Contour thread lift is one of the latest developments in plastic surgery, and the noninvasive, short recovery procedure is expected to become one of the most popular cosmetic choices today. Intended as a nonsurgical alternative to a facelift, a contour thread lift does not require anesthesia, which causes a long downtime, and the lift can be adjusted based on the patient's preference and feedback. Patients that are uncomfortable with being under anesthesia for cosmetic surgery, or who have just begun seeing early stages of facial aging may be able to benefit from what contour thread lift can offer. the ideal candidate for a thread lift is forty five and younger and still have pretty good skin elasticity.

It works like this. After making tiny incisions along the hairline, the plastic surgeon inserts needles threaded with barbed sutures, which have little cogs that are able to grab the skin once in place. The skin is able to, as a result, slide into a desired position while a patient can look in a mirror and direct the plastic surgeon. He may use a few threads or a dozen to create a supportive net in the face underneath the skin. The threads are deep under the skin and invisible on the surface. What's more, new collagen grows around the threads, making the skin even tighter as months go by. The whole procedure takes less than an hour, which is how it got the name "lunch hour facelift".

There are possible side effects, including bruising, swelling, infection and bleeding. Also, dimpling, asymmetry, the chance that a thread will come undone and poke out of its' entry hole, a thread can break, or a thread can be seen or felt under the skin. In all of these instances the thread will have to be removed.

Thread lifts can cost from $1,500 to $4,500. These costs vary based on the extent of the procedure and the expertise of your surgeon. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that in 2006 the national average physician fee for thread lifts was $2,443.

Personally, I think the results are subtle, but very nice without the obvious 'had work done' look.

Here are some before and after photos.