PDO threads

PDO threads — the material

PDO threads are made of a single compound and have a uniform surface, free of the pits and grooves in which bacteria could colonise. The advantage of these threads is that they pass through the tissues very smoothly, which eliminates damage to structures during implantation. The total time to dissolve is 180–210 days. They have been used for many years in, among other fields, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, gynaecology and general surgery. The material is atraumatic and inert to the tissues. The disintegration process is caused by hydrolysis of the PDO polymer; it forms monomers of 2-hydroxyethoxyacetic acid, which break down into water and carbon dioxide and are then absorbed into the skin.

The treatment using PDO threads

A treatment using PDO threads is a minimally invasive aesthetic medicine procedure that consists of placing self-absorbing surgical threads in the skin. The treatment involves mechanically lifting the tissue on the threads and stimulating the production of the skin's own collagen, as a result of the mechanical stimulation of fibroblasts. The aim is to delay and reduce the outward signs of ageing; it can also be used to correct acquired deformities following injury or illness.

The threads are made of polydioxanone (PDO) and have no pyrogenic properties. Polydioxanone is a material that is very well researched and has been used in medicine for years (skin and subcutaneous sutures). Its characteristics: very high tensile strength, great flexibility, good passage through the tissues.

Advantages of PDO threads

• Safety – the thread is 100% absorbable
• No need for any particular preparation before the treatment
• Immediate results
• High effectiveness
• No incisions and no scars
• The procedure can be repeated
• The threads are neither visible nor palpable
• Can be combined with other treatments (mesotherapy)

Indications

• Loss of firmness in the skin of the face, neck, décolletage, abdomen and so on
• Facial asymmetry
• Sagging skin in the area of the cheeks, the brows (the Foxy Eyes treatment), the chin and the jawline
• Wrinkles (vertical and horizontal lines of the forehead, ‘jowls’, ‘marionette lines’, lines around the eyes or horizontal lines of the neck and so on)
• A wish to correct the nose

Contraindications

• Pregnancy and the breastfeeding period
• Cancer
• Open wounds or skin lesions
• Blood clotting disorders
• Anticoagulant therapy
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Bacterial and viral illnesses
• Fever
• A skin tendency to form keloids
• Detected inflammation at the site of the planned treatment
• Allergy (mainly to PDO)