What is a Featherlift?

The featherlift is a variant of the thread lift. This procedure uses sutures with barbs that hold the soft tissue in a suspended position. Unfortunately, with time, the barbs lose their traction and the patient develops recurrent facial skin sag. For this reason, the procedure has been widely criticized. The procedure has significant expense and is associated with minimal improvement.

It’s not unusual for these types of procedures to be given names that have marketing value. Descriptive terms like; smart, lunch hour and laser are added to standard terms like facelift to make them sound as if they represent new technology. In reality, this leads to significant confusion amongst patients.

This is one of many ideas that had a lot of publicity and great hype but  the results (or lack thereof) just did not support the expectation of patients and surgeons alike. Essentially "thread" lifting or " barbed suture" lifting is the concept. They are placed through small "stab incisions" and threaded through and tied under tension. Of course as would be expected the tiny barbs "cheese wired" through the soft tissue and the results fade in a matter of several weeks to several months. I personally have removed more than I have placed, from dissatisfied patients with suture migration and almost immediately abandoned this technique.  Contour threads ("Thread lift") have been removed from the market and APTOS threads which are the barbed sutures used for the "Featherlift") are also history. Save your money and consider a real procedure with longevity from a board certified plastic surgeon.

As a surgeon with over 20 years experience, I have seen a lot of these “newest and greatest” procedures come and go. I can only name a couple that have truly stood the test of time. A few keep coming back every few years with a new twist and a new brand name, but the same basic results. Put all the “blah-blah-blah lift” varieties in this category, along with cellulite reducing creams and non surgical bust enhancers.

Here's my advice on XYZ lifts:


Mini surgeries tend to give mini results. Adjust expectations accordingly.

Let others be the guinea pigs. Most new technologies need to have their kinks worked out. Better to avoid the “OOPS!” phase in the development of new technology.

“Results may vary” - new procedures take some time to “find their place.” In the meantime, a lot of people will be spending a lot of money getting xyz lifts on various other parts of the face that may not work that great.

It’s the tennis player, not the racket. A lot of times a procedure is marketed as an alternative for something that can be reliably done by an experienced surgeon using time tested techniques. The risk of the new procedure is that you may be wasting your money, or worse yet, risking a complication.


In your consultation with your surgeon, focus on describing exactly what you want to change, as opposed to the name of the technique. Let the surgeon explain the various techniques available to achieve the best results.