Thread lifts vs Ulthera – real life tips for considering which non-surgical jaw defining and lifting treatment is best for you by Deborah Vine at Karidis Clinic
The X-Files actress Gillian Anderson is officially my icon. She has a beautifully defined jawline and her appearances in The Fall and War and Peace recently spurred me to examine my own facial profile.
Despite me feeling fabulous at 50 and overjoyed at celebrating the birth of my first grandchild, my lower face continues to defy me. The jawline is giving in to gravity and creating strange puffy jowels that pull the corners of my mouth down.
Not quite brave enough for surgery I explored the non surgical options and the two that presented themselves as giving the most effective results were ultherapy by Ulthera and PDO thread treatments.
Both were similar in cost and displayed subtle yet noticeable results and were a very good path to follow as I had ruled out surgery. Not wanting to do this by halves I decided to try both!
Having had both procedures, here are my top 5 tips to consider:
1) How are you with needles?
There are lots of insertions with the thread lift treatment whereas Ulthera has a piece of equipment that delivers energy into the skin. I do not have a problem with needles however I watched the treatment being carried out on someone who found it very disturbing and who preferred the Ulthera treatment because of this.
2) Are you ok with anaesthesia / pain killers?
The threads treatment requires a topical anaesthetic so you need to consider if you have an allergy to anaesthetic? Painkillers are administered for the Ulthera treatment and gas and air can be used during this treatment.
3) Can you take time off work post treatment?
There can be swelling and bruising after both of these treatments however I Â needed more time to recover from threads due to a lot of swelling and bruising. Â With Ulthera I went back to work straight afterwards and although I had a blush tone to my skin no one knew I’d had a treatment.
4) Pain vs Invasiveness
What is your preference? For me the Ulthera was definitely the more painful of the two treatments although it was tolerable with pain killers which can be administered. Â The thread treatment is more invasive however I did not find it painful only strange sensations occasionally. Â If you chose this option make sure you arrive in plenty of time to apply plenty of anaesthetic cream and equally for the Ulthera to take painkillers in time for them to kick in.
5) When would you like to see a difference?
I saw immediate results in jaw tightening with both treatments however the threads show results over the course of three months whereas Ulthera continues to work up to 12 months.
In summary I have enjoyed great results from both treatments and was fortunate enough to experience both at Karidis clinic where I work. Â My jaw is not quite as tight as Gillian Anderson’s however I have since been told she is two years younger than me. This news brings a smile to my face which gives me the last little lift I needed and of course, truly reflects how I am feeling inside.
For more information about Ulthera visit our Ultherapy treatment page or contact Karidis clinic for a complimentary appointment 020 7432 8727
