Thread Lift
실리프팅 · also: 실리프팅, PDO threads, Mint lift
Fine absorbable threads placed under the skin to physically reposition sagging tissue and stimulate collagen along their path — a bigger step than energy lifting, short of surgery.
This breaks the skin or carries vascular/systemic risk, so a medical intake is required before treatment.
How it works
Barbed or cog threads (PDO, or longer-lasting PLLA/PCL) grip and lift tissue immediately, then dissolve over months while leaving behind new collagen. Best for jawline and cheek sagging that HIFU alone can't hold.
Thread · acts at 3–7 mm · deepest layer: SMAS
The fibrous support sheet a facelift surgeon tightens. Only deep ultrasound reaches it non-surgically.
Depths are indicative and vary by device, cartridge, body area and individual.
Thread
Absorbable barbed sutures are passed through the tissue plane and anchored, lifting mechanically and laying down collagen as they dissolve.
People choose this for
Products & devices used
Not all "Thread Lift" is the same — the specific brand or machine changes the price and the feel. Common options in Korea:
Absorbable barbed sutures that physically reposition tissue and stimulate collagen; results last 12–18 months.
Longer-lasting biostimulatory threads with a 24–36 month lifespan.
What it does
- ✓Immediate lift
- ✓Jawline definition
- ✓Collagen along the thread
Good for you if
- •Moderate sagging
- •Jowls / nasolabial
- •Wanting more than HIFU
Aftercare
- ✓Sleep face-up with your head elevated for about a week.
- ✓No wide mouth opening, dental work, facials or massage for two weeks.
- ✓Expect swelling and bruising for 5–10 days, and tightness when smiling.
- ✓Finish any antibiotics prescribed.
- ✓Report increasing pain, spreading redness or discharge immediately.
Not suitable if
- !Active infection or inflamed acne in the treatment area.
- !Keloid scarring tendency.
- !Autoimmune disease or immunosuppression.
- !Bleeding disorders or anticoagulant use.
- !Pregnancy.
- !Severe sagging that realistically needs a surgical lift.
FAQ
How many threads do I actually need?
For a real jawline or cheek lift, 4–10 barbed threads per side. Mono threads don't lift at all — they only stimulate collagen — so a cheap quote for ten mono threads is not a lift. This distinction is where most disappointment comes from.
What do PDO, PLLA and PCL mean?
The material, which sets how long it lasts. PDO dissolves in roughly 6–8 months with effects to 12–18; PLLA and PCL last longer, up to 24–36 months. Longer-lasting threads cost more and are harder to reverse if you dislike the result.
Is it immediate?
Yes, unusually for a lifting treatment — you see a lift on the table. Then swelling masks it for a week or two before the real result settles.
What can go wrong?
Dimpling or puckering at insertion points, visible or palpable thread ends, asymmetry, and occasionally infection. Most settle, but this is a technique-dependent procedure where the doctor matters much more than the thread brand.
Price range by care tier
Market ranges for reference — actual quotes depend on the clinic, doctor and area.
Before you compare quotes: what this price is actually per
- Thread lifts are sold per thread. A visible lift usually needs 4–10 per side, so a per-thread price is a fraction of the real total.
Per thread, which makes thread lifts the easiest treatment on any menu to under-budget. One Seoul list ran ₩50k for ten fine mono threads, ₩90k–120k per barbed Mint thread, and ₩2M for four heavy cog threads. A visible lift usually needs 4–10 barbed threads per side, so a per-thread price is a small fraction of the total. Always ask for the thread count and type.
- Local anaesthetic, in some clinics
- A follow-up visit if a thread needs adjusting
Won prices quoted above are from a dated reference price list for one Seoul clinic chain (2026-07-24), used to show the shape of pricing — not a national average, and not a quote. Prices include 10% VAT: the foreign-patient cosmetic VAT refund ended on 31 December 2025.
How it compares
Thread Lift beside the other Lifting & Tightening options travellers usually weigh against it.
| Comparison factor | Thread Lift실리프팅 | Ulthera울쎄라 | Shurink Universe슈링크 유니버스 | Thermage FLX써마지 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best at | Instant lift with dissolvable threads | The gold-standard ultrasound lift | The value-tier lifting favorite | Radiofrequency skin tightening |
| Depth reached | SMAS · 3–7 mm | SMAS · 1.5–4.5 mm | SMAS · 1.5–4.5 mm | Dermis · 1–3 mm |
| How it works | Thread | Focused ultrasound | Focused ultrasound | Monopolar radiofrequency |
| Downtime | 3–7 days | 0–1 days | 0–1 days | 0–1 days |
| Pain | gentlest | |||
| Visits for full result | 1 visit | 1 visit | 1–3 visits | 1 visit |
| Results last | 12–18 months (PDO) · 24–36 months (PLLA/PCL) | 12–18 months | 6–12 months | 12–24 months |
| Trip fit | One visit, plus recovery days to plan around | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days |
| Priced per | per thread | per shot | per shot | per shot |
| From | ₩300k–700k | ₩600k–1.2M | ₩150k–400k | ₩700k–1.3M |
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