Percutaneous Thread Lift Facial Rejuvenation: Literature Review and Evidence-Based Analysis

Purpose: Interest in noninvasive facial rejuvenation procedures continues to grow. With the advent of the so-called lunch-time face-lift, suture suspension facial rejuvenation has gained prominence and much popularity largely patient driven rather than data driven. We have published a decade ago a review about this rejuvenation technique. Despite its popularity at that time, serious long-term studies and peer-reviewed data about longevity and patient satisfaction were lacking to our surprise. As 10 years have passed, we have conducted a new systematic PubMed database search limited to the last 10 years interval. Methods: The search identified 192 publications. After screening the titles and abstracts, 20 clinical and 2 experimental studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this review. Results: Though thread lift facial rejuvenation is considered to be a promising modality, no new evidence has been added to the literature to support its use. Conclusion: Until evidence-based efficacy and robust data are objectively documented, patients requesting percutaneous facial rejuvenation must be well informed about adverse events, longevity of effect, and limited available data on efficacy. Level of Evidence III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.