move.
Some pain and swelling around the injection sites is normal after a PDO thread session. These side effects should dissipate within about two weeks.
How Often Should You Have Treatment? The results of this treatment can last for six to 12 months at a time, so how long the results of your treatment lasts will determine how often you should have treatment. Many patients opt to have regularly scheduled PDO thread lifts once or twice a year.
A study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirms PDO thread lifts do work, stating thread lifts indisputably lift and shape facial soft tissues. Another study published by the NIH indicates this therapy yields around a 90 percent success rate.
Taking a bath or a shower: After your treatment, you should wait at least 12 hours before bathing, soaking, or touching the treated area. Once you begin washing and cleansing the region, avoid massaging or scrubbing with a washcloth for the first three weeks following your thread lift.
Is a thread lift painful? During a thread lift procedure, you receive local anesthesia, so you don't feel any pain. After the procedure, you may experience some pain, discomfort and soreness. You can take an over-the-counter or prescription pain reliever for several days until the discomfort goes away.