PDO Threads Brisbane
Using PDO Threads for Skin Firming & Tightening
What are PDO Threads?
PDO threads or Polydioxanone threads are special dissolvable medical grade threads that are thinner than hair. PDO is a commonly used as a dissolvable suture material and has potent collagen stimulating properties, providing strength to healing wounds.
As the threads dissolve, a foreign body reaction is triggered, increasing the blood flow in the treated area and stimulating neocollagenesis (the production of new collagen in the skin).
PDO Mono Threads or short threads are designed to perform a revitalisation skin treatment, the treatment is beneficial for skin tightening, skin thickening and for globally stimulating collagen improving skin texture thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
Is PDO Thread Treatment new?
PDO Thread treatment is a Korean cosmetic trend and has been used in Asia for many years, also known as “short threads”, “monos”, “floating threads” or “Korean threads”. The treatments provide a subtle, natural result, with improvements in the skin quality, firmness and a gentle tightening effect. This is an alternative for patients who do not wish to have more fillers or neurotoxins, but wishes to improve some skin laxity or wishing to have firmer and “thicker” feel to their skin.
What is involved during a PDO Thread Treatment?
Treatment involves the insertion of multiple short PDO threads just under the skin, in a planned “mesh” like pattern, to stimulate collagen in the treated areas. Local anaesthestics can be administered to the area requiring treatment to make the treatment more comfortable. Generally to have a noticeable effect, a good number of threads are required.
What do expect from PDO Thread Treatment?
PDO threads is a non surgical treatment and only treat the superficial skin. Laxity from sagging deep facial muscles and deep facial fat pads cannot be treated using PDO threads. A thorough consultation with realistic expectation is required prior to treatment to make sure this treatment can meet your goals.
As the PDO threads dissolve, the area treated will be replaced with more collagen fibres, a gentle tightening and firming of the skin in the treated area can be expected.
Are there any contraindications to PDO Thread Treatment?
If you are pregnant or breast feeding, have an active inflammatory skin condition that requires treatment, or active infection; or if you have recently received other collagen stimulating skin treatments. Your doctor will discuss contraindications with you.
What are the possible complications with PDO Thread Treatment?
The most common complications are related to the procedure, such as bruising, swelling, pain, redness, temporary irregularities where the threads are placed. Generally these reactions are temporary and resolve within several days after the treatment. Infection and hypersensitivity to the implanted material is rare. Your doctor will discuss the possible complications prior to treatment.
What are the areas that can be treated?
Many areas can be treated such as lower face, jawline, jowls, neck, and around the eyes.
Do I need repeat treatments?
Generally we recommend at least 2 treatments 3 months apart and re-treat every 1-2 years. A consultation with our doctor is advised before any treatments.
Injectable collagen stimulation injections have been available since early 2000s.
The information on this page for Bio-Stimulators will assist your understanding during your consultation with our doctor. Due to TGA regulations, we cannot put before and after photos on our website.
Overtime we see too many patients' faces over-filled using temporary gel products.
Temporary gels are water binding materials that occupy space in the tissues until the materials breakdown over 6-12 months.
Traditional wrinkles treatments, including temporary volumising gels do not improve the quality of the skin. In fact after mid 20s, we lose about 1% of collagen per year from our face, causing our skin to be thinner as we age. After menopause we lose even more collagen, up to 30% in the first 5 years of menopause, both in our skin and our bones.
Collagen stimulators and bio-regenerative type products, on the other hand, has a bio-stimulatory effect, and most patients who use collagen bio-stimulators will notice an improvement in the quality of their skin initially, followed by a gradual increase in volume over a couple of months. Results from collagen bio-stimulation injections may vary between individuals, but in general, results last longer than traditional temporary gel fillers.
There are a few types of collagen bio-stimulator in the Australian market and each have their unique benefits and disadvantages. Our doctors will discuss the possible benefits of some of these bio-stimulators as well risks of these products during and post injections.
It is also important to know how to incorporate bio-stimulators as part of your rejuvenation journey, when combined with other treatments such as Lasers, traditional cosmetic treatments and other energy based devices.
You will need a thorough consultation, treatment planning and informed consent prior to collagen Biostimulator treatments.
You may also need to have a few months interval between your previous treatments and collagen biostimulator treatments.
Injectable Bio-stimulators are prescription only medicines in Australia and a doctor's consultation is essential.
Main benefits:
Improvements in volume occur gradually over a few months and provides natural looking result. For some types of collagen stimulators, a few treatments may be required.
Once your skin forms its own collagen, it takes longer for this collagen to breakdown.
Hence, results may last 12-24 months, longer than the average temporary gel products.
For patients who have lost a lot of volume in their face and likely to require lots of temporary gel products, or patients who "burn" through their temporary gel quickly, biostimulators may be an alternvative option in the long run. This happens in women who have high metabolism or peri- and post-menopausal women.
The aesthestic management of menopausal women is different to treating a women who is younger. Women start to lose collagen with declining oestrogen levels, a whole decade before the onset of menopause, so replacing this collagen is sometimes more important than just filling the face.
As collagen remodelling and collagen contraction occur overtime, most patients will also notice "firmness" in the skin that is rarely achievable using traditional temporary gel products.
Collagen Biostimulators are useful for reducing temporal hollowness, firming lateral high cheek, lateral jawline including pre-auricular region, jowls, neck and decolletage as well as hands.
Disadvantages:
Higher upfront cost (when compared to traditional cosmetic injections) and for some biostimulators, a few treatments are required.
Results are not immediate, as collagen production takes time, the improvements occur over a few months.
Collagen Biostimulators are not suitable for lips and the thin skin around the eye (periorbital) region as there is a small risk of nodules. Hence non biostimulatory treatments are required in these areas.
Some patients with active autoimmune disorders may not be suitable for bio-stimulator injections. A full medical history is essential to exclude contra-indications.
Other treatment risks are similar to traditional cosmetic injections includes pain, bruising, swelling, foreign body reaction, lumpiness, vascular occlusion and blindness.