Different types of PDO threads

Polydioxanone is a dissolvable suture material used in selected aesthetic procedures. Smooth threads are thin and placed to provide a framework or encourage local collagen response without anchoring the skin. Twisted or screw-shaped threads can add more volume or contour in a small area. Barbed or cogged threads have projections that grip tissue and are used when the aim includes mechanical repositioning.

Thread design, length, number, placement depth and the movement of the treatment area all influence the result. A thread lift is a procedure, not a substitute for surgery, and it cannot correct every degree of laxity.

Choose a qualified medical practitioner who can examine your skin, facial movement and goals. Discuss previous procedures, medicines that affect bleeding, allergies, active skin infection and any tendency to form prominent scars. Ask whether smooth, twisted or barbed threads are being proposed, how they will be placed, what aftercare involves and what alternatives may suit you.

Read more about [Polydioxanone Thread](/materials/polydioxanone-thread/) and [Thread Lift](/treatments/aesthetic-procedures/thread-lift/) before consenting. Avoid judging suitability from a thread name alone; the plan should be individualised.

Contact the practitioner promptly for worsening pain, spreading redness, warmth, pus, fever, marked asymmetry, persistent numbness or a thread that becomes visible or protrudes. Urgent assessment is needed for severe swelling, trouble swallowing, breathing difficulty or sudden weakness. Do not pull at an exposed thread or massage the area unless instructed.

Which thread shape fits my goal, and where will it sit? What changes should I expect during healing? What are the signs of infection, migration or nerve irritation? How long should I avoid pressure, strenuous activity or facial massage?