Aptos Thread Lifting

Aptos thread lifting at Skinity Clinic is performed by MUDr. Martin Bortlík using the internationally recognised Aptos system — one of the most studied minimally invasive lifting methods in aesthetic medicine. Aptos threads are PDO or PLLA/PCL cog-barbed sutures inserted through tiny entry points under local anaesthetic to mechanically lift sagging facial tissue and stimulate collagen production around the thread scaffold. The technique is particularly effective for mid-face ptosis, jowl definition, neck laxity, and brow lifting. Unlike traditional surgical facelifts, thread lifting involves no general anaesthesia, no skin excision, and minimal social downtime — most patients return to work within 5–7 days. Results are immediate and continue to improve over 2–3 months as bio-stimulated collagen matures around the threads, lasting 18–24 months.

Thread lifting is a minimally invasive facial rejuvenation technique that uses barbed or smooth sutures inserted under the skin to mechanically reposition descended tissue and stimulate the body's own collagen-producing response. At Skinity Clinic, MUDr. Martin Bortlík — who lists Aptos certification as a core specialisation and has international training from Dubai and Switzerland — uses the Aptos thread system, widely regarded as the gold standard in European aesthetic medicine thread lifting. **How Aptos threads work:** Aptos threads are made from polydioxanone (PDO), poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), or a caprolactone-PLLA blend (PCL/PLLA). PDO threads dissolve within 4–6 months; PLLA/PCL threads persist 12–18 months. The barbed (cog) variants grip subcutaneous tissue and can be tensioned to lift the target zone. As threads dissolve, they trigger a foreign-body collagen response — fibroblasts lay down new collagen along the thread track, creating a long-lived fibrous scaffold that maintains the lifted position long after the thread itself has dissolved. The net biostimulation effect gives results that typically last 18–24 months. **Areas treated at Skinity:** Mid-face and cheek lift (nasolabial fold reduction, cheekbone re-projection), jowl and lower face lifting, neck banding and jawline definition, brow elevation (lateral brow lift), nasal tip refinement, and body thread applications (abdomen, arms, knees, buttocks contour). **The procedure step by step:** 1. Pre-treatment mapping — MUDr. Bortlík photographs and analyses facial vectors, skin thickness, and ptosis degree to plan thread placement and direction. 2. Local anaesthetic is infiltrated to the entry and exit points — the procedure is performed awake. 3. Threads are loaded onto fine cannulas or sharp needles and inserted through tiny (1–2 mm) entry points, typically hidden in the hairline, near the ear, or at the brow. 4. Once positioned, threads are tensioned to achieve the desired lift, excess cut flush, and entry points closed with minimal dressing. 5. Procedure time: 45–75 minutes depending on zones. **Immediate results:** Lifted tissue position is visible immediately post-procedure, though there will be swelling, minor bruising, and sometimes slight skin dimpling at the thread tracks for the first 5–10 days as the tissue settles. **Recovery:** Avoid wide mouth opening (hard foods, yawning) for 2 weeks; sleep on your back elevated for the first week; avoid massage, saunas, and facial treatments for 3–4 weeks; avoid dental work for 2 weeks. **Who benefits:** Patients aged 35–60 with mild-to-moderate skin laxity who want visible lifting results without surgical downtime. Not suited to patients with very thin, fragile skin, prior extensive surgery, or very advanced ptosis where surgical lifting would be the only effective option. **Combination approach:** MUDr. Bortlík often combines thread lifting with botulinum toxin (to relax depressor muscles that fight against the thread lift) and fillers or Profhilo (to restore volume alongside the mechanical lift) for a comprehensive rejuvenation result.