So sorry to hear that you are having a problem with your PDO thread lift. I’ve read my colleagues’ answers and in general, I agree. However, I want to help clarify something for you. A “mass” 4 weeks after insertion is not necessarily an “abscess” which implies an infection. However removal and possibly antibiotics is usually sufficient to relieve the swelling. Every day should get better. You’ve done the right thing and returned to your treating surgeon. If you still aren’t feeling better with the threads removed you should seek a second opinion of a cosmetic surgeon experienced in threads.
Absolutely! Ideal is to do the intense RF treatments at least 2 weeks prior to your thread lift. Intense heat and inflammation do reduce the integrity of the threads. Alternatively you can wait 5 months after your PDO thread lift when your threads have essentially absorbed. (Longevity of the PDO thread lift is longer than 5 months due to the collagenesis induced by the PDO material in the tissue). Fillers can be done anytime around threads, including same day. However, my best results for combining filler and threads is to perform the thread lift first (to re position the existing superficial fat pads) and then determine how much additional volume with filler will be required. Often you need less filler after a thread lift. Hope this helps!
IMHO, it would not affect your thread lift result to any significant degree. PDO threads disintegrate more rapidly in environments with a lower pH (more acidic) and intense heat. Inflammation reduces tissue pH and thus could hasten the breakdown of the PDO threads. Intense heat (such as laser lipo next to the thread after placement) would also hasten the breakdown. The heat that is induced by a daily at home LED system is very low and doesn’t create significant inflammation. Thus, I don’t believe this treatment would reduce the integrity of your PDO threads. However, in my experience best practice guidelines for post op PDO threads is use of COLD compresses for the first 1-2 weeks to help reduce inflammation caused by thread insertion and allow the threads to settle into place. This being said, it is best to confirm with your own cosmetic surgeon any treatments that you plan on having around the time of your thread lift. Hope this helps!
It is “safe” but not wise, depending on the area you are getting your thread lift. Thread lifts are done most commonly for the mid-lower face and neck which involves the area of the jaw where a wisdom tooth would be extracted. You can have swelling after a wisdom tooth extraction. I like to adjust the threads on each side to optimize symmetry. If your face is swollen I may not be able to assess and adjust as well. However, if your thread lift is for your forehead or nose it may not be an issue. Another concern would be if there were any post op issues with wisdom tooth extraction. In the case that your oral surgeon needed to go back in after the procedure for any reason, it would reduce the efficacy of the thread lift by having to open your jaw for a long period of time. It is recommended that you not have dental procedures (anything requiring your mouth to be open for long periods of time) for one month after the thread lift of your lower face. In summary, wait a good week after your oral surgery to get your thread lift. Hope this helps!
According to the Allergan studies on Voluma, this highly cross linked hyaluronic acid dermal filler lasts “up to 2 years”. In my experience, this depends on the patient’s personal metabolism as well as upon where it is injected on the face. More highly mobile areas metabolize more quickly. Regarding hyaluronidase, this enzyme will breakdown different hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers differently, depending on the strength of the cross linking of the product. Synthetically produced (not naturally occurring) hyaluronic acid is chemical cross linked to improve its longevity. The longer the product lasts on average, the more highly cross linked the product. And more highly cross linked products require more hyaluronidase to break down. Point being if you have multiple types of fillers in your face, the hyaluronidase enzyme will break down some of the HA fillers more easily than others. Prior to HA fillers, we primarily used “collagen”, early on bovine collagen and eventually DNA recombinant type. Collagen wouldn’t “melt” the same way HAs do with hyaluronidase. If someone had collagen that they didn’t like, I would remove it with a manually expressing with a larger gauge needle, So you have three options: 1. Wait it out (up to two years) 2. hyaluronidase 3. Manual removal Good Luck to you! Hopefully you can find a trusted injector that can help you through this process.
