PDO threads are often described online as a “lunchtime facelift,” and that phrase sets many patients up for disappointment. Threads can offer a refined, measurable lift and meaningful collagen support, but only within a specific range of skin laxity, and only when they are placed with a deep understanding of facial structure. For patients researching a PDO thread lift in Beverly Hills, the most useful starting point is not a list of benefits but an honest picture of where threads perform well and where another approach may serve you better. At Snatched Beverly Hills, we believe that clarity is the foundation of a natural result and a satisfied patient.
What a PDO Thread Lift Is
PDO stands for polydioxanone, a dissolvable, biocompatible material that has been used in surgical sutures for decades. In a thread lift, fine PDO threads are placed beneath the skin through a needle or cannula, following carefully planned vectors. Depending on the thread type, they can do two things: mechanically reposition soft tissue and prompt the body’s natural wound-healing response, which encourages new collagen to form around each thread as it gradually dissolves.
This dual action is what distinguishes threads from injectables. Filler adds volume and neuromodulators relax muscle, while threads provide support and lift to tissue that has begun to descend. The threads themselves are absorbed over several months, and the collagen they stimulate may continue to support skin quality afterward. On our PDO thread lift page, we outline the areas we most commonly treat, including the cheeks, jawline, and neck.
How PDO Threads Work
PDO threads are made of polydioxanone, a dissolvable material with a long history of use in surgical sutures. The threads used for lifting have tiny projections along their length that anchor into tissue, allowing them to gently lift and reposition areas such as the mid-face or jowls. As the threads dissolve over the following months, the body responds by producing new collagen around them, which may help support skin firmness and texture. Understanding both effects, the immediate lift and the gradual collagen response, helps set appropriate expectations from the first conversation.
What PDO Threads Can Do
When the patient and the plan are well matched, threads may offer a visible, natural-looking improvement that injectables alone cannot provide. In a 2025 systematic review published in Dermatologic Surgery, Riopelle, Geisler, Eber, and Dover analyzed 12 studies of absorbable mid-face and lower-face thread lifts, most commonly using polydioxanone. They found that aesthetic scores improved immediately after the procedure in every study reviewed and that complications were generally mild.
Restoring Definition to Early Laxity
Threads are best suited to mild to moderate laxity, the stage at which the cheeks begin to settle lower, the jawline softens, and the transition from jaw to neck becomes less defined. In these patients, carefully placed cog threads may gently lift descended tissue, sharpen the jawline, and restore a more rested contour. The lift is intentionally subtle. Our aim is to support the face’s existing architecture rather than pull it into a new shape.
Supporting Collagen and Skin Quality
Because the body responds to PDO by building new collagen, threads may also improve firmness and texture over the following months. This makes them a useful option for patients who want gradual, structural improvement and who prefer not to add significant volume. Threads can also complement collagen-stimulating treatments such as Sculptra, which works on a similar principle of rebuilding support from within.
What PDO Threads Cannot Do
Equally important is understanding the limits of threads. They cannot remove excess skin, they cannot reposition deeper structures the way a surgical facelift can, and they cannot create a dramatic change in a face with advanced laxity. When there is significant skin redundancy, heavy jowling, or pronounced neck banding, threads may produce a modest or short-lived improvement at best. We discuss this distinction in more detail in our article comparing a PDO thread lift with a surgical facelift .
Durability Has Limits
Threads also do not last indefinitely. Results typically last 12 to 18 months, depending on the individual and the area treated. A 2021 meta-analysis by Niu, Zhang, Yao, and colleagues, published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, pooled 26 studies and found that patient satisfaction declined from 98 percent immediately after thread lifting to 88 percent at six months. The same review noted that patients over 50 had a higher risk of skin dimpling. These findings do not diminish the value of threads, but they do explain why we position them as part of an ongoing plan rather than a one-time fix.
Threads Do Not Replace Volume or Skin Treatments
A thread can lift tissue, but it cannot replace lost bone support or deflated fat compartments, and it does not resurface the skin. A face with hollowing in the temples or mid-face may look better with volume restoration first, while crepey texture or sun damage may respond better to energy-based treatments such as Morpheus8. Placing threads into a face that needs structural support elsewhere can produce a result that looks tight in one area and unbalanced overall.
How We Customize PDO Threads at Snatched Beverly Hills
Our Signature approach, the Snatched Technique, was developed by our founders and master injectors, Ani Malkhasyan and Sadiyah Karimi. Before founding Snatched Beverly Hills, Ani and Sadiyah worked side by side in the ICU for three years, an experience that shaped their attention to precision, safety, and calm, methodical decision-making. That same discipline guides how our team of expert injectors plans every thread placement, under the medical direction of Dr. Joubin Gabbay and with the support of Nurse Practitioner Hegi Harutyunyan.
Anatomy-First Planning
Every thread consultation begins with a structural assessment. We evaluate your face from multiple angles, at rest and in motion, and consider skin thickness, the degree of descent, bone structure, and existing volume. Thread type, number, and vector are determined by your anatomy rather than by a standard protocol. Faces of different ethnic backgrounds carry different natural contours, cheek projection, and jawline shapes, and our goal is always to respect those features rather than impose a single aesthetic ideal.
Choosing Threads and Technique for Safety
Technique influences not only the result but also the recovery. A 2025 systematic review by Ojha, Farahbakhsh, and Saikaly in Dermatologic Surgery compared absorbable thread lifts across 19 studies and found that complication rates varied by suture material, thread texture, fixation method, and treatment area, with absorbable threads overall showing a generally favorable safety profile. Earlier, a systematic review of 59 studies by Pham, Chu, Foulad, and Mesinkovska, also published in Dermatologic Surgery in 2021, found that most thread-related side effects, such as swelling, bruising, and asymmetry, were transient and resolved on their own. We use this evidence to guide thread selection and to set clear expectations.
Who May Be a Good Fit
Threads may be well suited to adults with early to moderate laxity who want definition and lift without surgery and who understand that results are gradual and temporary. We may recommend a different approach for patients with significant skin excess, very thin or sun-damaged skin, active infection or inflammation in the treatment area, certain autoimmune or bleeding conditions, or a tendency toward poor wound healing. Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding are advised to wait. For some, threads are best combined with skin tightening such as Sofwave or sequenced into a broader Snatched Regimen, in which structure is addressed before volume and every step supports the next.
What to Expect From a PDO Thread Lift
Treatment typically takes 30 to 60 minutes. We begin by applying numbing and, where appropriate, local anesthetic such as a dental block, so that the procedure remains comfortable. The threads are then placed through small entry points using fine instruments, and we assess lift and symmetry in real time throughout the appointment.
Recovery
Mild to moderate swelling, tenderness, and bruising are common and generally improve over several days to about a week. Some patients notice temporary surface irregularity, puckering, or a sensation of tightness, particularly with facial expressions, which usually softens as the tissue settles over two to four weeks. We typically advise sleeping face-up for the first several nights, avoiding strenuous exercise, wide mouth opening, facial massage, and dental work for about two weeks, and contacting our office promptly if anything feels unusual. Planning for genuine social downtime of roughly a week leads to a far better experience than expecting a same-day return.
Realistic Outcomes
The mechanical lift is visible right away, though early swelling can make the result appear stronger at first. As swelling resolves, the true result emerges, and collagen stimulation continues to build gradually over the following months. Results typically last 12 to 18 months, and many patients choose to maintain them with periodic treatment. A well-performed thread lift should look like a softer, more rested version of your own face, not a pulled or altered one.
Choosing the Right Practice for Threads in Beverly Hills
Because thread outcomes are so dependent on placement, provider experience is one of the most important decisions you will make. At Snatched Beverly Hills, our team of expert injectors treats patients from across LA and from around the world at our office at 144 S Beverly Dr, Suite 302. Ani Malkhasyan and Sadiyah Karimi have built the practice around a simple principle: the goal is not overcorrection, but refined results that enhance natural features over time. For patients who want additional background, our overview of PDO threads in Los Angeles explains how we integrate threads across the mid-face, jawline, and neck.
Schedule a PDO Thread Lift Consultation at Snatched Beverly Hills
If you are noticing early changes in your jawline, cheeks, or neck and want to know whether threads are the right fit, we would be glad to meet with you. During your consultation, our team will assess your facial structure, explain what threads can realistically achieve for you, and recommend an alternative or combined approach if that would serve you better. Our goal is to help you make a well-informed decision with no pressure. To begin, you may complete our New Client Application, and a member of our team will reach out to schedule your visit at Snatched Beverly Hills.