After care
Immediately After Treatment (First Few Hours)
Expected Immediate Reactions
- Significant swelling (completely normal and expected)
- Redness at insertion points
- Bruising may begin developing
- Tenderness and mild to moderate pain
- Face may feel tight and uncomfortable
- Threads may feel like foreign material under skin (normal)
- Possible slight dimpling or irregularities (temporary)
Immediate Care
Ice Application:
- Apply ice immediately to reduce swelling
- Wrap ice pack in clean cloth
- Apply for 10-15 minutes
- Rest 20-30 minutes
- Repeat 3-4 times during first 2-4 hours
- Reduces swelling and provides pain relief
Head Position:
- Keep head elevated with multiple pillows
- Elevation crucial for swelling management
- Reduces swelling dramatically
- Continue elevated head position for week
Pain Management:
- Acetaminophen acceptable for pain
- Avoid NSAIDs for first 48 hours (can increase bruising)
- Most discomfort manageable
- Pain typically improves over first week
Rest:
- Rest for remainder of day
- Minimal facial movement
- Avoid talking excessively
- Keep face at rest to minimize thread movement
Days 1-3: Acute Swelling Phase
Expected Changes
- Swelling peaks at 24-48 hours (completely normal)
- Swelling can be quite significant
- Bruising develops at insertion points
- Overall facial tightness
- Threads may be palpable under skin
- May feel foreign object sensations (normal)
- Difficulty sleeping due to discomfort possible
- Temporary facial asymmetry from swelling
Why So Much Swelling?
- Threads are foreign material; body responds with inflammation
- Multiple small insertion points create cumulative swelling
- This swelling is healing response, not complication
- Swelling is temporary and will completely resolve
- Swelling actually helps thread integration
Swelling Management (Critical)
Ice Application:
- Continue ice: 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times daily
- Continue for first 3-5 days
- Essential for controlling swelling
Elevation:
- Sleep with 3-4 pillows
- Keep head elevated constantly when resting
- Gravity increases swelling; elevation reduces it
- Most important factor for swelling control
- Continue for full week minimum
Activity Restrictions:
- Absolutely no strenuous activity
- No exercise or intense movement
- No bending over or inverting head
- Minimal talking (facial movement dislodges threads)
- Minimal eating (jaw movement)
- Keep facial movement to absolute minimum
- Critical for proper thread positioning
Avoid Heat:
- No sauna, steam room, hot shower
- Avoid warm compresses
- Heat dramatically increases swelling
- No hot beverages
- Keep environment cool
Sleep Position:
- Sleep on back only
- Use 3-4 pillows for elevation
- Avoid stomach or side sleeping (pressure on threads)
- Maintain elevated position
- Comfortable sleep challenging; try to rest
Eating and Speaking
- Stick to soft foods
- Avoid talking excessively (causes jaw movement)
- Chew very minimally
- Avoid hot foods and drinks
- Eating on opposite side of face if possible
- Minimize facial movement in general
Medication
- Continue acetaminophen as needed
- Avoid NSAIDs for first 48-72 hours
- Some clinicians recommend avoiding NSAIDs for full week
- Antibiotics if prescribed; take as directed
- Avoid blood thinners if possible
Bruising
- Bruising at insertion points expected
- Bruising develops days 1-3
- Use Vitamin K cream if available
- Use prescribed bruise cream if provided
- Do not pick at insertion points
- Bruising resolves over 1-2 weeks
Sensation Changes
- Numbness or tingling around threads (normal)
- Unusual sensations from thread manipulation (normal)
- Temporary nerve irritation from thread placement
- All sensations resolve within days to weeks
- Not nerve damage; temporary irritation
Days 4-7: Swelling Reduction and Thread Integration
Key Changes in Appearance
- Swelling begins noticeably decreasing
- Threads feel slightly less foreign
- Bruising changes colors (darkens then yellows)
- Redness fades
- Improvement becoming visible despite remaining swelling
- Lifting effect becoming apparent
Continued Swelling Management
- Continue ice application if helpful
- Continue elevation while sleeping
- Gradually reduce activity restrictions
- Light walking acceptable starting day 5-7
- Continue avoiding strenuous activity
- Continue avoiding heat
Facial Movement
- Can gradually increase facial movement
- Avoid excessive movement still
- Avoid very wide smiling or laughing
- Avoid activities that dramatically change facial expressions
- Minimize jaw movement from chewing
- Continue gentle approach
Eating
- Gradually introduce more substantial foods
- Avoid very hard or chewy foods
- Still favor soft foods
- Continue eating carefully
- Avoid foods requiring extensive chewing
Speaking
- Can gradually increase talking
- Avoid excessive talking initially
- Avoid loud talking or yelling
- Avoid activities requiring dramatic facial expressions
- Minimize facial movement for full week
Sleeping Position
- Continue sleeping on back with elevation
- Continue for minimum 1-2 weeks
- Head elevation critical for proper thread position
- Extra pillows important
Pain and Discomfort
- Discomfort gradually improving
- Soreness may persist (similar to muscle soreness)
- Tenderness around insertion points normal
- Pain improves over week
Week 2-4: Thread Integration Phase
Major Changes
- Swelling significantly resolved (70-80% improvement)
- Bruising mostly fading
- Threads feeling like part of facial structure
- Redness completely faded
- Improvement clearly visible
- Face looking lifted and tightened
Results Becoming Apparent
- Jawline definition improved
- Cheekbones appear lifted
- Overall face appearance lifted
- Tightening effect evident
- Significant improvement compared to before treatment
- Results exceeding expectations common
Activity Resumption
- Light exercise resumable starting day 7-10
- Full exercise routine resumable after 2 weeks if healing proceeding
- Sauna and steam room still restricted initially
- Swimming resumable starting week 2 (threads are under skin)
- Gradually increase activity intensity
- Gentle approach first week post-exercise resumption
Facial Movement
- Can return to normal facial movements
- Can smile normally
- Can laugh normally
- Can sleep on sides if desired (after week 2)
- No restrictions on facial expression
Eating
- Can return to normal eating
- All foods resumable
- No chewing restrictions after week 2
- Normal diet resumed
Thread Sensations
- Threads continue settling
- May still feel palpable (normal, especially initially)
- Sensations gradually decrease
- Thread awareness decreases over weeks/months
- Most people eventually forget threads are present
Sleeping Position
- Can resume sleeping in any position after week 2
- Back sleeping still preferred if possible
- No absolute restrictions but back position gentler
Skincare
- Can resume normal cleansing
- Can resume makeup
- Gentle approach to face still recommended
- Avoid aggressive washing or exfoliation
- Can introduce other skincare products
Swelling Timeline
- Majority of swelling resolves weeks 1-2
- Residual mild swelling may persist week 3-4
- Complete resolution by week 4
- Final appearance achieved when swelling completely resolved
Weeks 4-8: Thread Settling and Collagen Stimulation
Expected Progressive Changes
- Threads fully integrated
- Results stable and maintaining
- New collagen production beginning
- Progressive improvement possible
- Skin firmness may continue improving
- Results plateau and then remain stable
Collagen Phase
- Threads stimulate collagen growth around them
- Takes weeks for collagen to form
- Progressive improvement over months possible
- Additional lifting possible from collagen formation
- Improvement beyond mechanical thread lifting
Activity
- Full exercise routine fully resumed
- All activities fully resumed
- Sauna and swimming fully acceptable
- No remaining restrictions
- Normal life fully resumed
Return to All Activities
- Can return to all sports and activities
- Contact sports acceptable (unlikely to injure threads)
- Threads are stable and not easily disrupted
- No special precautions remaining
- Results stable with normal activity
Results Plateau
- Most dramatic improvement achieved by week 4
- Results plateau and remain stable
- Progressive collagen improvement may add subtle enhancement
- Results steady and long-lasting
- Threads gradually dissolve and are replaced by collagen
Complications and Special Situations
Dimpling or Irregularity
- Sometimes visible small dimples where threads enter
- Usually resolve as swelling reduces
- Most resolve completely by week 2-3
- Rarely persist; contact clinic if concerning
- Not affecting final results
- Usually only visible to wearer
Palpable Threads
- Threads may feel bumpy under skin initially
- Completely normal
- Sensation gradually decreases
- Most people stop being aware of threads
- Can become palpable again if significant weight loss occurs
- Not concerning or problematic
Visible Threads
- Threads should not be visible (unless at insertion points initially)
- If visible, contact clinic for evaluation
- Usually not an issue
- Insertion point markings fade quickly
Asymmetrical Results
- Slight asymmetry possible initially
- Usually balances out as swelling resolves
- May require adjustment or additional threads if significant
- Plan for touch-up session if needed
- Not emergency but worth discussing with doctor
Thread Migration
- Very rare with proper technique
- May be palpable in new location if occurs
- Contact clinic if suspected
- Thread material is safe; no emergency
- May require touch-up or repositioning
Infection
- Extremely rare (threads are inert)
- Signs: increasing pain, pus, extreme warmth, fever
- Contact clinic immediately if suspected
- Usually requires thread removal
- Antibiotics if appropriate
- Prevention better; keep area clean
Facial Nerve Irritation
- Temporary sensations from thread placement
- May cause slight facial movement asymmetry temporarily
- Usually resolves completely
- No permanent effects
- Contact clinic if severe or persistent
Results Duration and Maintenance
How Long Do Results Last?
- PDO threads: 6-9 months (dissolve and absorb)
- PLLA threads: 12-18 months (slower dissolution)
- Collagen formed around threads provides lasting support
- Results gradually fade as threads dissolve
- Some improvement may remain from collagen stimulation
- Maintenance sessions every 12-18 months extend results
Progressive Improvement Over Time
- Results from threads immediately visible
- Additional improvement from collagen over months
- Cumulative effects from multiple thread sessions
- Each treatment builds on previous results
- More threads or more sessions = more dramatic results
When to Contact Your Clinic
Contact immediately if experiencing:
- Severe pain unrelieved by medication
- Signs of infection (pus, fever, extreme warmth)
- Thread breaking through skin
- Severe or worsening swelling after day 3
- Severe asymmetry or distortion of facial features
- Facial weakness or nerve symptoms
- Any concerning or unexpected symptoms