Sagging skin and skin laxity are part of the aging process. It’s only natural that gravity, stress, weight fluctuations, hormonal changes, and our own genetics take their toll on our skin over time. However, we can prevent and slow down the signs of aging with progressive, non-surgical procedures that work to build collagen over time, lift the tissue, and produce instantaneous results.

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jason Emer, a renowned facial and body sculpting expert, improves mild skin laxity and the early signs of sagging with Silhouette InstaLift, a state-of-the-art suturing technique that provides immediate lifting, tightening, and natural-looking contours with minimal downtime, without any scarring, and without surgical intervention. Silhouette InstaLift’s dissolvable sutures latch onto and lift the skin in areas of mild sagging, tightening loose and crepey skin while also stimulating collagen production long-term.

While Silhouette InstaLift is specifically designed for lifting in the midface — the cheeks, nasolabial folds (smile lines), and under the eyes — Dr. Emer uses thread lifting to achieve remarkable results throughout the body, particularly in those areas where energy-based treatments can provide only limited improvement:

• • Cheeks
• • Lip corners and marionette lines
• • Nasolabial folds / smile lines
• • Jowls and jawline
• • Forehead and brows
• • Neck
• • Breasts
• • Elbows
• • Knees
• • Buttocks

So what is thread lifting exactly?

Silhouette InstaLift uses threads made from resorbable sutures and bidirectional cones, which upon entering the skin provide immediate, subtle suspension to sagging tissue. InstaLift’s sugar-based cones are made from a material called poly-L-lactic / glycolic acid (PLLA and PLGA); as they dissolve into the tissue over weeks to months, the cones have a biostimulatory effect on the skin, producing long-term natural collagen production and gradual skin tightening benefits.

An alternative (or complement) to Silhouette InstaLift is NovaThreads, which are comprised of smooth, twisted, or barbed PDO (Polydioxanone) resorbable suture threads. PDO NovaThreads can treat and enhance various areas, such as the cheeks, jawline, and neck. One unique area Dr. Emer treats with NovaThreads is the lips; using twist threads along the border of the lip, Dr. Emer prompts immediate lift, plumping, and shaping and stimulates long-term collagen production. NovaThreads results typically last 6 to 9 months.

 

How does Dr. Emer do it differently?

Dr. Emer begins each thread lifting procedure by identifying, marking, and numbing the desired treatment areas. The absorbable InstaLift threads are attached to microscopic needles, which allows Dr. Emer to direct precisely where he wants the lifting and tightening to occur. Once the threads are inserted beneath the skin, he uses his fingers to activate the cones, which elevates and repositions the skin and provides a visible, “instant” lift to the underlying tissue. Over the course of the next few months, the sutures and cones are absorbed by the body as new collagen forms, further lifting the skin.

Additional threads can be added after 3 to 6 months if further improvement is desired. Depending on your unique needs, Dr. Emer will often combine Silhouette InstaLift thread lifting with:

• • NovaThreads for additional lift and shaping
• • injectable fillers for enhanced volume
• • Renuvion helium plasma radiofrequency for an improved Non-Surgical Facelift
• • external radiofrequency energy devices (such as Thermage, InMode BodyTite / FaceTite), ultrasound energy devices (such as Ultherapy), and microneedling RF devices (such as Fractora and Morpheus8) for enhanced skin tightening
• • fractional lasers such as Fraxel for further skin textural improvements
• • ablative lasers such as Erbium for skin resurfacing and enhanced collagen production
• • patient-tailored peels and skin care protocols

Silhouette InstaLift must be performed by an experienced provider like Dr. Jason Emer, an expert and pioneer in non-surgical procedures who knows how to use thread lifting techniques to obtain both lateral and vertical lift, create volume where desired, highlight signature facial features, and contour and reshape the face while maintaining a natural appearance.

Expertise, meticulous skill, and an artistic vision are essential to ensure proper placement of the threads at the right depths and to prevent contouring irregularities, lopsided smiles, rippled skin, or unintentional changes to facial balance or symmetry.

KNEE WRINKLES

To improve skin laxity in the knees, Dr. Emer uses Silhouette InstaLift or NovaThreads to eliminate sagging skin and build collagen over time. Significant improvement can be seen when thread lifting is combined with energy devices such as ThermiRF, Thermage, InMode BodyTite and Renuvion (radiofrequency energy) and Ultherapy (ultrasound); Microneedling RF such as Morpheus8, Fractora, and InMode Intensif; and Sculptra injections to help build collagen and further improve loose skin and wrinkles.

 

NON-SURGICAL BREAST LIFT

For patients looking for a non-surgical breast lift, Silhouette Instalift or NovaThreads can provide an instant, noticeable lift in the breast area and can further enhance the overall appearance of the breasts when combined with a fat transfer with platelet-rich plasma (PRP); Ultherapy ultrasound-based skin tightening; ThermiBreast RF treatments; non-invasive RF skin tightening with Thermage or BTL Exilis; and InMode BodyTite to prompt “shrink wrap” skin tightening.

 

NON-SURGICAL BUTTOCK LIFT

To improve a “saggy butt” without surgery, fat injections, or implants, Dr. Emer combines energy devices like ThermiRF, Thermage and Exilis Ultra with Sculptra injections and Silhouette Instalift (watch above), which corsets the buttock, lifts the skin and the roll to tighten the buttocks, and builds collagen long-term.

 

How long do the improvements last?

Silhouette InstaLift results generally peak at 6 months and can last up to 12 to 24 months. However, the collagen-building benefits of a thread lifting procedure provide long-term improvement. Individual results may vary and often more than one treatment is needed to obtain the best outcome.

Is it safe for everyone?

Yes, thread lifting is a safe treatment for all individuals pending a formal evaluation by an expert.

 

Am I a good candidate for thread lifting?

A formal evaluation by an experienced cosmetic dermatologist is needed to determine if you are a good candidate for thread lifting. Silhouette Instalift and NovaThreads are minimally invasive procedures, ideal for patients with early signs of aging who are looking for preventive maintenance that will slow the aging process. Patients with significant skin sagging and/or thin skin are not ideal candidates for thread lifting and may require surgical lifting to see their desired results.

In those instances, Dr. Emer teams up with his expert plastic surgeons: dual-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Farhad Ardeshirpour to perform facelifts and neck lifts, and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Cohen for transformative body lifts.

 

Is thread lifting painful?

Dr. Emer injects a local numbing solution into the area prior to treatment, so patients experience minimal to no pain. For the duration of this non-invasive procedure, patients are awake and able to see immediate results in real time.

 

What is the downtime?

While recovery varies depending on each patient’s unique conditions and the areas treated, the downtime after a Silhouette Instalift treatment is typically minimal. In some cases, patients may experience up to 2 to 4 weeks of bruising and swelling. Often a small amount of “dimpling” and/or “bunching” can occur for up to 2 to 4 weeks as the skin begins to tighten around and anchor with the newly inserted threads.

 

How do I schedule a Silhouette Instalift with Dr. Emer?

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Emer in Beverly Hills / Los Angeles / West Hollywood, California, please reach out to our concierge to schedule an appointment. Call 424-800-4140 or email us at appointments@jasonemermd.com.