Independent patient guide · Izmir
Before choosing a “lift”, identify what actually needs to change
Thread lifting is often marketed as a simple substitute for a facelift. It is not. Different thread materials, barb designs, placement planes and techniques produce different effects and risks, while published results cannot be reduced to one guaranteed duration. This page explains the procedure without selling it and compares it with options that address different causes of facial ageing.
Important clinic information
Dr Sedef Demirer does not perform PDO, COG, barbed, PLLA, PCL or any other thread-lift procedure. This is an educational comparison page, not a thread-lift service page. The clinic can assess your concern and discuss suitable non-thread options, or recommend a plastic-surgery opinion when that is the more appropriate route.
Thread lifting is not offered or booked at this clinic.
Threads do not remove excess skin or reproduce surgical tissue repositioning.
Material, technique, anatomy and study design vary; a universal lifespan cannot be promised.
Laxity, fat, volume loss and skin texture require different treatment strategies.
Clear service disclosure
Why this is no longer a thread-lift treatment page
Patients should be able to tell the difference between a treatment a clinic actually provides and information published for education. Dr Sedef Demirer does not offer thread lifting. Accordingly, this page does not invite you to book threads, quote a thread-lift price, describe a clinic-specific thread protocol or present promotional before-and-after promises.
The page remains available because people searching for “thread lift in Izmir” may need a balanced explanation before making a medical decision. Its purpose is to help you distinguish four issues that are frequently grouped together under the word “sagging”: true tissue descent, loss of facial volume, localised fat and reduced skin quality. A single procedure does not correct all four.
What the clinic can do
- Examine facial anatomy, skin quality and the pattern of volume change.
- Explain whether a non-surgical option is proportionate to your goal.
- Discuss treatments genuinely available at the clinic, including their limitations and risks.
- Recommend a plastic-surgery consultation when surgery is more likely to match the requested change.
What this page will not do
- Describe thread lifting as “risk-free”, “scar-free” or equivalent to a facelift.
- Guarantee immediate lifting, collagen production or a standard number of months of effect.
- Suggest that dissolving thread material makes all tissue effects immediately reversible.
- Use a medical consultation to steer every patient toward a device or injectable.
Procedure basics
What is a thread lift?
A thread lift is a minimally invasive procedure in which sutures are passed through tissue under the skin. Barbs, cones or similar structures are intended to engage soft tissue and create mechanical support or repositioning along a selected vector. The access points may be small, but the procedure still takes place beneath the skin and can affect blood vessels, nerves, glands, fat compartments and tissue planes.
“Thread lift” is not one standardised treatment. Threads may be absorbable or non-absorbable and may use materials such as polydioxanone (PDO), poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL). They differ in length, thickness, barb design, fixation, placement depth and number. The treated region and operator technique also differ. Results and adverse events reported for one product or technique should therefore not be automatically applied to every other thread procedure.
Mechanical effect
The immediate change, when achieved, comes mainly from tissue engagement and repositioning. It is generally more limited than surgical dissection, fixation and removal of excess skin.
Tissue response
Placed material can trigger a wound-healing and foreign-body response. Marketing often calls this “collagen stimulation”, but the visible clinical benefit and duration are not identical across products or patients.
Absorption is not a reset button
An absorbable thread is designed to break down over time. That does not mean every contour change, inflammatory reaction, scar response or effect on future tissue planes disappears at exactly the same time.
Useful distinction: “Minimally invasive” describes the route of treatment. It does not mean “non-medical”, “without downtime”, “without complications” or “equivalent to surgery with fewer risks”.
Evidence-aware expectations
What can be claimed—and what remains uncertain?
Some clinical studies report short-term improvement after particular thread techniques. For example, a recent prospective study followed 30 women treated with one specific bi-directional PDO thread design for six months and reported improvement in the measured midface/nasolabial outcome. That finding is relevant to that product, protocol, population and follow-up; it does not establish a universal result for every facial area or thread system.
Other data illustrate why broad duration promises are unreliable. A retrospective series of 160 patients using a particular barbed PDO technique found improvement early after treatment, with the visible effect declining by six months and no longer apparent at one year in that series. The same study reported an early complication rate of 34%, including superficial thread displacement, erythema, infection, dimpling and temporary stiffness. These figures should not be presented as the rate for every modern thread product, but they show why material- and technique-specific evidence matters.
Why studies are difficult to compare
- Different thread materials, barb configurations and fixation methods
- Different facial regions, numbers of threads and placement planes
- Small samples or retrospective designs in parts of the literature
- Short follow-up relative to long marketing claims
- Subjective satisfaction scales and non-blinded assessment
- Ageing, weight change and concurrent treatments as confounders
Questions to ask any provider
- What exact product and material will be implanted?
- What is its regulatory status for the proposed use in this country?
- What anatomy and tissue plane will be treated, and why?
- What result is realistic without surgery?
- Which complications has the provider personally managed?
- Who provides urgent review or removal if a problem occurs?
No universal “6–18 month” promise: duration is affected by anatomy, material, fixation, technique, facial movement, tissue quality, ageing and how the result is measured. A precise lifespan quoted before examination may be a marketing estimate rather than an individual medical forecast.
What thread lifting cannot reliably replace
- Removal of meaningful excess skin
- Comprehensive repositioning of deeper facial and neck tissues
- Correction of every jowl, neck band or heavy lower face
- Restoration of lost volume in all compartments
- Treatment of pigment, enlarged pores, fine surface lines or acne scarring
- A surgical facelift when the desired degree of change requires surgery
Patient safety
Possible side effects and complications
Risk depends on the thread, anatomy, placement plane, sterility, technique and patient factors. The list below is educational and not exhaustive. A provider who performs the procedure should discuss product-specific risks, alternatives, aftercare and a clear complication plan before consent.
Early or relatively common effects
- Pain, tenderness or a pulling sensation
- Swelling, bruising or local bleeding
- Temporary tightness or difficulty with facial movement
- Asymmetry during early healing
- Palpable threads or local irregularity
Aesthetic or mechanical problems
- Dimpling, puckering, bunching or visible contour changes
- Insufficient lift or early loss of effect
- Thread migration, breakage or extrusion
- Uneven vectors or an unnatural appearance
- Persistent discomfort or dissatisfaction
Medical complications
- Infection, abscess or delayed inflammatory reaction
- Nerve irritation, altered sensation or weakness
- Injury to a vessel, salivary structure or other anatomy
- Hair loss around an access or anchoring area
- Scarring, fibrosis or persistent tissue distortion
Seek prompt medical assessment
After any facial procedure, contact the treating clinician urgently—or seek emergency care where appropriate—if you develop severe or increasing pain, rapidly worsening swelling, fever, pus or spreading redness, skin that becomes pale/grey/mottled, new facial weakness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or any visual disturbance. Do not wait for an online reply when symptoms are severe or progressing.
Could previous threads affect a future facelift?
This question deserves a cautious answer. A 2025 retrospective report described ten patients who later underwent facelift surgery after having two or more absorbable thread-lift procedures. The surgeon reported fibrosis, distorted tissue planes and reduced mobility of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS), making surgery more difficult in those cases. This is a small, single-surgeon series and cannot quantify the risk for all patients; however, it supports telling a future surgeon about every prior thread treatment, even when the material was described as absorbable.
Existing or complicated threads
If you have already had a thread lift
Having previous threads does not automatically mean there is a complication. It does mean that future injectables, energy-based procedures and surgery should be planned with an accurate history. If possible, obtain the treatment record rather than relying on the phrase “PDO threads”.
- Record the details. Ask for the product name, material, number of threads, treatment date, entry points, vectors and any complication notes.
- Describe the timeline. Explain whether pain, dimpling, swelling, discharge, asymmetry or weakness began immediately or later and whether it is improving.
- Do not pull, cut or massage an exposed thread yourself. Manipulation can worsen tissue injury or introduce infection.
- Pause elective treatments until assessed. Adding heat, needles or filler without understanding the problem may complicate evaluation.
- Use the right referral. Persistent infection, deep mechanical problems or anticipated removal may require review by a clinician experienced in complications or by a plastic surgeon.
Ultrasound or another imaging method may be useful in selected cases, but it is not automatically required for every patient and may not visualise every material or problem. The choice depends on symptoms, examination and the planned intervention.
Not like-for-like substitutes
Thread lift alternatives: what each option actually targets
No non-surgical treatment is simply “the same lift without threads”. The correct comparison begins with the dominant anatomical issue and the degree of change you expect. The table is a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
| Option | Main treatment target | What it does not replace | Important limitations / risks | Clinic status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thread lift | Mechanical engagement or limited repositioning of selected soft tissue | Excess-skin removal and comprehensive surgical repositioning | Dimpling, asymmetry, pain, infection, extrusion, migration, insufficient or temporary effect; product and technique vary | Not offered |
| HIFU | Focused ultrasound energy for selected patients with mild laxity | Volume replacement, removal of excess skin or a surgical facelift | Result can be subtle or absent; tenderness, swelling, burns, altered sensation, nerve effects or unwanted fat change are possible | Available after assessment |
| Endo Smart Lift / subdermal fibre laser | Subdermal laser-fibre treatment for selected lower-face/submental fat and laxity patterns | A true facelift, broad skin excision or predictable correction of advanced laxity | Minimally invasive rather than non-invasive; swelling, bruising, burns, infection, contour irregularity and nerve injury are among relevant risks | Available after assessment |
| RF microneedling | Skin texture and dermal remodelling; selected fine lines or scars | Mechanical tissue repositioning or removal of a heavy jowl | Redness, swelling and pigment change; serious burns, scarring, fat loss, disfigurement and nerve damage have also been reported with certain uses | Available after assessment |
| Dermal filler | Selected volume loss, proportion or structural support | Removal of loose skin or universal “lifting” of the lower face | Swelling, nodules, asymmetry and infection; accidental vascular occlusion can cause skin injury, visual loss or other serious harm | Available after assessment |
| Facelift / neck-lift surgery | More substantial tissue repositioning and management of excess skin | It is not a minor lunchtime procedure | Anaesthesia, scars, bleeding, infection, nerve injury and a longer recovery; requires assessment by an appropriately qualified plastic surgeon | External surgical referral |
| No procedure / review later | When the concern is mild, expectations are unclear or risk outweighs likely benefit | It does not create an aesthetic change | Ageing continues, but choosing no treatment avoids procedure-related harm and preserves future options | Always a valid option |
Safety note on RF microneedling: in October 2025, the U.S. FDA issued a safety communication about reports of serious complications with certain aesthetic uses of RF microneedling, including burns, scarring, fat loss, disfigurement and nerve damage. This does not mean every device or patient will experience these events. It does mean that device choice, indication, settings, operator training and informed consent matter.
Anatomy before device
Choose by concern, not by a trending procedure name
Mild skin laxity
When the concern is early laxity and expectations are modest, non-surgical energy-based options such as HIFU may be discussed. A response is not guaranteed, and the degree of change should not be represented as surgical.
Lower-face or under-chin fullness
Fullness may reflect localised fat, skin laxity, bone structure, salivary anatomy or a combination. A subdermal fibre-laser procedure such as the Endo Smart Lift system used in the clinic may be considered for selected patterns; it is inappropriate to assume that every “double chin” has the same cause.
Volume loss or changing proportions
Temple, cheek, chin or perioral volume change may sometimes be addressed with carefully planned filler. Adding volume to a heavy lower face can worsen proportions, so “more filler” is not automatically the answer to sagging.
Texture, fine lines or acne scars
RF microneedling or another skin-rejuvenation strategy may target dermal quality. These treatments do not physically reposition descended facial tissue.
Dynamic muscle pull
Some facial or neck lines are influenced by muscle activity. A muscle-relaxing injection may help a specific dynamic pattern, but it cannot remove loose skin and may be unsuitable when weakness or anatomy increases risk.
Advanced laxity or a major requested change
If the goal is substantial jowl correction, neck definition or removal of excess skin, repeated non-surgical procedures may provide poor value and delay the more relevant conversation. A plastic-surgery assessment may be the most transparent recommendation.
Combination treatment is not automatically better. Each added procedure adds cost, recovery and risk. A combination should have a clear anatomical reason, a safe sequence and a plan for recognising which treatment produced any benefit or adverse effect.
Facial assessment in Izmir
What happens if you contact Dr Sedef Demirer’s clinic?
You are not booking a thread lift. You are requesting an assessment of facial laxity, volume, skin quality or lower-face contour. The purpose is to decide whether a treatment offered at the clinic has a reasonable chance of matching your goal—and to say so when it does not.
- Define the concern. Bring photographs showing what bothers you and describe the degree of change you expect, not only the name of a procedure seen online.
- Review medical and treatment history. Previous threads, fillers, energy devices, surgery, dental work, medicines, allergies, pregnancy status and relevant health conditions may change planning.
- Examine the anatomy. Skin quality, fat distribution, volume loss, facial movement, asymmetry and the severity of laxity are considered together.
- Compare reasonable options. Expected benefit, uncertainty, risks, downtime, alternatives and the option of no treatment should be discussed in plain language.
- Plan or refer. If a clinic-based option is suitable, a treatment plan can be prepared. If thread lifting or surgery is the requested path, Dr Demirer does not perform the thread procedure and can advise on seeking an appropriately qualified surgical opinion.
For international patients
Initial photographs and a medical summary can help determine whether an in-person consultation is worth arranging. They cannot replace physical examination, guarantee eligibility or establish a final plan. Consultation is available in English and German.
Pricing
There is no thread-lift price because the clinic does not offer the procedure. The cost of an alternative depends on diagnosis, treatment area, device or product, number of sessions and complexity. A price should follow an appropriate assessment rather than a misleading one-size-fits-all package.
Dermatology clinic · Alsancak, Izmir
Dr Sedef Demirer
Dr Sedef Demirer assesses skin health, facial anatomy and aesthetic concerns with an emphasis on individual indication and informed decision-making. The clinic does not offer thread lifting. Non-thread options are discussed only when they fit the patient’s anatomy, medical history and expectations.
Learn more about Dr Sedef Demirer
Clinic address: Kültür Mahallesi, Şair Eşref Bulvarı No:85, Gönye Apartment, Floor 1, Door 4, Alsancak / Konak / Izmir, Türkiye.
Questions patients ask
Frequently asked questions
Does Dr Sedef Demirer perform thread lifts?
No. Dr Sedef Demirer does not perform PDO, COG, barbed, PLLA, PCL or other thread-lift procedures. This page is educational and should not be interpreted as an offer of that service.
Can I book a thread-lift appointment through this page?
No. You may request an assessment of facial laxity, contour, volume or skin quality, but the clinic will not book or perform a thread lift.
Why keep a thread-lift page if the clinic does not offer the procedure?
People researching thread lifting need a clear source that separates promotional claims from limitations and alternatives. Retaining the existing URL as an educational guide also prevents older links from leading to a misleading or missing page. The page title, content, calls to action and schema should all identify it as a guide rather than a service.
Is a thread lift the same as a non-surgical facelift?
The phrase “non-surgical facelift” is a marketing umbrella, not a precise medical equivalence. Threads may create limited mechanical repositioning in selected tissue, but they do not remove excess skin or reproduce the dissection, fixation and redraping performed during facelift surgery.
Are PDO, PLLA and PCL threads all the same?
No. Material, absorption profile, diameter, barb or cone design, fixation, number and placement technique differ. Evidence or risk data for one system should not automatically be generalised to another.
Does an absorbable thread mean the treatment is fully reversible?
No. The material is designed to degrade, but biological responses such as inflammation, fibrosis or altered tissue planes may not follow the same timetable. Mechanical problems or infection may also require medical management rather than simply waiting for absorption.
How long does a thread lift last?
There is no reliable universal answer. Reported duration varies with product, technique, facial area, anatomy, ageing and the outcome measure used. Product-specific study results should not be converted into a guarantee for an individual patient.
Is thread lifting safer than a surgical facelift?
It is less invasive, but the procedures have different capabilities and risk profiles. A smaller procedure is not risk-free, and a weak result repeated several times is not necessarily a better decision than obtaining an appropriate surgical opinion. The comparison must include the magnitude of the requested change.
What are the most recognised thread-lift problems?
Reported issues include pain, bruising, swelling, tightness, asymmetry, dimpling, palpable or visible threads, insufficient result, migration, extrusion, infection, inflammatory reactions, nerve symptoms and contour distortion. Frequency varies across products and studies.
Can threads be removed if I dislike the result?
Sometimes a visible, infected or mechanically problematic thread can be treated or removed, but removal is not always simple or complete. The approach depends on the thread, placement, time since treatment and the problem. Do not attempt to pull or cut a thread yourself.
Can I have HIFU after a previous thread lift?
Do not assume that a standard interval makes the combination safe for everyone. The product, placement plane, treatment date, symptoms and proposed ultrasound depth matter. Bring the thread record for examination before any energy-based treatment is planned.
Is HIFU the best alternative to threads?
Not automatically. HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy and does not mechanically pull tissue with sutures. It may be considered for selected mild laxity, but it does not replace volume, remove excess skin or guarantee a visible lifting effect.
Is a subdermal fibre-laser treatment the same as a thread lift?
No. A subdermal fibre-laser procedure such as Endo Smart Lift uses a laser fibre rather than barbed lifting sutures. It may be considered for selected lower-face or submental fat/laxity patterns. It is minimally invasive, carries its own risks and is not a surgical facelift.
Can dermal filler lift jowls?
Filler can restore selected volume or improve proportion and structural support, but it does not remove loose skin. Excess or poorly placed filler can make a lower face look heavier. The indication and amount must be conservative and anatomy-led.
Does RF microneedling lift the face?
RF microneedling is primarily considered for dermal remodelling, texture and selected scars or lines. Any tightening effect is different from mechanical repositioning and should not be presented as a facelift. Device- and setting-related risks require a medical discussion.
What if I want a dramatic jawline or neck change?
A major change may not be realistic with non-surgical options. Depending on anatomy, a plastic-surgery consultation can be more appropriate than stacking threads, filler and energy devices. A responsible assessment includes the possibility that no clinic-based procedure will meet the goal.
Can I send photographs before travelling to Izmir?
Yes. Clear photographs and a concise medical and treatment history may support preliminary guidance. They do not replace examination or confirm that a procedure is suitable. Avoid using beauty filters, portrait-mode distortion or extreme lighting.
Does the clinic treat complications from threads placed elsewhere?
Contact the clinic with the product details, treatment date, symptoms and photographs. Whether assessment is appropriate depends on the problem; some cases require the original provider, imaging, urgent hospital care or a plastic surgeon experienced in removal and complication management.
Can I receive a price through WhatsApp?
There is no price for thread lifting because it is not offered. A preliminary range for a genuine alternative may sometimes be shared after enough information is available, but the final plan and fee depend on in-person assessment and the actual indication.
What should I bring to a consultation?
Bring a medication list, relevant diagnoses and allergies, dates and product names for previous filler/threads/devices, surgery records if relevant, and unfiltered photographs showing change over time. Explain the outcome you want and how much downtime you can accept.
Evidence and transparency
Selected sources
These references are selected to illustrate why thread-lift evidence must be read by product, technique, study design and follow-up rather than used as universal advertising. They are not an exhaustive review.
- Park BY. Prospective Study of Three-Dimensional Bi-directional Barbed Threads for Midface and Nasolabial Fold Rejuvenation. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Prospective, 30 participants, six-month follow-up, one specific thread system.
- Bertossi D, et al. Effectiveness, Longevity, and Complications of Facelift by Barbed Suture Insertion. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Retrospective series of 160 patients using a specified PDO technique.
- Yordanov YP. The Facelift After Thread Lifting: Surgical and Aesthetic Complications. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Small retrospective series; useful as a signal, not a population-wide risk estimate.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Potential Risks with Certain Uses of Radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling—FDA Safety Communication. Issued 15 October 2025.
Medical information notice
This page provides general information and does not diagnose a condition, establish suitability, replace an examination or create a doctor–patient relationship. Risks and regulatory indications vary by device, product and country. Seek personalised advice from an appropriately qualified medical professional. For severe or rapidly progressing symptoms after any facial procedure, obtain urgent in-person care.
Content reviewed for service accuracy and source transparency: July 2026. The clinic’s service position is current at the time of review: thread lifting is not offered.