How long does a PDO thread lift last?

Results typically last 12 to 18 months, depending on factors such as skin quality and lifestyle. Patients experience both an immediate lifting effect from the threads repositioning tissue and a gradual improvement in firmness as the threads dissolve and stimulate new collagen production, so results can continue developing for a period after treatment.

Are PDO threads safe?

PDO threads have been used in medical procedures for many years and are generally well-tolerated when placed by an experienced, physician-led provider. The polydioxanone material is designed to dissolve safely in the body over time. As with any minimally invasive procedure, following pre- and post-treatment guidance helps minimize risk and support the best possible outcome.

What areas can a PDO thread lift treat?

A PDO thread lift is commonly used for areas such as the cheeks, jawline, neck, and brows, and is especially helpful for lifting and improving definition in areas with mild to moderate sagging. Dr. Chow will evaluate your specific areas of concern during a consultation to determine the best thread placement for your goals.

What is recovery like after a PDO thread lift?

Patients may experience mild swelling, bruising, or tightness for a few days after a PDO thread lift, with most able to return to normal activities shortly after treatment. Because the procedure uses a thin needle or cannula rather than surgical incisions, recovery is generally quicker and more comfortable than surgical facelift alternatives.

How does a PDO thread lift compare to surgical options?

A PDO thread lift provides a less invasive alternative to a surgical facelift, with a shorter recovery time, but results are more subtle and shorter-lived compared to surgery. It can be a good option for patients with mild to moderate sagging who aren't ready for surgery, or who want to maintain results between more significant procedures.

Is a PDO thread lift painful?

A PDO thread lift is performed using a thin needle or cannula, typically with local anesthesia to keep patients comfortable throughout the procedure. Most patients describe the sensation as mild pressure or pulling rather than significant pain, and any post-treatment tightness or discomfort is generally manageable and resolves within a few days.

Who is a good candidate for a PDO thread lift?

Good candidates for a PDO thread lift are patients with mild to moderate sagging in the cheeks, jawline, neck, or brows who want a lifting effect without surgery. It's well suited to those seeking a natural-looking improvement in facial contour with a shorter recovery than a surgical facelift. Dr. Chow will confirm candidacy based on your skin quality and goals during a consultation.

How much does a PDO thread lift cost?

The cost of a PDO thread lift depends on the number of threads used and the areas treated. Because every treatment plan is customized to the patient's anatomy and goals, pricing is confirmed during a consultation with Dr. Chow's team.

Physician-led thread lifts

PDO Thread Lift for a Defined Jawline in Lee’s Summit, MO

First the wrinkle relaxers softened your lines, then filler brought back some volume, yet your jawline still looks softer in every photo? That’s because neither one lifts skin that has started to sag. In Lee’s Summit, Amy Chow, MD, our founding physician, plans a subtle PDO thread lift and places every thread herself.

(816) 600-6236 · You’re welcome to call Amy Chow, MD Rejuvenation Practice first with any question, including what things cost.

Who places the threads

Dr. Chow herself

The threads

dissolvable PDO sutures, which the FDA regulates as a medical device

Recovery

most people are presentable in three to five days

What a PDO Thread Lift Can Do for Early Jowls and a Softening Jawline

You might recognize yourself here:

You catch your jawline in a photo, and it’s lost its edge.

People ask if you’re tired when you feel fine.

You’ve had the injections, and your lines are smoother, but nothing has lifted.

You’d like a firmer jawline, but you’re not ready for a facelift.

A PDO thread lift uses thin, dissolvable threads with tiny barbs along them. Placed through a few small entry points, they catch sagging skin and tissue and hold it a little higher.

You may notice:

A subtle lift for early jowls, cheeks that have started to drop, and brows, for a smoother, better-defined jawline
Healthier, firmer-looking skin, as the threads stimulate collagen while they dissolve
Some of the lift right away, with your look settling over the next few weeks
A short recovery, with local numbing and small entry points instead of real incisions
Natural-looking results that still look like you, from threads that dissolve on their own

Six months after barbed PDO threads, 97% of the 60 people in one study were satisfied, and 80% to 100% were rated as improved.

How a Thread Lift Works, and Who It Suits

Threads aren’t right for every face, and Dr. Chow would rather tell you so up front. Her care starts from honest recommendations: she looks at your face, may take photos, and tells you plainly whether threads fit or another option would do more.

The lift is subtle, a few millimeters, so threads suit early to moderate sagging. With heavier sagging, a facelift does more.

How much your skin has loosened matters more than your age. And because the threads dissolve, the lift is temporary.

How do threads lift jowls and a softening jawline?

Barbed threads are placed in the layer just under your skin. They catch the sagging tissue and hold it lifted toward your hairline, for a smoother, better-defined jawline.

What can threads do for cheeks that have started to drop?

Threads placed in the cheek’s fat layer hold it a little higher for a time.

Can threads lift sagging brows?

Yes. Sagging brows are among the concerns a thread lift treats, with the same barbed threads catching the tissue and holding it a little higher.

How do threads make skin look firmer?

As the threads dissolve, they stimulate collagen in your skin, which helps it look healthier and firmer over time.

What sets threads apart from what you’ve tried:

They lift rather than fill. Filler adds volume and wrinkle relaxers soften lines from muscle movement, while threads lift tissue that has started to sag.
You get two effects in one: a lift where the threads sit, and collagen as they dissolve.
Nothing is permanent. The threads dissolve completely over about six to eight months, and the lift can be repeated.

PDO Thread Lift, Filler, or a Facelift: How They Compare

	PDO thread lift	Filler	Surgical facelift
What it does	Lifts early sagging a few millimeters	Restores lost volume	Lifts and repositions tissue, removes excess skin
Results and recovery	Some lift at once; presentable in 3 to 5 days	Results show at once	Usually 2 to 3 weeks of recovery
How long it lasts	Temporary, up to about a year	Months to years, depending on the filler	Often 10 years or more

Searching for a non-surgical face lift? There’s no true nonsurgical equivalent to a facelift.

Dr. Chow also offers filler and Sculptra, a collagen-stimulating injectable FDA-approved for facial wrinkles, including the lines from nose to mouth. For the neck, she performs the MyEllevate neck lift, and for the body, she places PDO body threads.

PDO Thread Lift Recovery, From Your Visit Through the First Week

It starts with your consultation. Dr. Chow looks at your face, hears what you’d like changed, and plans each thread.

Next, she numbs the area with local anesthesia.

Then she places the threads through small entry points. Most people feel pressure and tugging rather than pain, and some lift shows right away.

The first days bring swelling, bruising, irritation, and soreness. Opening your mouth wide can be uncomfortable for a while, and final healing takes a few weeks.

For the first week or so, go gently: no rubbing or massaging your face, no facials, no strenuous exercise, and sleeping on your back, head raised. Your own instructions come from Dr. Chow.

Have an event coming up? Call to plan your timing.

Dr. Chow, the Lee’s Summit Physician Who Places Every Thread Herself

Dr. Chow earned her medical degree at Shanghai Medical College, then trained in anesthesiology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She has been licensed as a physician in Missouri since 2000.

Since 2018, she’s been the owner and medical director, does the injections, hormone care, and minimally invasive procedures herself, and supervises the team.

PDO threads are part of that work. She plans every lift and places every thread, with one aim: bringing out your natural beauty, never handing you a different face.

What Patients Say About Their PDO Thread Lift Results With Dr. Chow

★★★★★

What Decides Your PDO Thread Lift Cost

What you’ll pay comes down to how many threads your face needs and which areas you treat.

Dr. Chow sets both with you at your consultation. You get full, transparent pricing for your plan before you decide anything.

You’re welcome to call before you book, too. We’ll give you the consultation’s current fee and terms, and answer any other question about cost.

If it helps to spread the cost, you can apply for a CareCredit payment plan, a Cherry payment plan, or PatientFi patient financing.

Common Questions About PDO Thread Lifts

Book Your PDO Thread Lift Consultation in Lee’s Summit

Your first step is a conversation, not a commitment. Dr. Chow looks at your face, tells you honestly whether threads will give you the lift you’re after, and if they will, she places every one herself.

Questions first? Call about a PDO thread lift.

(816) 600-6236

Ready? Book your thread lift consultation online.

Not ready to call or book? Send us your question about thread lifts.

Send a question through our contact form.

LOCATION & HOURS

Visit the Practice

Practice

Amy Chow, MD Rejuvenation Practice

ADDRESS

296 NE Tudor Rd, Lee's Summit, MO 64086

CONTACT

(816) 600-6236

Accessibility

A curb ramp at the entrance, one accessible parking spot by the door, and an accessible restroom.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Areas We Serve

Patients come to our Lee’s Summit office from these communities: