DIY PDO Thread Lifts: The Risks and Empowerment
If you inquire of content creator Nikki Gibson Mayne how she maintains a fresh-faced appearance at 55, she's eager to reveal one of her secrets: thread lifts. For several months, Gibson Mayne has been employing PDO threads to enhance her skin. The absorbable threads, inserted through and beneath the skin, aim to lift sagging areas and stimulate collagen production. According to enthusiasts, they yield prompt outcomes. "I have witnessed notable enhancements in my fine lines, particularly around my lips, beneath my eyes, and in my nasolabial folds," she remarks.
Unlike the majority of individuals using PDO threads, Gibson Mayne doesn't visit a medical facility for her treatment. Rather, she performs it herself at home, ordering supplies online from South Korea and meticulously threading the dissolvable sutures beneath her skin. As a part of the small but expanding do-it-yourself beauty community, Gibson Mayne is entirely self-taught, having studied medical textbooks and watched online training videos by doctors. "After my extensive exploration, I decided to commence practice with the smallest threads beneath my eyes, above my lips, and under my chin," she states. "Like any activity, the more I practiced, the more assured I felt about using longer threads and needles." Currently, she shares videos of her DIY threads and other aesthetic procedures on her YouTube channel, Skin Deep Beauty.
Although PDO threads have existed for some time, they have emerged as a beauty phenomenon over the past year, with Google searches more than doubling since November 2024. Perhaps it's because PDO thread lifts offer an enticing possibility: a smoother and more lifted complexion without undergoing surgical procedures. And for DIY enthusiasts like Gibson Mayne, the DIY approach provides a means to achieve these results without spending thousands of dollars in a medical office. "I relish being empowered to care for my own skin and carry out these operations on myself in the comfort of my home," she asserts.
While the DIY beauty community is passionate about at-home PDO thread treatments, doctors are alarmed. "Undertaking any form of manipulation on or beneath your skin by yourself is generally an unwise decision," says Dr. Ben Talei, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. "The likelihood of a favorable outcome is nearly nonexistent." Dr. Talei points out that inserting needles into one's face poses the risk of hitting large-caliber blood vessels, which can lead to vascular issues.
Nevertheless, that risk is relatively minor compared to the threat of infection. Threads, like any other treatment that punctures the skin, create the potential for bacteria to enter and persist for the lifespan of the dissolvable thread or longer. "The notion of someone undertaking this in their bedroom or bathroom is truly terrifying," remarks Dr. Sarmela Sunder, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon also in Beverly Hills. "In an office setting, some practitioners perform thread procedures in a procedure room rather than an exam room because the procedure room is more sterile. There's simply no way people can achieve sterility in their homes."
The consequences of infections are decidedly unpleasant. Prolonged scarring, tissue loss, fat loss, or cratering of the skin are all potential complications. And when infections occur, Dr. Talei says, many individuals assume a doctor can resolve the problem. "That's wishful thinking," he remarks, noting that complications are extremely challenging to address, even with antibiotics or surgery. "If you acquire an infection on your face that causes an abscess, you will sustain permanent damage. If you have an abscess, your face will consume the surrounding tissue. The chance of your body regenerating back to normal is very slim." Dr. Gary Linkov, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in New York City, concurs. "The procedures to remove threads can sometimes be more traumatic than the initial insertion," he states.
Consider also the caveat emptor aspect of the internet: Are the threads purchased online legitimate and FDA-approved? "You truly don't know what you're introducing into your body," Dr. Sunder says. "It could be genuine threads that are FDA-approved but have now expired for three years and will disintegrate in your face. Or they could be products that failed quality control for whatever reason, or perhaps there's a scratch in the thread, making it more prone to harbor infections."
But what about the results? Dr. Sunder states that even among medical professionals, getting PDO threads precisely right is very challenging. "I've encountered patients who've had threads administered by nurses, doctors, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and when I'm conducting a facelift, the thread is nowhere near the correct position. These are individuals who received appropriate training for it, yet they still don't get it right. I can't fathom how someone without a medical degree could achieve accuracy," she remarks. Moreover, she adds, PDO threads - whether performed by a professional or at home - might not be the most effective treatment, especially for someone seeking to significantly lift sagging skin.
Nevertheless, despite the risks, individuals within the DIY beauty community feel empowered. And that uninformed self-assurance, according to Dr. Talei, can be perilous. "Those who aren't trained have no concept of what training entails," he says. "They believe that someone else online stating 'I did something!' validates it. People assume that to be true and think that if they replicate it, nothing adverse will occur to them - which is contrary to reality."
Dr. Sunder is also concerned about people substituting video tutorials for years of medical education. "The more you know, the more apprehensive and cautious you become - because you're aware of every possible thing that could go awry," she says of doctors. Much of the time, she says, proponents of DIY beauty won't develop a severe infection, and this creates a sense of confidence. "But the one instance you encounter flesh-eating bacteria," she says, "then you'll understand what went wrong."
For individuals contemplating professional PDO thread lifts, Dr. Linkov emphasizes that even in a professional setting, they may or may not be the optimal treatment option. (A thread lift might yield results for someone in their 30s, for example, but it will have relatively little effect for someone in their 60s with sagging skin.) That's why it's crucial to consult with a dermatologist or surgeon, depending on your desired outcome. "You desire someone who can comprehend the entire range of options for your concern," Dr. Linkov says. "The more experienced that individual is in the aesthetics field, the better they can understand both surgical and non-surgical options."
But the warnings and advice from doctors might go unheeded by those, like Gibson Mayne, who have chosen to handle cosmetic procedures themselves. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I feel when people say they don't comprehend why people undertake their own PDO threads, that's precisely it - they don't understand." She attributes the growing interest in DIY aesthetics to the pandemic "confining us all in our homes with time to research on the Internet […] and without access to a medical facility for ongoing aesthetic treatments." This combination, she claims, gave rise to a group of people "who were all seeking ways to feel more attractive and combat the aging process."
And doctors recognize that among the DIY devotees, there might be no middle ground on this matter. "I don't believe you'll ever prevent people from doing it," Dr. Talei says, "because those who are doing it will never listen anyway."
