When the cheeks drop and the jawline blurs, it is not only because the skin has loosened. It is the result of cheek fat and the support layer under the skin moving together. Non-surgical options are Ulthera, which heats deep layers with ultrasound, and thread lifting, which pulls tissue up with threads.
3-line summary
1. Skin collagen declines with age, and sunlight adds to that breakdown.
2. In studies of mild to moderate sagging, skin tightening was observed with Ulthera, and follow-up ended at 1 year.
3. Thread lifting changes contour right away, and early volume change has been measured as reduced at two months.
Sagging advances together in three layers
In measurements of arm-skin collagen by age and sex, collagen declined with age, and at the same age women had less. Placed side by side, younger and older skin also showed lower production of new collagen. Sunlight adds to that breakdown.
Deep cheek fat is divided into several compartments. Anatomy records show that when those compartments shrink or descend, the result is a contour change in which the upper face looks empty and the lower face looks heavy. When the SMAS (fascial layer) under the skin loosens, the jawline blurs. Because the three layers move together on one face, which layer stands out comes first, ahead of the procedure name.
| Layer | What happens | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Elastic fibers | Collagen and elastin decline and change in quality | Fine lines; cheeks with less elasticity |
| Cheek fat | Compartments shrink or move downward | Hollow upper cheek; heavier nasolabial folds and under-chin |
| Fascia | The support layer loosens | Blurred jawline; neck |
Ulthera heats the deep layers
Ulthera uses focused ultrasound to gather heat in deep layers without cutting the skin surface. The use described in U.S. marketing documents is lifting the brow and treating lax tissue under the chin and on the neck.
In women with mild to moderate sagging, skin tightening was observed, and the last time point at which results were reviewed was 1 year. The authors of this literature review stated they had no conflicts of interest. There is pain during the procedure, and temporary redness and swelling are common. Sensory change and burns toward the jaw have also been reported, though rarely. When sagging is very large, the same literature listed surgery as the more suitable option. Mechanism and site planning can be read further in the Ulthera treatment guide and ultrasound vs. radiofrequency comparison.
Thread lifting pulls tissue up with threads
Thread lifting places absorbable threads such as PDO (polydioxanone) under the skin to pull sagging tissue up and hold it in place. PLLA and PCL materials are also used.
Maintenance at two months did not differ between the side with 3 threads and the side with 6 threads, and the midface and lower-face volume change seen at day 20 had decreased by day 60. This trial had no research-funding or conflict-of-interest declaration.
In a pooled tally of several studies, the first reaction captured was swelling. Next came skin dimpling, threads showing through or being felt, infection, and thread extrusion. Absorbable and non-absorbable threads differed in how often sensory change and thread extrusion occurred, and dimpling and infection were more common in older groups. Satisfaction right after the procedure fell over time. Figures on material and thread count can be seen in the thread lifting duration guide.
| Item | Ulthera | Thread lifting |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Heat in deep layers with ultrasound | Pulls tissue up with threads |
| Skin incision | No surface incision | Threads placed through a small entry |
| When change is seen | Over weeks to months | Immediate contour, then tissue response |
| Period studies looked at | Up to 1 year | Thread-count comparison: two months |
| Same-day and early reactions | Pain, redness and swelling | Pain, swelling and bruising, dimpling |
※ The ultrasound literature review covered women with mild to moderate sagging. The thread-count comparison was measured out to two months.
Questions that separate today's target layer
What looks like the same sagging splits in how it is addressed: skin that has stretched versus cheeks that look empty. When hollowing is large, it is difficult to fill contour with energy-based procedures alone. For that distinction, see the cheek hollowing and lifting guide. Asking the points below as written separates the layer under discussion today.
- □ Is the change that stands out now sagging, or hollowing
- □ Which layer is today's target: skin, fat, or fascia
- □ What is the device name, or the thread material (PDO·PLLA·PCL) and structure
- □ How many days are expected for recovery, and how much bruising and swelling
- □ Will the next procedure be decided again from photos taken under the same conditions
Aftercare is in lifting aftercare and the treatment safety guide. Cost estimates vary with shot count, thread count, and site, and are given in consultation.
What sun protection does
With repeated ultraviolet exposure, enzymes that break down collagen stayed elevated for more than a week. This measurement was taken on buttock skin, not the face. Sunscreen is not a medicine that lifts a jawline that has already dropped; it is a baseline that reduces further accumulation. A prescription retinoid applied beforehand reduced that enzyme induction; the same number is not transferred to ordinary retinol cream.
A contour that has already dropped is hard to reverse with lifestyle alone. Lifestyle slows the pace going forward, and sagging that stands out now is separated by layer in a procedure consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Do Ulthera and thread lifting hurt?
Ulthera pain during the procedure has been reported as moderate, and anesthetic cream or pain medication is often used. Redness and swelling commonly settle within a few days. Thread lifting stings when the threads are placed, and swelling and bruising may follow. If dimpling grows or it feels as if a thread is coming out, contact the medical institution that performed the procedure right away.
Q2. How many sessions are needed?
The ultrasound studies that were pooled measured a single treatment. The thread-count comparison for thread lifting is also one session. Repeat intervals are set after reviewing progress on photos taken under the same lighting and angle.
Q3. How long do the effects last?
Sagging does not disappear permanently after a single procedure. With threads, satisfaction that was high right afterward fell over time.
Q4. Can the two procedures be done together?
They address different layers. Ultrasound is heat; threads are a physical pull. Sequence is set after looking at where swelling and bruising would overlap, and at the recovery schedule. Results of receiving both on the same day have not yet been measured.
Q5. Who postpones the appointment?
The appointment is postponed if there is inflammation at the treatment site. When sagging is very large, many non-surgical studies excluded those cases, so the discussion moves to a surgical consultation. For thread lifting, dimpling and infection were reported more often in older groups.
Results, duration, and suitability vary with individual skin condition, age, and lifestyle, and the same outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Procedures may cause temporary redness or swelling, and contraindications may apply, so please confirm these during your consultation.
This article is general information and does not replace individual medical care. Please confirm diagnosis and treatment suited to your condition during a consultation.
Sources
- PMID 1220811 Shuster et al., arm-skin collagen, thickness, and density (abstract). Ages 15–93. Collagen declined with age and was lower in women at all ages. Facial sagging and annual decline rates are not in the abstract.
- PMID 16723701 Varani et al., reduced collagen production in aged skin (abstract). Comparison of ages 18–29 and 80 and older. Did not measure lifting-procedure effects.
- PMID 9358139 Fisher et al., ultraviolet light and collagen-degrading enzymes (abstract). 59 White participants aged 21–58, buttock skin. After repeated exposure, enzymes stayed elevated for more than a week. Pretreatment tretinoin reduced enzyme induction. Not a trial that measured face or procedure effects. Editorial comment only; not a retraction.
- PMID 12437452 Fisher et al., review of photoaging and chronological aging mechanisms (abstract). Frames sunlight as a major environmental factor in skin aging. Not a new procedure measurement.
- PMID 19730316 Rohrich et al., anatomy of deep fat compartments under the eye and in the cheek (abstract). 8 fresh cadaver hemifaces. Record that contour changes when deep fat shrinks or descends. Not before-and-after procedure data.
- US FDA Ulthera System marketing summary PDF — PDF body. Use: brow lift, lax tissue under the chin and on the neck. The open-label trial supporting the expanded range was submitted by the manufacturer.
- PMID 36674277 Contini et al., literature review of microfocused ultrasound facial tightening (abstract). 16 papers, all women, mild–moderate. Follow-up data ended at 1 year. Authors: no conflicts of interest. Temporary erythema and swelling; rarely sensory change and burns. Excessive sagging listed as a relative limitation.
- PMID 40236886 Germani et al., PDO thread-count comparison trial (abstract + PMC full text). 22 people, 3 threads vs 6 threads, 3D imaging at day 20 and day 60. Early volume and movement decreased by day 60. No difference in maintenance by thread count. No research funding or conflict-of-interest declaration (PMC). Adverse events mainly mild, temporary pain.
- PMID 33821308 Niu et al., meta-analysis of facial thread-lifting complications (abstract). 26 papers. Swelling, dimpling, sensory change, thread extrusion, infection. Frequencies diverged for absorbable vs non-absorbable threads and in older groups. Immediate and long-term satisfaction differed. Per-item denominators are not all in the abstract. 1 comment; not a retraction.
- PMID 32323425 Wang, skin dimpling and thread extrusion after thread lifting (PMC7507174, almost no abstract). Not frequency data; used to confirm that the reactions exist. Not a retraction.
Related reading
Sources
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