Disclaimer: The following images in this post can be rather graphic. Viewer discretion advised.
Wouldn't it be cool if you had no need for photoshop or meitu xiuxiu to get a defined jawline? That was what La Clinic gave me!
For the longest time ever, I've wanted a more defined jawline without having to go under the knife. Any product – be it creams or strange two-prong fork massagers that proclaims "we can give you jaw definition" has me going gaga over it. The excitement is usually short-lived as I end up riveting in dismay over the lack of results.
Then, I underwent a neck threadlift for my double chin with Dr Rachel Ho at La Clinic. The idea sounded scary but after having gone through the procedure, my thoughts were "Meh! That's not so bad! ". Read on to find out more about my lunch-hour neck lift at La Clinic.
1. About The Neck ThreadLift for Double Chins
Silhouette Soft Neck Threadlift for Double Chin (Necklift)
We call this the "lunch hour" procedure for very obvious reasons – the non-surgical procedure doesn't take longer than your typical lunch hour. It is uncomplicated and has minimal downtime. Almost like dropping by the nearest IPL Express store around your office district to get a quick zap!
Neck threadlift does not require any surgery and it is a minimally invasive rejuventation procedure that lifts saggy skin and folds. Just as the name suggests, fine ABSORBABLE threads are placed under the skin to lift and correct the undesired sagging and droopy facial tissues.
Unlike surgical neck lifts, no incision is made hence there will be no scar nor any downtime at all – you can return back to work immediately after the procedure and no one would be able to tell a thing!
Results are immediate thus you can tell a difference in your facial/neck contour right after the procedure. The best part about having a threadlift is that results will only continue to improve over time. The threads will encourage your own skin's collagen to grow thus there will be progressive voluminisation, natural firming and tightening occurring over 3 to 6 months thereby enhancing the results of the procedure.
2. About La Clinic
La Clinic
290 Orchard Road, #08-01/02
Paragon Medical Centre
Singapore 238859
Situated on the 8th floor of Paragon Medical Centre, La Clinic is the office to two doctors, Dr Cecil Wong and Dr Rachel Ho.
Dr Rachel Ho is the doctor in-charge of my aesthetic procedure. Specialising in Otorhinolaryngology and with a background in facial plastic surgery, Dr Rachel has a sharp eye and steady hands for minimally invasive anti-aging and facial aesthetic treatments.
She regularly attends local and international conferences to stay in touch with the latest trends and advancements in anti-aging and aesthetic medicine. She is a prime candidate when selecting a doctor for aesthetic treatments as her years of experience in the field and her firm belief that marrying a healthy lifestyle with medical aesthetic treatments is a course of route to help one age beautifully and gracefully through the years.
3. PLLA VS PDO threads in threadlift
A common question for those seeking to do a threadlift: Which thread should I choose? PLLA or PDO?
Before I begin sharing more about the two threads with you, I would like to put forth that the thread I used was PLLA produced by Silhouette Soft.
PDO thread by Ultra-V
A popular PDO brand is Ultra-V. Most articles online recommend using PDO (otherwise known as Polydioxanone) as the effects are more subtle and some would say more natural? If you are a first-timer with doubts on the procedure, you would no doubt lean towards PDO as it would dissolve in approximately 6-9 months.
Dr Rachel Ho showing how the Silhouette Soft (PLLA) Thread would be placed in my neck for the threadlift
On the other hand, PLLA (otherwise known as Poly L Lactic Acid) takes 12-18 months and with more noticeable tightness due to the thread's higher tensile strength.
In my honest opinion, my neck threadlift with PLLA does not feel hard nor tight. In fact, a week after the procedure, I barely even noticed that the threads were there. Two weeks after the procedure, it didn't even feel like I had done anything to my neck but hey, obviously I did because my double chin is now gone!
I am pushing for PLLA threadlift because what most people don't know is that PDO is just a fine thread placed under your skin with no significant markers to help hold that thread to your tissues. As a result, within the first week of recovery, there is a higher chance of the PDO thread slipping out from under your skin – I know it sounds scary and disgusting but it is the truth!
The PLLA threads in Silhouette Soft threadlift have tiny cones on the thread to help anchor and stabilise the fine thread to your soft tissues. This would minimise the chance of any post-procedure thread slip outs thus giving one more assurance on the safety and outcome of the procedure.
In addition as PDO threads are shorter and have no stabilisers, when it is used for a face lift or a neck lift, your doctor needs to use more threads ((approximately more than 20, sometimes 40-50) just to have results comparable to one Silhouette soft thread!
PLLA threads are longer and with the presence of the cones, lesser threads are required to be used. In my case, Dr Rachel Ho used only 1 pair of threads to get rid of my hideous double chin!
So here is some food for thought before jumping onto the bandwagon, and insisting upon your doctor that you die-die only want PDO!
4. My Experience
I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous when I walked into the clinic.
I had armed myself with a week's worth of research. I thought that I had already known everything there was to know. I was ready to tell Dr Rachel that I would only take PDO threads — because that was what everyone said online.
Consultation with Dr Rachel Ho
As like all procedure, a consultation with the doctor is first required and that was when I first met Dr Rachel Ho. She was friendly and warm, which helped to ease my nerves. She shared about the procedure that she would be doing for me and her choice in the thread to be used, PLLA.
What with so many articles online egging people to choose PDO over PLLA, I couldn't help but ask why. That was when she shared about the problems that were never talked about on the web – the threads coming loose and out of place, the need to place many many many threads just to get a desirable effect.
After hearing that, I was a convert to PLLA for my neck threadlift. I mean, who would want more than 20 threads stuck in their neck when all you could have was just 1 pair? As shared earlier on, PLLA threads are also more stable and safe, and less likely to move out of place after being inserted beneath the skin.
Dr Rachel Ho explaining how and where the thread would enter and exit
I was ushered into a separate room for my treatment by the nurses. As I had on a full-face of makeup, the first step was to have it removed.
Removing my makeup and cleansing my face
After the removal and cleansing, Dr Rachel Ho began marking out the spots where the thread would enter and then exit.
Marking out entry point of the thread
Marking out exit point of the thread
Injecting local anaesthetic into my neck
The procedure began with local anaesthetic being injected into my neck. Pain score was ~3/10, with the help of a nurse who kept tapping on my hand to keep me distracted from the needle in my neck — reasons why I love Gate Control Theory of Pain.
Dr Rachel Ho was very generous with the local anaesthetic as she believes in keeping her patients comfortable throughout the procedure. At any point in time when I felt even the slightest bit of discomfort, she would stop whatever that she was doing to give me more anaesthetic. She was incredibly patient, calm and poised.
With all that is said, I would like to reassure you that despite the copious amount of local anaesthesic given, it is within a safety zone. Dr Rachel Ho shared with me that if and when the amount of local anaesthesia provided exits the safety zone and into toxicity level, she would then explain to the patient and make use of other means to reduce the patient’s level of discomfort.
It took about 10-15 minutes for the anaesthetic to kick in, and once it did, the edge of a sharp scissors felt like a mere tickle from a feather! Time to insert the threads and be rid of my annoying double chin!
Creating an entry point for the thread to enter
In order to place the thread beneath my skin, Dr Rachel had to first make an entry using a thick needle.
Threads are inserted and slid beneath the neck skin, to lift the skin and soft tissues
Next,with she guided the thread through my neck tissues with a long sterilised needle that was attached to the thread.
Cones are given a slight tug to be pulled into place
After the thread had gone in, she gave it a tug to pull the cones through the entry point made earlier and have the cones embedded into the tissues to hold the thread safely in place.
Trimming off the excess thread
A quick snip of the scissors to the thread and a few neat sutures later, we were done with one side of the face.
Dr Rachel Ho continued on the other side of my face, and one more thread later... WE ARE DONE!
Post-procedure check
Here is a before-after comparison of my chin.
The results are instantaneous and obvious right after the procedure. You can tell from the photo that the thick wad of fat that was previously at my lower jaw is now gone! Goodbye double chin! *victory punch*
The threads are very safe and stable. Resumption of all daily activities (except alcohol consumption) is permitted – Dr Rachel Ho had a patient who went for a session of sweaty Yoga after her threadlift and everything was good! There is also no need to stay away from makeup as there is no surgical incision, in fact you can apply it back on right after the procedure is done.
I was released from the clinic with a tube of antibiotic cream to prevent the entry and exit wound from becoming infectious, a bottle of Arnica to help with the bruising, and a check-up appointment for a week later.
Common symptoms which you can expect after such a procedure are bruising, light swelling, soreness and tightness around your neck. Both bruising and light swelling are not caused by the thread but rather the injection of the local anaesthetic. All symptoms will disappear within a week (maximum two weeks).
In the first week, you will be terrified of turning or tilting your head however it is perfectly safe to do so! Ethan head-butted my neck with his thick skull and man... it hurt like fuck but everything was good, no threads came out, my double chin was still out of sight!
The only thing which Dr Rachel Ho prohibited me from doing was the ingestion of any liquor within the first week as it would slow down the recovery process and worsen any bruising.
How my jaw looked like one week after the procedure
It is now two weeks post procedure... All symptoms have cleared, and I’m loving my new jawline + chin!
5. Price and Ratings
Price for threadlift: $3000 onwards (depending on the number of threads used)
Pain: 1/5 (all thanks to the local anaesthetic!)
Satisfaction level: 10/10
To find out more about Face Threadlifts, you can read this article by La Clinic. To learn more about double chins and ways to rid yourself of it, check out this piece of writing by Dr Rachel Ho.
Make your consultation appointment with Dr Rachel Ho at La Clinic through this online enquiry form or you can call (+65)6235 4040.
By Blogger Sophie Leow