Realistically how long does the Silhouette Instalift last?

Dear lannw,
Thank you for your question. The effect of Silhouette Instalift can be seen to last up to a year or so in patients and is not as significant compared to a traditional facelift surgery. The threads promote collagen production, which enhances the procedure's effect over time. This procedure can be repeated as needed and is associated with minimal downtime. We typically perform Silhouette Instalift in the clinic under local anesthesia, with patients tolerating the procedure very well. We recommend you seek an in-person consultation with a facial plastic surgeon and plastic surgeon who can perform a thorough evaluation and discuss whether Silhouette Instalift is an ideal procedure for you.

Thank you for your question. Threads have a very interesting history. They first started in South America with the golden threads and then became big in Russia with the Aptos threads. They continued to evolve into the contour threads and the sillohette threads. All of these threads were nonabsorbable so they did stay in your face unless they were removed. About four years ago we have had the introduction of many new reasorbable threads including the new instalift made of poly-L-lactic acid, the Nova threads made of PDO and others such as the Euro threads and the Mint threads. Only the first two are FDA approved, but the others are used off lable. If you get a doctor that specializes in threads, the results can be quite dramatic. We use a combination of different threads to achieve an amazing result. It is not a substitute for a facelift if there is alot of redundant tissue, but threads can help a large majority of patients. I have been doing threads for over 20 years so it is important your provider really understand the mechanics of the threads. Depending on the threads you choose they can last from 6 months to 18 months.  The instalift threads last 18 months but your results last longer. It causes a foreign body reaction and stimulates formation of both type 1 and 3 collagen fibers. I did the FDA study on Poly L Lactic acid and five years of research on this, so I really do know the histology of this thread. You are actually doing the treatment for the collagen reaction that forms around the thread. This then acts as a long lasting suspension to your tissues. I hope this answer helps.