Where the myth of interchangeability comes from
Lifting threads work on one basic principle: they go beneath the skin, anchor to tissue and create a mechanical lift — while stimulating collagen production around the absorbable material. Simple. Yet ‘absorbable material’ is not one substance. It includes more than a dozen polymers and copolymers, each with a different degradation time, tissue-reaction profile and sterilisation requirements. This is why ‘threads’ in an advert are not a product but a category — just as ‘an injection’ tells you nothing about what is in the syringe.
Six myths — one by one
Myth 1: ‘Threads are threads — the material is the same everywhere.’ This is the most common and most costly myth. The market includes products with a medical-grade CE certificate, clinical studies and full manufacturer documentation. It also includes cheaper substitutes with none of these elements. The difference is not merely formal. A certified thread has undergone tests for purity, polymer consistency and its absorption profile. An uncertified one has not. You cannot see the label beneath the skin, but the tissue certainly can.
Myth 2: ‘A cheaper product works the same, it just costs less.’ Thread biodegradation is an enzymatic process. It takes place exactly as determined by the polymer composition. A thread made from low-quality raw material may degrade faster or unevenly. This means a shorter-lasting result, but also a greater risk of an inflammatory reaction where tissue suddenly encounters large amounts of degradation products. The immediate result may be comparable for a few weeks. The result after three months may not be.
Myth 3: ‘A CE certificate is just a formality — everything gets approved anyway.’ A medical-grade CE certificate, such as class IIa or III for biodegradable implants, is not a sticker. It is the result of an audit by an external notified body. It also requires documented testing for biocompatibility, microbiological purity and material mechanics. The process takes years and costs money. Salons that ask suppliers for documents, rather than simply a price, do so because a certificate tells them something the packaging cannot.
Myth 4: ‘Thread thickness and shape matter just as much as the material.’ Thread geometry — the number and angle of barbs, monofilament versus twist, smooth versus textured — is highly important to the lifting mechanism. Yet geometry without the right material is like a precise knife made from blunt metal: the shape is right, the properties are wrong. Threads made from certified PDO (polydioxanone) have a known, consistent degradation time and tissue behaviour. Threads ‘similar to PDO’ do not.
Myth 5: ‘If it is absorbable, nothing bad will happen — it will disappear on its own.’ Biodegradation is not a safety guarantee. It is a mechanism. A product with low biocompatibility may trigger a chronic inflammatory reaction precisely as it is absorbed — stage by stage, over many months. Symptoms range from prolonged swelling and redness to small lumps beneath the skin. In extreme cases, granulomas may require intervention. Most thread complications seen in corrective salons stem not from a doctor’s technical error, but from the material’s unknown origin.
Myth 6: ‘I can ask about the manufacturer, but it is only a marketing tactic.’ Asking about the manufacturer, country of manufacture and certificate is not excessive. It is a standard part of due diligence for every implant. A salon that uses threads with a documented supply chain and can show the product documentation takes responsibility for the material. A salon that cannot do so unknowingly, or knowingly, transfers all risk to you.
What really determines the safety of lifting threads
When the subject is reduced to its essentials, three pillars make up a safe thread treatment. None can be replaced by the others. First: the material. A certified, clinically tested polymer with a documented biodegradation profile — not ‘similar to’ or ‘inspired by’. Second: the supply chain. A sterile, sealed and labelled batch with an expiry date and storage conditions. Threads stored outside the required temperature lose their mechanical properties. Third: the hand and anatomy. Even the best material, placed incorrectly, at the wrong depth or by someone without anatomical knowledge of facial fascia and vessels, may produce the opposite of the intended result. None of these elements replaces the others.
Women and men — the same material, a different goal
The question of material originality is equally important regardless of gender. Treatment goals and anatomy may differ, however, which affects the choice of thread type. For women, thread treatments most often focus on lifting the facial contour, improving the jawline and reducing sagging cheeks. These results are visible to the naked eye. Losing them after a few weeks, due to the rapid degradation of uncertified material, is simply disappointing and costly. More delicate tissue and lower muscle mass also make any inflammatory reaction more visible.
For men, the goal may be more precise: defining the jawline, correcting sagging cheeks while preserving a distinct facial ‘structure’, and sometimes reducing a double chin. Thicker skin and stronger connective tissue require a different thread type and technique. The material standard is identical, however. Men ask about product documentation less often, assuming that ‘the salon takes care of it’. This assumption can be a mistake.
How to speak to a salon — before you decide
If you are considering a thread treatment, three questions will give you more information than any online review. First question: which thread manufacturer do you use, and do you have a CE certificate? The answer should come without hesitation. It should include the manufacturer’s name and access to documentation. Second question: who performs the treatment? An aesthetic medicine doctor with experience in facial anatomy is the minimum for a treatment involving vessels, nerves and fascia. Third question: what happens if something goes wrong? A salon that takes responsibility for its threads also has a procedure for touch-ups and complications — and discusses it openly.
It is also worth remembering one basic principle of physics: threads are an implant, and an implant goes beneath the skin. If a serum disappoints you, you wash it off and buy another. You cannot ‘wash off’ a treatment that goes wrong. In this case, asking about the material and certificate is not snobbery or a lack of trust in the salon. It is the only rational consumer decision. A salon that understands this will not feel offended. Quite the opposite.