I-Thread Lift — PECHE Clinic, Gangnam Station
Dissolvable threads barbed in all directions, placed in the fat layer beneath the skin to catch sagging tissue, pull it upward, and anchor it · Face and jawline · Right by Gangnam Station Exit 4
I-Thread Lift
The I-Thread Lift places a dissolvable thread lined with barbs (cogs) into the fat layer beneath the skin, where it catches tissue that has sagged downward, pulls it up, and anchors it. The thread is the same medical dissolvable material that has closed surgical wounds inside the body for decades — over time, the body breaks it down into water and carbon dioxide, and it disappears.
The thread's home is the subcutaneous fat layer. That's because sagging is driven mainly by fat tissue shifting downward — and the SMAS layer beneath it (the fibrous layer over the facial muscles) carries nerves and vessels, so the thread isn't hooked there directly. That's why the tissue is grabbed as a whole in the fat layer and lifted from there: this layer holds the tissue that sags, and it stays clear of the nerves and vessels below.
▲ The barbs catch the sagging tissue in the fat layer and pull it upward — the thread doesn't touch the SMAS
When to Consider It
- Your jawline has slackened and the flesh along your jaw hangs heavy
- Cheek fat has shifted downward, making the area around your mouth look dull and weighed down
- You've kept up energy lifting — RF, ultrasound — but want a pulled-up change you can see right away
- You want sagging tissue repositioned without surgery
If your main concern is hollowing rather than sagging, a filling approach may fit better than a pulling one. We decide which it is together, based on your assessment.
How the Barbs Hold Tissue
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Barbs (cogs) | Hook-like points raised along the thread's surface — their job is gripping sagged tissue under the skin |
| 360° placement | Barbs ring the thread in every direction, biting the tissue from above, below, and both sides |
| How they're made | Unlike threads whose barbs are cut into the shaft, these are molded — the thread's core stays intact, keeping its strength when pulled |
| Thread material | Three medical dissolvable materials — PDO, PLLA, PCL — chosen based on your skin's condition |
A smooth thread without barbs has no pulling force — it serves texture and elasticity instead. If the goal is lifting sagged flesh, the barbed thread is what does that work.
How It's Done
1. Contour check and design A 3D MetaVu scan records your facial contours and left–right balance; the direction of the sagging determines where the threads go and which way they pull.
2. Numbing No numbing injection — a numbing spray is applied, then we proceed. There is no needle-stick numbing step at all.
3. Thread placement A needle-mark-sized entry point is made somewhere inconspicuous, like in front of the ear, and a blunt-tipped thin tube (cannula) carries the thread into the fat layer.
▲ No incision — the tube enters through a needle-mark-sized opening and lays the thread · the magnified circle shows the 360° barbs
4. Lift and anchor When the tube withdraws, the barbs stay caught in the tissue and only the thread remains. Pulling the thread's end along the designed direction carries the caught tissue up with it — and it anchors there.
5. Finish The leftover thread end is trimmed just beneath the skin, so the tip settles inside. The entry point is needle-mark-sized, so once healed it tends not to show.
Results and Recovery
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Target | Sagging tissue in the subcutaneous fat layer — face and jawline |
| How it works | Two tracks · ① an immediate change as the barbs pull and anchor the tissue ② a slow change as your own collagen forms around the thread |
| When results show | The lifted change is visible right after the treatment · the collagen forming around the thread adds to it over several months |
| How long the thread takes to dissolve | Depends on the material — PDO dissolves over 6 months–1 year · PLLA over 1.5–2 years · PCL over 2 years or more |
| After it dissolves | The collagen formed around the thread remains, continuing to support the skin — how long varies with your skin's condition and is estimated at the consultation |
| Pain | Less a sharp pain than a heavy foreign-body feeling as the thread pushes in under the skin |
| Pain control | Numbing spray before starting (no numbing injection is used) · tell us how it feels mid-treatment and we adjust |
| Downtime | Swelling and bruising for several days to 2 weeks · while the thread settles, a pulling feeling when opening the mouth wide can occur |
| Aftercare | While swelling and bruising settle, avoid exaggerated expressions and massaging the area — so the barbs aren't pushed off before they seat |
| Spacing other treatments | RF or ultrasound lifting can start 2 months after — later if any foreign-body feeling or swelling remains |
The effect doesn't vanish the moment the thread dissolves. As the body breaks the thread down, it builds dense new collagen around it. Where the thread once ran, a collagen column remains, propping the skin.
▲ With the thread in place (left) and after it dissolves (right) — the collagen it leaves behind remains (individual results vary)
Expected Reactions and Possible Side Effects
Common, temporary reactions — part of the normal course:
- Swelling and bruising for several days to 2 weeks
- A temporary foreign-body feeling, or a pulling sensation when opening the mouth wide, while the thread settles
Anything beyond this is uncommon. If a reaction lasts longer than expected or worsens, contact us and we'll check it with you.
What We Check Beforehand
If any of these apply to you, let us know during your consultation. We adjust the timing or the approach.
- A condition where bleeding is slow to stop, or blood thinners (anticoagulants) — bruising can be heavy
- A keloid tendency (scars that heal raised)
- Inflammation, wounds, or a skin condition at the treatment area
- Facial implants, or a history of thread lifts or surgery — they affect the thread's path
- Recent filler or skin booster — we confirm the spacing at the consultation
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- RF or ultrasound lifting planned within 2 months — we sequence them together
How PECHE Clinic Does It
We record your contours, then set the pulling direction. Sagging differs by person in direction and degree. The 3D MetaVu scan records your contours and left–right balance, and where to pull — and how much — is decided together from your assessment results.
▲ Contours and balance are recorded first, then the design follows
The prep room is behind a glass wall, in full view. The preparation and hygiene routine is visible through the glass from the waiting area.
▲ The prep room, seen through the glass from the waiting area
We first check whether pulling is right for your face. If hollowing — not sagging — is the main cause, pulling won't deliver the change you want, and can even make sunken spots stand out. We tell you first what this can do (repositioning sagged tissue) and what it can't (hollowed volume, surface texture).
We don't push same-day payment or packages. You're welcome to come in just for a consultation.
Pricing
The cost of an I-Thread Lift depends on the area and the number and material of the threads. We set the configuration after your assessment, then give you a quote.
Location
PECHE Clinic 3F, 364 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Right in front of Gangnam Station, Exit 4
You may come back to have your progress checked — a short trip makes that easier.
FAQ
Q1. Who performs the treatment? A: PECHE physicians who all work to the same standards, built from over 90,000 documented treatments. The depth the threads enter and the direction they pull are set from your contour record and these standards, not by feel — and the same standards apply even if your physician changes.
Q2. Will the threads be felt, or show? A: The threads sit in the fat layer beneath the skin, and the entry point is needle-mark-sized — once healed, it typically isn't visible from outside. While they settle, a temporary foreign-body feeling can occur. Avoiding exaggerated expressions and massage during that time helps them seat.
Q3. When the threads dissolve, will the sagging come back? A: Even after the threads dissolve, the collagen formed around them remains and keeps supporting the skin. But aging continues, so this isn't a permanent treatment — we look at your condition and decide together whether to continue.
Q4. Can I combine it with energy lifting? A: In sequence. If you want RF or ultrasound lifting after a thread lift, it can start 2 months later — longer if foreign-body feeling or swelling remains. If you're planning both, we set the order at the consultation.
Q5. What should I look for when choosing a clinic? A: Three things. First, whether they distinguish sagging from hollowing — that judgment decides the method. Second, whether the pulling direction is decided with you while reviewing your contour record. Third, whether it's an easy trip back for progress checks.