HOUSTON – Every year, more than 15 million cosmetic procedures are done in the U.S. and people are always looking for the next best treatment. The latest procedure available is actually a new twist on an old controversial one that the FDA banned in 2009. Threading the face to give it an instant facelift is coming back in style. Sixty-one-year-old Nancy Sublette is an active grandmother and interior designer who wants to add years to her career by taking years off her face. "People somehow judge you on your appearance," Sublette said. "So you have to look as best as you can. You have to look vital and look experienced." Sublette is not quite ready to go through the surgery required for a facelift, so she's trying a new procedure. The Silhouette Instalift involves inserting a tiny thread with dissolvable cones under the skin around the cheeks and jaw line. "It actually takes advantage of those little connections where the skin attaches to the muscle, and you're able to lift in favor of where the muscle runs," said Dr. Julius Few, a plastic surgeon at the Few Institute in Chicago. The cones catch onto the tissue allowing Dr. Few to pull up and secure, giving the face an instant lift. Compared to a surgical facelift, the Silhouette Instalift is almost half the price. The down time is just one day, compared to up to 14 days. "I looked at all the science," Few said. "I looked at the research that was done in Europe. They've actually treated over 130,000 patients, and the safety record is unbelievable." Sublette said the 30-minute procedure is painless and worth it. Few said the fact that the cones dissolve and the threading is soft is what makes Silhouette Instalift better and safer compared to the controversial "facial thread lift" and "contour thread-lift system." Both lost FDA approval almost a decade ago for reports of scarring. Since the FDA approval in 2015, Few has performed 75 Instalift procedures. Click here to find a doctor.
Publications in the media have suggested that Silhouette II is a new twist on an old and controversial threading treatment that was banned by the FDA in 2003 . Chicago - based Dr Julius Few , a plastic surgeon at the Few Clinic , who offers the treatment , said he looked at the research done in Europe where over 1000 patients have been treated with the product and where the safety record is “ unbelievable ” . Few explained that Silhouette Instalift differs from the controversial facial thread lift and contour threat - lift system , both of which lost FDA approval almost a decade ago , in that the cones dissolve and the threading is soft .