PDO Thread Lift
PDO thread lift in Marylebone and St John’s Wood, London, with Dr Toro Ogundoyin: absorbable threads placed under the skin to reposition what has dropped and to build collagen along the way, in under 45 minutes.
The short answer
What is a PDO thread lift?
Skin does not only wrinkle as it ages, it descends. The pad of fat that sat high on the cheek slides towards the mouth, the jawline blurs into jowls, and the neat line that used to run from ear to chin stops being a line. Filler can replace lost volume, but it cannot move tissue that has travelled south.
A thread lift can. Fine absorbable sutures made of polydioxanone, the same material used to close surgical wounds, are placed under the skin and used to reposition the tissue. That gives an immediate lift. The second effect is slower: the threads trigger fibroblasts, the cells that make collagen, so the skin firms along the line of each thread over the following months. The threads themselves dissolve at around six months; the collagen is what carries the result past that.
It takes under 45 minutes, uses no scalpel and no general anaesthetic, and most people go back to their day afterwards. It is not a facelift and Dr Toro will not describe it as one.
PDO thread lift at a glance
- Treatment timeUnder 45 minutes
- NumbingLocal anaesthetic used
- Lift visibleImmediately
- Threads dissolveAround 6 months
- DowntimeSwelling and tightness, a few days
- ReviewAt 2 weeks
- From£600
A thread lift can help to:
Lift jowls and redefine a jawline
Cog threads hook into the tissue that has dropped along the jaw and reposition it upwards, which sharpens the line between face and neck.
Soften nasolabial folds by lifting, not filling
The fold from the side of the nose to the mouth corner is often a mid-face that has descended. Lifting the cheek back up treats the cause rather than padding the crease.
Open the eye area with a brow or lateral lift
A few millimetres of lift at the tail of the brow changes how tired the whole eye looks, and it is one of the most requested thread placements.
Firm crepey skin that is not yet sagging
Mono threads placed in a mesh thicken and tighten the skin itself. They suit the upper lip, the area around the mouth and the neck, where the problem is texture rather than descent.
Define a lip border
Fine mono threads along the vermillion border sharpen the edge of the lip and soften the lines that run into it, without adding volume.
Restore volume to a sunken area
Screw threads, intertwined and placed together, add a little structure where tissue has thinned, for patients who would rather not use filler there.
What a thread lift is used for
Follow any of these to read how Dr Toro assesses it and what she would suggest.
- Loss of firmness and facial definition
- Looking tired
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Skin quality, dullness and dryness
- Jowls and a blurred jawline
- Lines around the mouth
Areas treated
Upper face
Mid and lower face
Neck
Thread lift near you, at either London clinic
- UNTIL Marylebone 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ View location →
- Kailash Centre, St John’s Wood 7 Newcourt Street, London NW8 7AA View location →
Boundaries of practice
What's not treated
Good practice means saying no when indicated:
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Under 18 years of age
- Active skin infection or inflammation at the treatment site
- Known allergy to polydioxanone or to local anaesthetic
- Bleeding disorders or anticoagulant treatment, assessed individually
- Autoimmune conditions or immunosuppressive treatment, assessed individually
Patient journey
What to expect from a thread lift
Consultation & preparation
Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and supplements such as vitamin E and fish oil for a week beforehand if you can, and avoid alcohol for 24 hours, to reduce bruising. Tell Dr Toro about any planned dental work. Come with clean skin and no makeup on the area, and plan a quiet couple of days afterwards.
During treatment
Aftercare
Sleep on your back with your head raised for a week and avoid sleeping face down. No strenuous exercise, facial massage, saunas or dental treatment for two weeks. Eat soft food and avoid wide mouth opening for a few days. Swelling, bruising and a tight pulling sensation are expected and settle within a week or so.
Thread lift prices in Marylebone and St John’s Wood
How many threads an area needs depends on how much lift is required and on the quality of the skin holding them, which is agreed at consultation before anything is booked. Prices are reviewed periodically.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr Toro Ogundoyin, Aesthetic Doctor: MBBS, DIP. FSRH · General Medical Council: a minimally invasive procedure planned and carried out by a GMC-registered doctor in a CQC-registered clinic.
Real results
FAQ
Thread lift questions
Is a thread lift the same as a facelift?
No, and Dr Toro will not present it as one. A surgical facelift removes and repositions tissue under general anaesthetic, with weeks of recovery and a result measured in years. A thread lift repositions tissue with absorbable sutures in under 45 minutes, with far less recovery and a shorter result. Different treatments for different problems.
How long does a thread lift last?
The threads themselves dissolve over around six months, but the collagen they stimulate carries on working after that, so most patients see a benefit for roughly 12 to 18 months. How long yours lasts depends on your skin quality, how much lift was needed and how your body handles the threads.
Does a thread lift hurt?
Local anaesthetic is used, so the placement itself is well tolerated. You will feel pressure and pulling, which most people describe as odd rather than painful. Afterwards the area can feel tight and tender for several days, and that tightness is part of how the lift holds while the tissue settles.
What is the downtime?
Most people return to normal activities the same day. Expect some swelling, bruising and a pulling sensation for up to a week, and occasionally small dimples where a thread is anchored, which settle. Avoid strenuous exercise, dental work, facial massage and sleeping face down for two weeks so the threads can integrate.
Can a thread lift be combined with other treatments?
Yes, and it often is. Threads lift, filler restores volume, anti-wrinkle treatment manages movement, and Profhilo or skin boosters improve the quality of the skin the threads sit in. Dr Toro sequences these rather than doing them all at once, so each one has room to settle before the next is judged.
Related Treatments
Get Started
Book your consultation
with Dr Toro
Dr. Toro Aesthetics • 1 Orchard Street, UNTIL Marylebone, London W1H 6HJ • Kailash Centre, 7 Newcourt Street, London NW8 7AA
BookConsultations are £90 and include a written treatment and skincare plan.