The FeatherLift™ (Feather Lift) - Facial Lifting with Aptos Threads

While we may forget our age for a while, it only takes a quick look in the mirror to notice our faces really have changed since our younger years. Gravity of course has a big influence on this as does tissue laxity, and loss of volume. Still you may not be ready for surgery. This non-surgical (and minimally) invasive procedure was invented in 1999 by a Russian cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Marlen Sulamanidze.

The procedure actually involves facial lifting, (not pulling) which is done with Aptos threads. The Aptos threads are made of a monofilament material call "polypropylene". These threads are designed with directional cogs. Once inserted under the skin, the Aptos thread cog will form a permanent support structure for the tissue of the face, actually lifting and contouring it. Nasolabial lines (smile lines) will lessen as the patient's cheeks are raised and their jowls retracted.

The Feather Lift can also be used to raise the brow and pull back the neck. The Feather Lift is useful for patients with drooping soft tissue of the face and neck, those with weakly pronounced aesthetic contours, younger people with flaccid or flat faces, and for people with premature aged faces and necks. The lifting effect is at its peak several months later when the collagen has formed around the threads.

In all cases, the Feather Lift can achieve uniform gathering and even lifting of the soft tissues for a new volumetric contour of the face. After the Feather Lift the patient may return to work as early as the next day, although there may be minimal swelling and there is always a chance of bruising.

The Feather lift procedure is performed under local anesthesia in about 45 minutes. Best of all, unlike conventional face lifts, they leave no scars. The recuperation takes a maximum of 72 hours. The result is almost immediate and the cost of the procedure is about half that of a conventional surgical face lift.

The 'Feather Lift' can easily remove 5 to 15 years from your apparent age depending on your current physiognomy and is well suited to patients aged between 30 and 45 with fairly good skin elasticity but beginning to notice the affects of the years, even those with moderate sagging, jowls, sun damage or hollow cheeks. Patients with very loose or "scraggy" neck, are not suitable. The limitations of a Feather Lift are that the procedure merely redistributes existing skin to create more even contours, whereas a facelift removes the excess tissue and is longer lasting.