What is a "One-stitch Lift"?

The conclusion most patients reach at one year after having one stitch lifts or threadlifts is that the results are disappointing. They did not receive a facelift result with a single stitch as they had hoped.
When tissues are pulled with a hook with no undermining, the usual threadlift or one stitch technique, they cut through the tissue like butter. Fortunately, the marionette appearance from the subcutaneous tissues being pulled in a few specific areas softens as the sutures cut through and relax.
When tissues are undermined, and sutures are placed, this allows the tissues to "stick" in their new uplifted position; the sutures then become redundant (and self-dissolve) once complete healing occurs. This type of lift gives more permanent results. It is not the pull that gives the permanent result; it is the healing of the tissues in the uplifted position that does.
Of the many many revisions of previous threadlifts we have performed, we have universally noted that the threads were loose and did not hold tension on anything.
The good news is that aside from a few sutures popping through the skin, or palpable knots below the surface that required removal, most of these lifts don't seem to have done much harm. We simply perform our revision work and remove the sutures. Patients are usually amused to see how their threadlifts unwound.
While most of my patients are well off enough to write off their "investment" in a threadlift to experience and have a good laugh over it, I feel bad for the patients to whom the fee for the threadlift represents a significant investment.
While most patients now are quite familiar with the above information, as echoed by the other experts, there is a whole new batch of one-hour rejuvenation wonders that are claiming the funds of the trusting and uninformed.

Honestly, I had to smile when I read your question. There is no facelift procedure that should rely on only one stitch. It sounds to me like a marketing pitch - not a solid facelift procedure that I would recommend. Excellence in facelift surgery does not come with speed. Rather, it relies on thorough understanding of the patient's aging pattern, facial anatomy and experience. Skillful facelift surgeon pride themselves on durable and beautiful results, not how few stitches they use or how fast they can do things. 

I believe you are referring to thread lifts.  One that has recently become popular is called Silloette lift.  This is a minimally invasive office procedure where a dissolvable barbed suture is placed beneath the skin of the cheek and used to create a subtle lift in the midface and cheek tissue.  There may be some improvement in the nasolabial for and and maybe even in the jowl region.  However the results are not as dramatic as a facelift or mid facelift in either of these regions. And because the suture is absorbable, the results are not permanent.  However if what you are looking for is not a surgical result and cannot tolerable any down time and are looking for something different than fillers, consult with a facial plastic surgeon to see if you are a good candidate. 

There have been many developments like the "one stitch" threadlift throughout the years. These procedures almost always result in disappointing outcomes for the patient and surgeon alike. There is no substitute for a true facelift procedure that tightens both the muscle layers under the skin AND the skin itself. More techniques like this will probably be attempted in the future, but until then, I will continue to offer my patients procedures that I know work and are long-lasting when they are looking for cheek and neck rejuvenation. Be sure to see an expert.
All the best,

This is when we use a suture to do exactly what you are explaining. We can suspend the tissues with this. There are some major downfalls with this technique though. # 1 it is temporary. The sutures are absorbed and no skin is removed so once the suture is gone, the lift returns to where it was. # 2 There is no skin removed so there can be bunching of the skin in the hairline.Overall, I am not a fan of this procedure. I prefer to see the muscles, move the tissue and get predictable results. To each their own I suppose.I hope this helps.Best of luck,DrC

Also known as a thread lift or stitch lift, the procedure relies on suture tension and no undermining.  Put simply it is different than a traditional facelift, including short scar or mini face lifts.  The thread or one stitch lift is more of a marketing ploy to attract patients who don't want what they probably really need--a real facelift.  It is best considered a gimmick that does not address most problems facial aging patients have, does not provide lasting results and will leave most patients disappointed.

There is no way a single or two stitches can rejuvenate the face or neck. This has been tried by many with absolutely no long term results.

This procedure is a limited facelift which uses one stitch in the deep layers of the face to achieve these results. These results are limited and short lived and should not be compared to those of a traditional facelift. 

If you think about the principles used for this procedure, you would eventually realize that the desired results would be limited, due to the limited correction from the surgery.  I would not recommend this approach to your face.

 I am of the opinion that minimalist procedures like this also provide minimal results. In surgery, generally if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true

Results from this kind of technique are universally disappointing. Without undermining of the skin and gentle repositioning of the soft tissues, the sutures used to lift the face will cut through the tissue in the short term and the problem will recur. Only way to achieve long-lasting results, is to have a correctly performed, fully dissected, low-tension facelift.