Instalift ban gets lifted

15+ million cosmetic procedures are done in the U.S.

CHICAGO. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – 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 is actually a new twist on an old controversial procedure that the FDA banned in 2009. But threading the face to give it an instant facelift is coming back in style. Here’s why some doctors think, this time, the non-surgical, 30-minute procedure is the perfect alternative to surgery.

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.

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Sublette told Ivanhoe, “People somehow judge you on your appearance. 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 jawline.

Julius Few, M.D., a plastic surgeon at the Few Institute in Chicago explained, “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.”

The cones catch on to 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; I looked at the research that was done in Europe. They’ve actually treated over 130,000 patients, and the safety record is unbelievable,” Dr. Few told Ivanhoe.

Also unbelievable: the results, according to Sublette, who found the 30-minute procedure painless and worth it.

Dr. 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, Dr. Few has performed 75 Instalift procedures.

Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Jessica Sanchez, Field Producer; Milvionne Chery, Assistant Producer; Brent Sucher, Editor and Videographer.