PDO Lift[1], [2], [3] is a non-surgical skin lifting treatment using Polydioxanone threads (PDO). These synthetic dissolvable threads are not new in the medical industry. In fact, they had been used as suturing materials in cardiac and paediatric surgeries for over fifty years. It has been discovered to be able to rejuvenate ageing skin. Hence is now used aesthetically to help retard signs of skin ageing for many men and women.
PDO Lift is able to tighten saggy folds around the under-eye area, cheeks, nose-to-mouth lines, jawlines and jowls. It can also be carried out on the body to gently and effectively lift the skin.
PDO Lift is a non-surgical skin lifting procedure that involves placing bio-degradable PDO threads within the soft tissue of the skin at strategic locations. Doing so, gently lift the skin and tackle the loose folds in an upwards direction. PDO threads act as supporting structures for the face and boost collagen production underneath the skin.
After the treatment, you may experience skin tightness, swelling, soreness and bruising, but these are temporary and will gradually resolve within three to five days post-treatment.
Facial areas that will benefit from PDO lift include the cheeks, neck, jawlines, jowls, marionette lines, under-eye area, brows, and nasolabial folds.
PDO Lift is helpful for those aged 25 to 60 with the following conditions:
• Sagging of skin (face & body)
• Skin ageing issues such as fine lines and wrinkles
• Mild to moderate droopy eyebrows
• Mild to moderate sagging jowls
• Turkey neck
• It is a softer, non-surgical skin-lifting option for the face and body
• It provides subtle, natural-looking skin-lifting results (not a pulled and tight look)
• It improves definition along the jawline through jowl lifting
• It reduces facial folds, softens nasolabial and marionette folds
• It stimulates collagen production months after the PDO thread placement
• It reduces fine lines and wrinkles
• It improves facial contours, such as lifting the cheeks subtly
PDO Lift will take around 30 minutes.
Results can be seen instantly and will last between 12 - 18 months. As the threads are biodegradable, they will gradually disintegrate to be absorbed by the body. Thanks to the collagen stimulation effect of PDO threads, new collagen is built over time, which helps to maintain the lifting effect.
Treatment such as PDO Lift (using Polydioxanone threads) is marked as a medical device in Singapore under HSA regulation. It can only be prescribed and carried out by registered and trained medical doctors in Singapore.
Dr Ivan Puah, medical director of Amaris B. Clinic, obtained a Graduate Diploma in Family Dermatology from NUS, and he has over 17 years of clinical experience in treating patients with skin laxity, wrinkles, fine lines, and with hyperpigmentation, acne scarring issues, and many others.
Wanting to proceed with a non-surgical skin lifting treatment such as a PDO lift is a personal decision. If you have tried various methods to improve saggy skin but are not achieving the result that you yearn for, we welcome you to call us and schedule a consultation with Dr Ivan Puah to understand how PDO lift can help you with your concerns.
[1] Khan G, Ahn Kh, Kim Sy, Park E. Combined Press Cog Type And Cog Pdo Threads In Comparison With The Cog Pdo Threads In Facial Rejuvenation. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Oct;20(10):3294-3298. DOI: 10.1111/jocd.14092. Epub 2021 May 10. PMID: 33904637.
[2] Myung, Yujin Md, Phd*; Jung, Chinkoo Md†. Mini-Midface Lift Using Polydioxanone Cog Threads. Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open 8(6):P E2920, June 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002920
[3] Wanitphakdeedecha, R., Yan, C., Ng, J.N.C. Et Al. Absorbable Barbed Threads For Lower Facial Soft-Tissue Repositioning In Asians. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 11, 1395–1408 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-021-00569-x