For years, people didn’t have much of a choice if they were unhappy with how certain parts of their face looked. They could either undergo expensive and invasive surgical procedures, or they could do nothing at all.
Today, much has changed in the world of aesthetic medicine, with multiple safe and effective non-surgical alternatives to things such as the facelift, rhinoplasty and lip lifting.
At the head of this class of non-surgical procedures are PDO threads, which are essentially dissolvable sutures that have been used for years in medical procedures. These PDO threads have been proven to achieve amazing results for people in a variety of applications, including the lips, neck, cheeks, forehead, nose and more.
There are many advantages that PDO threads provide over surgical procedures and other non-surgical options.
One of the best parts about PDO threads are that there are a few different types, with each serving a specific purpose for a specific desired result. Below, we’ll discuss the difference between smooth threads and lifting or barbed threads.
Smooth threads are dissolvable sutures without barbs, while barbed threads are tasked with lifting skin and tissue, smooth threads have a different purpose — they stimulate the production of collagen.
Medically reviewed by: Elizabeth Williams RN
Updated: 5/28/2024
What Are PDO Threads?
First, it’s important to briefly discuss more about PDO threads themselves. As mentioned, these are dissolvable sutures that are inserted into the skin to produce a desired result — whether that be a lift, a tightening or something else.;
The sutures themselves are made of material that is synthetic yet biocompatible called polydioxanone. This means that the body is able to break them down naturally, and they don’t have to be removed, unlike traditional stitches.
PDO threads have actually been used in surgical procedures for decades now. It’s only until relatively recently did they gain popularity in the U.S. for non-surgical aesthetic medicine procedures.
There are different types of PDO threads, and each has a specific purpose, based on what a patient’s desired outcome is. The two main ones are smooth threads and lifting or barbed threads. We’ll discuss them more below.
What Are Lifting or Barbed Threads?
Lifting threads are sometimes called barbed threads because they have barbs. When inserted into the skin, these barbs grip the tissues, which helps in lifting the skin as desired. That’s why all lifting threads have barbs on them.
Not all barbed threads are the same, though. There are two main kinds of these threads — cut barbs and molded barbs.
The main usage of both of these types of barbed threads is lifting tissue. That’s because of the job that the barbs do, as we describe below.
What Are Cut Barbs?
The design of the cut barb includes the core of the threads themselves, which makes them degrade at a rate that’s faster than if the threads weren’t cut. As a result, this ends up lowering the threads’ tensile strength, which is what is needed for a strong lift.
In addition, cut barbs are more likely to break if they aren’t able to hold how much tissue they’re being asked to hold up.
That being said, cut barbs aren’t bad. They were the first main type of PDO thread that hit the market. And like many products, new technologies led to more robust innovation, which resulted in an improved product.
What Are Molded Barbs?
With molded barb sutures, the barbs are separately created and then molded right onto the suture’s core. Doing this helps to uphold the integrity of the suture through the process and afterward, which ensures that the tensile strength isn’t compromised, nor is the degradation rate.
The barbs on molded barb sutures are separately manufactured instead of being carved right from the actual suture. This allows developers to have additional control of the barbs’ shape.
The barbs are molded on the surface of the threads in a way that allows for practitioners to achieve the optimal lifting results.
What Are Smooth Threads?
As you might be able to guess, smooth threads are dissolvable sutures without barbs. While barbed threads are tasked with lifting skin and tissue, smooth threads have a different purpose — they stimulate the production of collagen.
When smooth PDO threads are inserted into the skin, the body is alerted that a foreign substance is present. To “remedy the problem” — or to break down the threads, in other words — the body begins to produce more collagen in the area.
This is the end result that is desired here, because collagen helps to tighten skin and build volume as it works with tissue surrounding the area. In turn, this helps to improve the elasticity, firmness and texture of the skin.
Because of this, smooth threads are used most often on areas where the main goal of the procedure is to improve the texture of skin and/or rejuvenate the look of the skin. The most common areas where these are used include the under the eyes, under the chin and the forehead.
Get the Best PDO Threads from V Soft Lift
One of the most important aspects of the success of a PDO thread lift is the provider of the PDO threads themselves. V Soft Lift is one of the most respected and reliable producers of PDO threads in the world.
We offer Mono PDO threads and Barb Star PDO threads, in addition to many other accessories. To learn everything you need to know about PDO threads, and how to work with V Soft Lift, contact us today.