Thread Lifting — Aptos Threads

Thread lifting at S-thetics Beauty uses Aptos medical-grade biodegradable threads to achieve a non-surgical face lift — creating immediate mechanical tissue elevation while simultaneously stimulating new collagen production over the following months. MDDr. Darina Šanšašvili places the threads under local anaesthesia, meaning there is no general anaesthesia and minimal downtime compared to surgical lifting. Aptos threads (manufactured in Russia, widely used across European aesthetic medicine) are made from polylactic acid or polydioxanone copolymers — materials that are absorbed by the body over twelve to eighteen months, leaving behind a scaffold of newly formed collagen. Areas treatable at S-thetics Beauty include the full face, facial contours, jawline and neck, nose (non-surgical rhinoplasty), upper lip (bullhorn lift), outer brows (foxy eyes), and eyebrows. The lift is visible immediately after the procedure and continues to improve over three months as collagen remodelling progresses.

Thread lifting occupies a clinical niche between injectable fillers and surgical face-lifts: more structural correction than fillers alone, without the anaesthesia, incisions, or recovery of surgery. The technique places barbed or notched threads beneath the skin; the barbs anchor to the tissue and allow the practitioner to physically reposition the overlying fat and skin to a higher, more youthful position. As the threads dissolve over twelve to eighteen months, the repositioned tissue is supported by new collagen fibres — the result of the controlled tissue trauma stimulating the body's wound-healing response. At S-thetics Beauty, the Aptos thread system is used exclusively. Aptos (Advanced Polydioxanone Thread Systems) is a well-established European aesthetic thread brand with a range covering different thread thicknesses, barb configurations, and lengths for different anatomical applications. The threads are made from absorbable copolymers — most commonly polydioxanone (PDO) alone or blended with other absorbable polymers — and carry all applicable CE and medical device certifications. MDDr. Darina Šanšašvili performs all thread lift procedures herself. Her medical background includes oral and maxillofacial anatomy as a core competency (an area of training directly relevant to the facial tissue planes in which threads are placed), along with postgraduate aesthetic training at the Instituto Javier de Benito, Barcelona — where thread techniques are taught as part of the facial aesthetics curriculum. The procedure begins with topical and infiltration local anaesthesia to the treatment areas, making the insertion comfortable. A cannula or needle is used to guide each thread through the subcutaneous plane at the correct depth; the barbs are engaged by gentle traction to create the lift before the thread is anchored. Multiple threads may be placed per area to achieve the desired degree of correction. The session typically takes sixty to ninety minutes. Some swelling and bruising in the first three to five days is expected and resolves without treatment. The full facial lifting protocol targets the middle and lower face, elevating descended cheek tissue, softening the nasolabial folds by lifting the tissue above rather than filling from below, and redefining the jaw border. The jawline and submental protocol specifically addresses the neck-jaw angle and early jowling. The bullhorn lift places threads to elevate the upper lip margin, a technique analogous to the surgical 'bullhorn' lip lift procedure but without incisions. Foxy eyes via thread lifting (lateral canthopexy) elevates the outer canthus and tail of the brow to create the elongated, upswept eye shape. Non-surgical rhinoplasty with threads is a distinct technique from the filler-based approach: PDO threads are placed along the nasal bridge or tip to provide structural support and very subtle reshaping — an option particularly relevant where cartilage support rather than volume is the primary need. Results are visible immediately after the procedure, typically improving over four to eight weeks as inflammation resolves and collagen synthesis accelerates. The structural correction lasts twelve to twenty-four months, after which a repeat treatment is needed to maintain the result. Contraindications include active infection at the treatment site, current anticoagulant medication, known PDO or polylactic acid allergy, autoimmune connective tissue disorders (which affect collagen remodelling), pregnancy, and a history of significant keloid scarring. Clients on isotretinoin or systemic corticosteroids should discuss suitability at consultation.