The first thing patients want to know when we talk about this procedure is, “will this create the same results as a facelift?” The answer is no. Nothing can quite match what we’re able to achieve with surgery. However, a thread lift is a good option for those who have ruled out surgery or are looking to delay surgery for just a few more years.
Silhouette InstaLift Quick Facts
- Flattened cheeks and sagging cheeks
- Jowls and lower cheek looseness
- Deep marionette or smile lines
- Sagging brows and drooping upper eyelids
Results From the Silhouette Instalift
Silhouette Instalift For Facial Lifting & Tightening
Thread lifts lift, smooth, and firm the skin. Silhouette Instalift is our strongest thread type, so it can create the most dramatic results and is suitable for patients with some weight to their skin.
This type of thread lift works in 2 ways: Instantly to lift and smooth the skin, and then over time to trigger the skin to build new collagen (the foundation of younger, firmer skin) as these threads dissolve. What that means is these results are immediate and they last for 1-2 years, and when they do dissolve, they leave the skin in better condition than before. It’s important for a thread lift to be dissolving, and we cover that in more detail here.
Silhouette Instalift is particularly good at:
- Lifting cheeks and tightening along the jawline
- Smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles around the lower front of the cheek and through smile lines
- Lifting the brows – and for some patients, this may also fix drooping eyelids
- Recovery & Downtime: 1-3 days
- Numbing: Yes
- Cost: $3,000-$4,500
- Candidacy: Patients with mild to moderate skin laxity
- Duration: 1-2 years
- Why We Love It: Instant and long-lasting results without the need for surgical recovery
Results From Silhouette Instalift at Reflections
Silhouette InstaLift is 1 of 3 Brands of Threads we use at our New Jersey offices. Often, we end up mixing threads used for a single patient, across the various brands and types. The patients below were specifically treated with Silhouette InstaLift threads, but we encourage you to view our full gallery of thread lift results to better understand the full range of results possible.
View More Thread Lift Results from Reflections
More Before & Afters
“Thank you for my "Cinderella Moment!" I would highly recommend Dr. Wix-Harris and the Reflections Center for Cosmetic Medicine.”
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““I feel very refreshed. I feel like it wasn’t an extreme look, but it feels and looks softer, smoother. I just feel really good.””
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“"the silhouette instalift was the best thing I could have done. He did an amazing job. I love it! He is one of the best doctors that I ever dealt with."”
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Why Choose Reflections Center
for Silhouette Instalift
Injecting Silhouette InstaLift threads is much more similar to providing a facelift than it is to injecting filler or Botox, so you’ll want someone with good surgical skills and a deep understanding of anatomy in order to create natural, soft results.
At our office, Dr. Wix-Harris is the provider of InstaLift thread lifts. She is a cosmetic physician who specializes in minimally invasive procedures, like ThermiTight, Laser Lipo, and InstaLift. She is one of the more experienced InstaLift providers in America, receiving training right as InstaLift became available in the U.S. about 3 years ago. She also performs other thread lifts, and will often mix the types of threads being used on a single patient, as well as mix in other treatment techniques to create a comprehensive and congruent result that appears as natural as possible.
You can rely on our team of experienced cosmetic physicians to provide the best treatment plan that takes your concerns, goals, and budget into consideration. We offer free consultations so that you can have a thorough discussion with your provider about these factors. We have a wide variety of non-invasive and minimally invasive treatment options so you can be sure to find the perfect option at Reflections Center.
Frequently Asked Questions About Silhouette Instalift
- What do we not use Silhouette Instalift for?
Click the links below to hop to the pages that describe treatment options for those concerns instead:
- Re-inflate flattened cheeks
- Remove fat from jowls
- Fill in indentations around the chin
- Create a straighter, more defined jawbone
- Correct dark circles or deep grooves under the eyes
- Treat lip lines – Nova PDO Threads are better at that
- Treat skin texture or discolorations
If you want to treat a combination of items from both lists above, we can pair InstaLift with additional treatments. The most common pairing we use at our practice is fillers with Silhouette InstaLift. We cover complementary procedures in more detail below.
- What does Silhouette Instalift cost?
Budget is always a concern, but it’s important to think about cost-effectiveness or cost-for-value. Thread lifts are in the same range as pricing with nonsurgical skin tightening procedures at our practice, such as Ulthera or ThermiTight. For most patients, Silhouette Instalift will cost around $3,000 – 4,500 at our New Jersey offices. An individual price quote is provided during the free consultation with a cosmetic physician, based on exactly what you need. We do also offer financing options for this procedure.
- What is the recovery like? Will there be downtime?
Most patients take the night off after the procedure and then return to work the following day, with makeup to cover any lingering redness or swelling. However, some patients have gone out that same night with no problems (you cannot cover the insertion points with makeup directly after, but some patients do not experience much redness at all). Other patients find they’re a bit sore and swollen for a few days and really want to take those off from work and activities as well. It’s very individual with this procedure.
Every patient is going to experience some redness and some swelling. The majority of redness dissipates within an hour or so, but the insertion points sometimes stay red for a little longer. Swelling is generally pretty mild and usually resolves within 48 hours. The images below give you a good idea of typical swelling with this procedure as compared to that with filler injections. Some patients do experience bruising. As with any procedure at our office, if you develop a bruise, we offer complimentary Vbeam laser treatments to break up the bruise and dramatically reduce its duration. You will notice in the photos (and on yourself) that you have white patches around the insertion points. This is a natural reaction to the numbing medication and it wears off and returns to normal within a space of around 4-5 hours after.
- How safe is the Instalift procedure?
Silhouette InstaLift is a very safe procedure in the hands of a skilled provider. This procedure does require more advanced technical skills than injecting filler or Botox. That’s part of the reason you won’t see too many providers offering it – and the other reason is that the company, for safety’s sake, has limited who they will allow to purchase and provide these threads.
At our offices, Dr. Wix-Harris is the provider of Silhouette InstaLift. She’s very skilled and has been performing this procedure since it came out in 2017.
- Are there side-effects from Instalift thread lift?
These side effects will occur for all patients.
- Redness – typically dissipates within an hour or two; may linger at insertion point for a day or two
- Swelling – typically worst for the first 24 hours and mostly resolved by 72 hours, occasionally lingers for up to a week
- Collagen production – the threads induce your body to build new collagen over time
- What are the potential risks of Instalift?
These are potential risks for having a thread lift. They’re uncommon, but you should be aware. This list is not comprehensive, but we will discuss in detail all potential risks, as well as any risks you may be more likely to experience based on your medical history, during your free consultation with the doctor.
- Soreness – usually lasts for just the first 24-48 hours
- Bruising – most do not experience bruising and we can generally get this to resolve within a couple of days using our VBeam laser if treated early (contact us right away if this happens to you and we’ll get you the free treatment)
- Puckering and distortions – usually this is just weird swelling and will resolve on its own, but occasionally threads may need to be adjusted, which is a simple procedure. Rubbing your threads, especially during the healing process, makes this much more likely to occur.
- Am I a candidate? What would make me not a good candidate?
Good candidates have mild to moderate sagging. They could probably have a facelift, necklift, or other surgical procedure, but may not be ready to undergo surgery for whatever reason. This procedure produces the best results for patients with skin of moderate thickness. Candidates are in good health and have realistic expectations for soft, natural-looking improvements.
- Is the Instalift the same thing as a thread lift?
An InstaLift is a type of thread lift. There are many brands of threads, and most of the other types of threads are very similar in composition (PDO) and the types of results they can achieve (smoothing, firming, defining), but so far Silhouette’s InstaLift threads stand alone as the best lifting threads and the only PLLA threads FDA-approved.
- How is the Instalift different from thread lifts 10 years ago?
Thread lifts gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, but fell out of popularity due to complications with non-dissolving sutures. The problem is that your face will continue aging, and what may have been the perfect lift this year may not look natural in 10 years. That’s why all of the threads being used today are dissolving.
- What are these threads made of?
Silhouette Soft threads are made of Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA). This is the same molecule that forms the basis of Sculptra and (just like Sculptra) as these threads dissolve, they trigger the growth of new collagen in the skin.
- What does Silhouette Instalift cost?
Budget is always a concern, but it’s important to think about cost-effectiveness or cost-for-value. Thread lifts are in the same range as pricing with nonsurgical skin tightening procedures at our practice, such as Ulthera or ThermiTight. For most patients, Silhouette Instalift will cost around $3,000 – 4,500 at our New Jersey offices. An individual price quote is provided during the free consultation with a cosmetic physician, based on exactly what you need. We do also offer financing options for this procedure.
Procedures That Pair Well With Instalift
Fillers & Botox (A.KA. Liquid Facelift)
Most of the time, by the time you have loose enough skin to need a thread lift, you’ve also had some volume loss and you’ve had some wrinkles that have started to become permanent lines. Botox works to reduce the intensity of repetitive facial motions, which helps allow the skin repair itself and helps prevent the deepening of wrinkles and the creation of new wrinkles. Filler helps restore lost volume and supports the skin from beneath. Both of these are very common to pair with thread lifts. The patient below demonstrates how threads lift and then filler is used to restore volume. She has always been good about getting Botox, so the results from that are really more preventative for her at this point.
Laser Skin Resurfacing
If you’re looking to remove brown spots or dark spots, create a more luminous even skin tone, improve texture, or treat fine lines or crepey texture, then laser skin resurfacing is really what you need.
Skin that is damaged by the sun does begin to droop much earlier, so often patients are experiencing skin laxity and want a thread lift, but the damage done by the sun and environment can also be repaired at the same time with laser resurfacing so that the skin doesn’t continue on that same unhealthy trajectory where it really loses elasticity at a much faster than normal rate. We have a very wide variety of lasers in our offices and will recommend the right type of laser for your needs (skin type, type of result it can create) and your wants (budget, ability for downtime vs. desire to treat fewer times, etc.).
Alternative Silhouette Instalift Treatments to Consider
Rather than trying to figure out just exactly what procedure you want, we do recommend you come in for a free consultation and evaluation by our skilled cosmetic physicians who will make a recommendation for you. In most cases, there are a couple of treatment options that will get you to the results you’re after, and we can help you decide between those options to pick the best one not only for creating the effects you’re after, but also fitting into your busy schedule and meeting your budget needs as well.
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Other Treads for Lifting, like MINT Threads, Nova PDO Threads, etc.
You can create some of the same results using different styles of PLLA (silhouette Soft) and PDO (Nova Threads, Mint Threads, and most other types of) Threads. None of the other threads are great at lifting, but they can be used to smooth out areas of fine lines and wrinkles.
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Ulthera or Thermage
Ulthera and Thermage are two non-invasive skin tightening treatments that use heat energy to trigger the body’s natural collagen-building processes. This will cause the skin to be firmer, smoother, and tighter. It can create a mild lifting effect in those with mild to moderate sagging.
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ThermiTight
ThermiTight is a minimally invasive procedure that provides precise RF heat energy from below the skin, directly where the collagen support layer exists, to create more profound tightening, lifting, and smoothing than Ulthera or Thermage can create. However, ThermiTight creates a generalized tightening effect whereas a Silhouette thread lift can create precise results for very specific areas, and creates an effect that can be multidirectional but gives less of a comprehensive improvement in skin quality and tightness.
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Facelift, Necklift, Facial Plastic Surgery Procedures
When a patient has moderate to severe skin laxity or has other concerns like volume loss and muscle looseness or herniated fat pads, then a surgical procedure is really the only way to comprehensively correct those concerns. However, many patients elect to undergo a mini facelift in their 40’s, when they probably could get away with something like an InstaLift, because they’ll rather do 1 big surgery now and not have to retreat for 10 to 20 years than have to do several small procedures and then eventually wind up having surgery anyway. It’s all about what works for you as an individual.
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Dr. Renata Wix-Harris has extensive experience as a general surgeon and work in the plastic surgery department has helped to her to become an excellent laser liposuction surgeon. She is also skilled at laser and energy-based skin therapies, injectables, and non-invasive body contouring.
