Contour Thread Lift Comments and Feedback

At Well Past 50 we get more comments on our video and blog entry regarding my Contour Thread Lift than any other topic on the site. 

Susan emailed me:  “I had a thread lift on June 9th, 2006. I was not expecting to look how I look. Basically, I look very much like the Joker from the Batman movie. I swear if he had breasts and neutral colored splotchy skin, we'd be twins.”

Then I heard from Lisa: "I am African American and was amazed at the story I read! I almost thought it was ME! I had a little premature sagging, but for the most part I am a very attractive girl [I'm 38].  I too thought for less than $2000 and just a couple of days (as seen on TV, and read in brochures), I will be knock out gorgeous! Little did I know.  After the bandages were removed 4 days later..OH MY!  I thought…BIG MISTAKE! My face [too] was bruised, dented, lines - you name it. I looked battered."

Michele wrote me to tell me her horror story, and Ray from Canada tracked me down to call and tell me how frightened he was that he may have made a huge mistake about having the Contour Thread Lift procedure.

I am shocked at the lack of, or incorrect, information given to us by the media and our doctors.  We all believed we would have instantaneous results like the woman on the Today Show. They must have had her on Vicodin, and puttied in the dents on her face for the appearance. The brochures and Web sites I researched told the same story…this was a simple procedure with recovery time of just a few days. No one mentioned you couldn’t open your mouth to smile for two weeks. But who wants to smile anyway after sleeping upright during that entire time? The bumps and dents seem like they will never go away, and the bruising can take weeks to fade enough to be covered with makeup.

But here’s the good news: After the three months I spent hating my doctor and planning to become Muslim so I could wear a burkha, the dents, bumps and bruises disappeared, leaving my face significantly more taut and youthful than before. Before the Contour Thread Lift, while I didn’t have wrinkles, I was seeing the beginnings of jowls and deep naso-labial folds on my face. The Contour Thread Lift smoothed out all the saggy, baggy skin and took 5 to 10 years off my face. 

It’s not a facelift. And it doesn’t last forever. From what I can gather, doctors have no idea how long it might last – there’s no real track record since the procedure is so new. I have noticed that everyone I have talked to about any cosmetic surgery they have had swears they would never do it again – in the first three months. But after the compliments begin to flow and the mirror becomes their friend again, they change their tune. 

If you have just had a Contour Thread Lift or Blepharoplasty, or even a facelift – just chill. It’s a lot like childbirth.  If they told you what it was really like, there’s a good chance you’d skip it and get a dog.

Comments

[Tracy F.]

It does take 6 months to get back to somewhat normal. I was feeling little "bumps" for months. Even when they weren't visible to anyone else I knew they were there. If I press really hard I can feel them. But finally as you said my skin looks great and I am glad that I did it. NO ONE prepared me for the recovery time. That was the hardest part ever. I almost went into post-threading depression :)

[Claire]

I too WAS considering a contour thread lift but have not read anything real positive. You are positive about your results but I think your experience was less than positive. I guess I'll just be wrinkled.

[Bonnie Hall]

I had a contour thread lift 2 months ago and I still look like the joker. I still haven't seen any improvement, my jawline still sags. I was really dissapointed. I wish I would have saved the money and had a facelift.

[Nancy Nehlsen]

Bonnie,
I'm so sorry to hear about your bad CTL experience. Try very hard to be patient, as everyone says they are shocked by how long the recovery really is. And let us know if things improve in another month. Even though I still have a couple of those bumps, overall I'm happy - FINALLY!
Nancy

[Jan]

My contour thread lift was done in September and I had hoped to look fabulous for the holidays. I didn't! I didn't go to my husbands company extravaganza and I didn't go out New Years Eve! Now, over the last week I think that my threads under the cheekbone have looked less "clownish" and are finally relaxing a little, or enough so that I don't look like I have a smirk on my face.

[pat]

Hi can some one tell me where there is a Good Dr. in San Diego that does Contour threads for that price or $2000 to $3000? Everyone I talked to want $5500.00 plus.

I also was "talked into" a contour threadlift in June, 2005 by an alleged "best doctor" in the Pittsburgh area. It has been 2.5 years and the dents on the right side of my face have never gone away. Also, the jerk bifurcated my right lower eye muscle resulting in twitching which lasted for two months. He also created bags where there were none and then had the nerve to recommend Preparation H to tighten them. I did not sue him but I use every opportunity to warn people about the possible disastrous side effects of this procedure. My next challenge will be to find a really good facial surgeon who can remove these threads without scarring. I am afraid that the dents are permanent.

[Nancy Nehlsen]

This is a very good example of why we should always ask to see the results of a procedure on other people before doing it ourselves. I didn't ask when I had mine done either, but I was lucky. I've heard many complaints about the Contour Thread Lift, and I hear that many doctors have stopped promoting them. I'm so sorry to hear about your problems with a procedure that we were all so excited about.

[Tracy Hanks]

I had the procedure done and had several complications. I was not told how difficult it would be to have them removed. It has made me very depressed. I am still looking for a qualified surgeon in Oklahoma to do the procedure.

[Nadine Wells]

I had the contour thread procedure done on my forehead to bring up my eyebrows (after having eyelid reduction surgery). I had never heard or read anything about contour threads and just "trusted" my EYE DOCTOR who swore it would improve my vision and lift my sagging eyebrows up some. That was 20 months ago and I've had nothing but infections and problems ever since. The barbed threads ended up sticking out of my forehead (they feel more like wires). I have had to keep my hair pulled back and keep antibiotic gel on the open/unhealing "knots" ... what a mess. Next week I have to have surgery by a trained and very well qualified plastic surgeon to remove the threads. While my forehead and eyebrows look fine (I never thought they looked bad), the infections and pain were not worth the effort. We'll see how the plastic surgery goes.

[Nancy Nehlsen]

Wow, what a plastic surgery nightmare! There's a valuable lesson here: never have plastic surgery by anyone other than a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and always ask for references of other patients. I have actually been very happy with mine, although my plastic surgeon says he is not doing the procedure on many patients anymore. The bumps caused by the threads never go away. Fortunately mine are in places where they don't show unless you look really closely. I'm so sorry the procedure has been such a nightmare for you. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Carol]

Yes, you can go back to work but the bruising lasted me a couple of weeks. For at least six months I could feel the threads pulling if I smiled or put my hand on my face to prop on my pillow. One morning after three months I woke to find a black eye. One of the threads had moved or something.

Now the real sad news is I had 12 threads at 50 years old and six weeks later had eight more because it really didn't look that great. After the second bruising went away I looked good for about four months. After six months I could not tell anything had been done and my jowls were back and my neck sagged. I still feel the threads after two years and I am afraid after my skin thins with age you will be able to see them. I advise a mini face lift any day. It has much more of a promise of satisfaction. Threads are still trial and error. My plastic surgeon trained others on the procedure and even he has agreed it doesn't work and he no longer does it. Only a few were satisfied with it after he did many.

[jesda]

I checked out the treads before having them done.
Here's what I found in my research.....

They usually do not work well on the face itself. More problems than success stories. The under neck and lower jawline area, however, seemed to be what I was looking for. I had it done along with liposuction in the same area. I never had any discomfort and it was just as I hoped it would be. The downside I have heard from others, is the threads can be too tight, giving the patient a sensation of choking. I did not experience this but I suppose it is possible. But if you use a highly qualified Plastic Surgeon you should be fine. Too many unqualified physicians out there are doing procedures they had weekend courses in training to do. Do not use the treads on your face ... railroad lines and many "horror" stories I have seen first hand. Neck and lower jaw area only, please!!!