Injectables & Facial Contouring

Thread Lift

Uses absorbable barbed threads to reposition and lift facial tissue, with a gradual collagen build as the threads absorb.

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Thread lifts in Vancouver

Understanding Thread Lift.

A thread lift places fine absorbable sutures under the skin to gently reposition tissue that has started to drift down along the cheeks, jawline or neck, for a fresher, more defined outline.

It's well suited to mild to moderate laxity, for people who'd like a natural-looking lift and a cleaner jawline without surgery. You'll see a lift on the day, and the threads encourage some fresh collagen as they dissolve over the following months.

Every thread lift at our clinic is planned and placed by one of our physicians, and Dr. Gidon Frame is APTOS's official thread-lift trainer in British Columbia.

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Approach	What it does	Often chosen for
Thread lift APTOS or Silhouette InstaLift	Repositions soft tissue with absorbable sutures	Mild to moderate descent with good skin quality
Skin tightening	Encourages new collagen to firm the skin in place	Early laxity, where firming matters more than lifting
Volume restoration	Fillers or collagen-stimulating injectables restore volume and contour	Hollowing and flattened contours

Threads reposition tissue, skin tightening firms it, and volume restoration replaces what's been lost. Many faces do best with a combination, planned with you.

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Concerns & Goals

Concern guides connected to this treatment.

Thread options at our clinic

APTOS Threads: barbed or multidirectional sutures, well suited to repositioning soft tissue along the cheek, jawline or upper neck.
Silhouette InstaLift: a bidirectional-cone suspension suture, well suited to lifting the midface.

Some plans use both, placed along different vectors. Thread lifts are performed by our physicians, and each technology page explains the threads in more detail.

What a thread lift can improve

Early jowling, where the jawline has begun to soften and skin quality is still good
Midface descent that has flattened the cheek and deepened the fold beside the nose
Mild neck laxity in selected cases
Loss of definition along the lower face, where a small amount of repositioning refreshes the outline
Asymmetry of descent, where one side has dropped more than the other

Threads do best where the skin can sit smoothly over the lifted structure, and we'll match your plan to your skin.

Who may benefit

Thread lifts tend to suit people with mild to moderate laxity, skin with good thickness and elasticity, and a wish for a natural-looking, gradual change that can be refreshed over time.

Where the main change is volume loss, or there's significant excess skin, we'll recommend the approach that suits your face best, which may include fillers, collagen-stimulating injectables or skin tightening.

Your medical history, medications and previous treatments are reviewed at your consultation to confirm which option suits you.

Your consultation

Your first visit is a complimentary consultation with one of our aesthetic consultants or senior laser technicians. One of our physicians, Dr. Gidon Frame, Dr. Sarina Govindasamy or Dr. Teri Fisher, then sees you to approve your treatment and performs your thread lift.

We look at how your face moves and sits: where the descent is, how much of the change is laxity and how much is volume, and how your skin behaves when gently lifted by hand.

We review your history, including medications, bleeding tendency, autoimmune conditions, previous facial surgery, fillers or threads, and how you heal.

We talk about what's possible for your face, and whether skin tightening or volume restoration would add to your result.

Cosmetic consultations are complimentary. When you book a treatment, we take a card on file. New clients pay a $150 deposit that goes toward their treatment, and a $150 no-show fee applies if an appointment is missed.

What to expect during treatment

The area is numbed with local anesthetic, and threads are placed through small entry points along planned vectors before the tissue is gently drawn into position. Most people feel pressure and pulling more than pain. You'll see a lift straight away, sitting on top of early swelling, and your physician explains how to prepare beforehand.

Results and planning

What improves: the position of soft tissue along the cheek, jawline or upper neck, for a natural-looking lift and a cleaner outline.

When change appears. There's an immediate lift on the day, partly masked by swelling. As swelling settles over the following weeks, your settled result becomes clear, and collagen-related firmness develops more gradually over the months that follow.

Your plan. Threads are absorbable, so repeat treatment keeps the effect going. Your physician gives you a realistic timeframe for the threads used, and skin, texture or volume treatments can be planned alongside.

What shapes your result: the degree of laxity, skin thickness and elasticity, tissue weight, age and healing, smoking and weight change. Individual results vary.

Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic

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Recovery and aftercare

Swelling, bruising, tenderness and a tight, pulling feeling are usual in the first days, and small puckers near entry points often smooth as tissue relaxes over the following weeks.

Sleeping with your head elevated, eating soft food, limiting wide mouth opening early on, and avoiding pressure on the treated area all help. Your physician gives you full aftercare instructions, and please contact the clinic for increasing or one-sided pain, spreading redness, fever, a thread end coming through the skin, or a dimple or ridge that isn't settling.

Optimizing your results

Combining with HydraFacial. HydraFacial works well in combination with a thread lift. It can be booked before your thread lift, or once healing is complete, to keep the skin's surface clear, hydrated and glowing. Your physician will advise the right timing.

Common side effects

Swelling, bruising, tenderness when chewing or smiling broadly, a tight or pulling sensation, small puckers near entry points and awareness of the threads are common and usually settle over days to weeks.

Less common risks

Less often, thread lifts can cause infection, a persistent dimple or ridge, a thread that can be felt or seen for longer than expected, thread movement, asymmetry, prolonged discomfort, temporary nerve irritation, a hematoma, salivary gland irritation or an inflammatory lump, occasionally needing a thread to be adjusted or removed. Your physician talks through the risks that apply to you at your consultation. This is not a complete list.

Suitability and safety

Some medical conditions, medications and healing factors can make a thread lift unsuitable or a reason to wait. Your physician reviews your history in person before you decide.

Where skincare fits

Threads reposition tissue beneath the skin, while skincare looks after the surface: texture, tone, pigment and hydration. Daily sun protection helps preserve the collagen and elasticity that support your lift.

Our team can recommend a routine from our online shop to keep the skin over your newly lifted contours looking its best.

Why lifting is different from filling

Facial aging involves four processes, and each responds to different treatments. Knowing which one is driving the change you see is how we decide whether a thread lift suits you.

Expression lines. Repeated muscle movement creates lines around the forehead, eyes and mouth, usually softened with wrinkle-relaxing injections.

Volume loss. Changes in facial fat and bone can hollow the cheeks and flatten contours, which fillers or collagen-stimulating injectables restore.

Skin quality. Changes in collagen, elastin and hydration bring fine lines, uneven texture and reduced firmness, the territory of resurfacing, energy-based devices and skin treatments.

Tissue descent. As deeper support structures change, the cheeks and lower face gradually drop, softening the jawline. This is what a thread lift is designed for: repositioning tissue that has moved.

When the main change is descent, a thread lift works on position, often alongside a little volume restoration where it helps.

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Watch Our APTOS Thread Lift Video

APTOS thread lift video from Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic

A short video about APTOS thread lifts from our clinic. Watch on YouTube

Technologies Used

Technologies that may support this treatment.

Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic

Why patients choose our clinic

APTOS training expertise. Dr. Gidon Frame is APTOS's official thread-lift trainer in British Columbia, and our clinic hosts official APTOS training.
A shared approach across our physicians. Dr. Frame has shared his thread techniques with the clinic's physicians, so your treatment is planned with the same approach whichever of our doctors you see.
Physician-performed. Threads are placed by Dr. Gidon Frame, Dr. Sarina Govindasamy or Dr. Teri Fisher.
Two thread systems, APTOS and Silhouette InstaLift, matched to your anatomy and goals.
Skin tightening and injectables under one roof, so your plan is built around your face.
Physician-led care in Vancouver since 2003.

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FAQ

Questions about Thread Lift.

How much lift will I see from a thread lift?+

A natural-looking repositioning, enough to soften an early jowl or bring back definition along the jawline. Gently lifting the skin with a finger at your consultation gives a helpful preview, and the change from threads is usually a little softer than that.

How does a thread lift compare with a facelift?+

For mild to moderate laxity, a thread lift offers a natural-looking lift with no incisions and a shorter recovery. Threads reposition tissue without removing skin, so for significant excess skin your physician can talk through whether a surgical opinion is worth considering.

Will anyone be able to feel or see the threads?+

Threads can be felt under the skin for a while, especially where skin is thin, and this usually settles as tissue relaxes around them. If a thread stays visible or an end starts working through the skin, let us check it promptly.

Does the tight feeling go away?+

Yes. A pulling or stretched sensation is common for a couple of weeks, especially when smiling widely, yawning or chewing, and it eases as tissue adjusts to the threads. Persistent pain is a reason to call us.

Who performs thread lifts at your clinic?+

Our physicians: Dr. Gidon Frame, Dr. Sarina Govindasamy or Dr. Teri Fisher. Dr. Frame is APTOS's official thread-lift trainer in British Columbia and has shared his techniques with our physicians. We confirm who will treat you when you book.

Reviews

What patients say about the clinic experience.

Reviews help show the human side of care, from the first consultation to comfort, communication, treatment planning, and follow-up.

Medical Review

Reviewed for clinical accuracy.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Gidon Frame, Medical Director, Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic (CPSBC).
Last medically reviewed: August 2026.
Evidence reviewed: clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews and peer-reviewed medical literature.

AuthorDr. Gidon Frame

Medical ReviewerDr. Gidon Frame

Last ReviewedSeptember 2026

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Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic combines medical assessment, individualized planning, physician oversight, and a broad range of treatment options in its Vancouver clinic.

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Why Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic?

A medical clinic with physicians and experienced medical-aesthetic providers on the team.
Science-informed assessment, treatment planning, and realistic expectations.
Laser, injectables, skin, body, hair, wellness, and medical services available in one clinic.
Complimentary aesthetic consultations are available for appropriate cosmetic and laser services.
Personalized skincare and product consultations based on your goals and routine.
Home-care guidance to support your skin between in-clinic appointments.
Professional skincare products available through the Anti-Aging Vancouver shop.
Clear guidance on treatment options, preparation, downtime, aftercare, and next steps.
Ongoing follow-up so your plan can evolve as your needs and goals change.