Thread Lift vs Thermage: which is best for ageing skin?

The natural ageing process to the skin is inevitable and whilst it is possible to keep some of the effects under control ourselves by maintaining a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water and exercising frequently, we can also make sure that we’re using a good skincare regime and getting plenty of restorative sleep too to keep those tell-tale signs at bay. These measures will all help to keep our skin looking healthy. However, loss of volume to the face is unavoidable with the physical and biological changes that take place when we age. This is primarily due to the shrinkage and dropping of your facial fat pads, the natural reabsorption of our bone and, occasionally, tooth loss; these all cause structural changes which can leave our faces looking flat, undefined and the lower face heavy-looking. That’s not to mention the reduced amounts of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid produced in the skin which can all contribute to sagging skin around the jawline, neck and mid-face area.

Two of the treatments that we offer in our St Albans skin clinic have been developed to help to minimise the effects of ageing. Thread Lift and Thermage are both high-end, non-surgical treatments for rejuvenating ageing skin. Whilst they aren’t replacements for surgery, they are ideal for those who want to hold off on going ahead with surgical procedures for as long as possible and want a look that’s perhaps not as obvious as the one they would get after surgery. Both Thermage and Thread Lift treatments can be used in conjunction with each other and we have seen fantastic results in our patients who have combined the two together. They can be used on the face and body and as a bonus, Thermage can also be used on the eyelids particularly if you’ve noticed that yours are becoming more hooded. Both treatments have excellent results when used on their own too and during your consultation with our medical practitioners, we will be able to advise you as to which treatment will be most suited to you depending on your skin type, what you would like to achieve and how quickly you would like to achieve it. We are all different, so what may be the best treatment for your skin may not be for your friend.

Thermage

If you’re looking to continue your usual activities straight off the treatment couch, Thermage is the ideal treatment for you. Your skin is not broken whatsoever during the Thermage treatment because it uses Radio Frequency technology to kickstart your skin into remodelling itself, causing it to tighten and firm. Your results then develop over a number of months as your body is hard at work creating new collagen deep down in your skin to give you that much needed rejuvenating boost. This deep collagen stimulation is what gives you long-term results in comparison to other treatments which stimulate more superficial collagen production. Most people can see results after three months; however, some may take another few months to appreciate their full results. It is particularly effective for firming and tightening crepey and lined, ageing skin which needs to get its ‘bounce’ back and restore a more youthful appearance. It’s also our go-to treatment for improving heavy, ageing eyelids.

Thread Lift

With some minimal downtime involved, the Thread Lift treatment requires the intricate placing of multiple threads into the skin which have an immediate lifting effect. A cannula is used to carefully place the threads into the treatment area. While these threads settle into place, there are some things to consider, such as, if you have your jawline treated, it’s advisable to avoid dental work for a little while after treatment as you may find any rough movement in that area becomes uncomfortable. With changes in smoothing and lifting, which can often be seen immediately, this is the ideal treatment if you are looking for quite quick results. In fact, our practitioners have been known to show their clients a mirror after they have treated one side of their face so that they can see the immediate change! The full results of the Thread Lift treatment continue to be seen some months after the procedure as the threads stimulate a rush of collagen production which further helps to improve the quality of your skin and overall result. It is particularly successful when used to redefine areas where the skin has become lax, for example, the jawline. It can also be used to lift the lower face if you start to notice it becoming heavy or jowls starting to form. It is our go-to treatment for instant lifting to help with the loss of facial volume and sharpen the jawline.

The treatment pages on our website have full details and information on what you can expect during and after both treatments and we will of course discuss this fully with you during your consultation. Get in touch to book your appointment with us.