Continuing Our K-Beauty Series: The Non-Surgical Lift May Be the Answer
Last year, we explored how K-Beauty redefined skincare—introducing innovations like glass skin protocols, biofermented ingredients, and regenerative therapies. This month, we turn to perhaps Korea’s most significant contribution to aesthetic medicine: the non-surgical facelift.
South Korea remains the global leader in minimally invasive lifting techniques, and at the heart of that movement is the PDO (polydioxanone) thread lift. At TREVI, we have been performing thread lift procedures for well over a decade—and for the past five years, exclusively with MINT™ PDO by HansBiomed.
Not a Filler Patient? This May Be Exactly What You’ve Been Looking For
We have noticed a shift in recent years: more patients are stepping back from dermal fillers. Whether there are concerns about volume accumulation over time, a preference for results that don’t alter facial proportions, or simply a desire for something different—the sentiment is real and it is valid.
What many of those patients don’t realize is that the PDO thread lift has been here all along—quietly delivering lift, jawline definition, and genuine skin quality improvement without adding a single unit of volume. Threads work with your anatomy, not on top of it. They restore what gravity has taken, stimulate your own biology to regenerate collagen, and leave nothing behind except your own improved tissue.
If you have been looking for a way to meaningfully delay surgery—to hold your position, restore structure, and continue looking like yourself without going under the knife—the PDO thread lift may be the treatment you have been waiting for. It is not a trend. It is not a compromise. It is a clinically sound, FDA-cleared procedure with over a decade of published evidence and results that speak for themselves.
Results at 16 Months and 2 Years: The Evidence
The most common misconception about PDO thread lifts is that they “don’t last.” We document our outcomes precisely because we want the evidence to do the talking. The photographs below are from a single patient treated with MINT™ PDO threads for full face and neck. The after images were taken 16 months post-treatment—with no additional procedures other than neuromodulators in the face and not the neck, in the interim.
Look at the jawline definition. The neck contour. The overall skin quality and tone. The PDO material itself has long since dissolved, replaced entirely by the patient’s own collagen—and that collagen is still doing its job, more than a year later.
Frontal View
Oblique View
Lateral View
Patient consent obtained. Individual results vary. No additional procedures other than neuromodulators performed between before and after photographs.
Our Thread Lift Journey: A Decade in Practice
Thread lifting is not new to Trevi. I began performing thread lift procedures years ago, starting with the Silhouette Lift—one of the earliest FDA-cleared thread systems available in the United States. As the technology evolved, I advanced alongside it: the Silhouette Instalift, then several subsequent PDO platforms, always evaluating each for consistency, durability, and the strength of its clinical evidence.
Five years ago, after working with multiple companies, that evaluation led clearly to MINT™ PDO. The reason is straightforward: MINT™ is the only PDO thread system in the United States with three separate FDA 510(k) clearances. That is not a marketing claim—it is a verifiable regulatory record, and it reflects a level of clinical scrutiny that no other PDO thread company has met.
Why Three FDA Clearances Matter
A 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires an independent review confirming that a device is safe and effective for a specific clinical indication. Each clearance is a separate submission. MINT™ PDO has earned three:
| FDA Clearance | Indication | What It Means for You |
|---|---|---|
| K130191 (2013) | Soft Tissue Approximation | Safe use as an absorbable surgical suture—the gold standard of biocompatibility |
| K192423 | Nasolabial Fold Depth Reduction | Clinically proven to soften smile lines and improve midface contour |
| K220549 (2023) | Facial Suspension Surgery | Cleared for lifting temporal, midface, jowls, jawline, neck, brows, and nose |
The third clearance—for facial suspension surgery, granted in 2023—was the first of its kind for any PDO thread in the U.S. market. It encompasses lifting of the temporal region, midface, nasolabial folds, jowls, jawline, neck, and brows. Beyond its U.S. clearances, MINT™ holds CE certification (Europe), MFDS approval (South Korea), and CFDA certification (China).
How PDO Threads Work: Lift Now, Regenerate Later
Polydioxanone is a synthetic, biocompatible, absorbable material long used in surgical sutures. MINT™ threads are manufactured with a patented 360° helical press-molded barb design—a method that preserves structural integrity and maximizes tensile strength and tissue anchorage.
When placed by a trained provider, the threads do two things simultaneously:
- An immediate mechanical lift—tissue is repositioned and held in place by the barb array
- A progressive regenerative response—as threads dissolve over six to eight months, the body produces new collagen in their place
By nine months, the PDO material is fully absorbed. What remains is your own collagen—stronger, denser, and actively supporting the tissue in its lifted position. The thread disappears; your biology takes over. The photographs above at 16 months and 2 years show exactly what that looks like in practice.
What to Expect
Thread lift appointments are completed in 2 hours or less. You will be given a Medrol dose pack to start the day of the treatment, local anesthetic is administered for comfort, and threads are placed via cannula—no incisions, no general anesthesia, no surgical recovery. Most patients resume normal activities within one to two days.
- Avoid blood-thinning agents—alcohol, NSAIDs, high-dose fish oil, and vitamin E before treatment (7–10 days)
- No makeup for 72 hours and avoid manipulation of the treated area for 7–10 days; refrain from strenuous exercise for one to two weeks after treatment. Walking is fine.
- No facials, laser treatments, and skin tightening devices for approximately two weeks post-procedure.
Mild swelling, bruising, or tenderness is expected and typically resolves within days. Adverse outcomes such as thread migration are uncommon when treatment is performed by an experienced, properly trained provider.
My Personal Experience
I have been asked many times why I believe so strongly in thread lifts when injectables and energy devices are so widely available. The answer is exactly what you see in those photographs: durable, natural-looking structural improvement that no injectable can replicate, and that no energy device can match for mechanical lift.
My history with this procedure goes back to the original Silhouette Lift. I have watched the technology mature over more than a decade, and MINT™ PDO represents the standard I have been working toward—three FDA clearances, over ten years of published clinical data, and results I documented above.
Recently, I had MINT™ PDO threads placed on my own lower face during an Advanced Training Program. I wanted to experience the procedure firsthand and document my own results alongside my patients. My journey will be posted on Instagram… so follow me as I heal and transform over the next few months.
I am also in active discussions with HansBiomed regarding a Key Opinion Leader role representing Illinois—something I look forward to sharing more about when the time is right.
Training Day — Tuesday, April 21, 2026
PDO Thread Lift with Nurse Joy — Special Offer Available $1500
(Regular Price $5000)
Dr. Tenore will be directing the training and ensure expert placement of the threads.
Returning patients and first-time thread lift patients both welcome.
