If you're interested in thread lifting, you've probably heard at least once about possible side effects after the procedure.

 

Issues like dimpling (skin indentation), thread visibility, infection, bruising, thread protrusion, or thread misplacement will be addressed separately.

 

In this post, we’ll focus on a specific concern: “sunken cheeks” or “more prominent cheekbones” after a thread lift.

 

So, why do some people experience hollow-looking cheeks or find their cheekbones more noticeable after a thread lift?

 

(Left) Before the procedure (Right) After the procedure
*Image sourced from Google

 

As shown above, the phenomenon of more prominent cheekbones or sunken cheeks after a thread lift is actually more common than you might think.

 

The main reason lies in the design of the thread insertion path, which inevitably passes through the cheek and zygomatic (cheekbone) areas.

 

In these regions, there are strong ligaments and muscles, as seen in the following image.

The principle of a thread lift involves barbed threads (cog threads) hooking onto the facial ligaments to lift the fat layer upward.

 

During this process, the threads often catch on wide ligaments such as the masseteric cutaneous ligament in the cheek area or the zygomatico-cutaneous ligament near the cheekbone.

 

As a result, the skin may be pulled too tightly, leading to sunken cheeks or making the cheekbones appear more prominent.

Also, even if the cheekbones have not actually become larger, they may appear more prominent due to a visual illusion.

 

Since the direction of the lift pulls sagging tissue upward and outward—from the bottom to the top and from the inner to the outer parts of the face—the overall facial shape changes from a square to an oval or inverted triangle after the procedure.

How to correct and prevent mid-face widening after using floating (or non-fixation) type polydioxanone thread-lift

Kyoungjin Kang, MD（2020）

 

The photos in this paper illustrate the explanation perfectly.

 

Although the actual length of the face hasn’t changed, the shift to an inverted triangle-shaped contour makes the cheekbones appear more prominent.

 

Is there any way to prevent this kind of side effect?

In fact, hollow cheeks and prominent cheekbones are phenomena that can inevitably occur due to the fundamental mechanism of thread lifting, so they can’t be entirely classified as “side effects”

 

— however, there are ways to prevent them.

Why Do Nasolabial Folds Appear? Exploring the Anatomical Perspectives and the Role of Thread‑Based Interventions
Gi‑Woong Hong（2024）

 

The first method is to avoid having the cog threads pass through the cheekbone area, as doing so can cause the skin to gather there. For individuals with naturally prominent cheekbones, the thread path should be designed to bypass that area.

 

The second method is called the Reverse Technique, which involves setting the thread’s entry point at the lower part of the face rather than the upper part.

 

By lifting toward the cheeks instead of the cheekbones, this approach helps minimize unwanted side effects.

 

Thread lifting is a procedure where results can vary greatly depending on the practitioner’s technique.

 

For those with oval-shaped faces and less prominent cheekbones—such as many Western facial structures—cheek hollowing or cheekbone prominence may not be a major concern.

However, in Korean facial structures, prominent cheekbones are quite common.

 

Therefore, if you're considering a thread lift, it’s highly recommended to choose an experienced doctor who can flexibly adjust the thread design based on your facial shape and cheek volume. 😊

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3-Point Summary

1. Due to the basic mechanism of thread lifting, which pulls the skin outward, cheek hollowing and emphasized cheekbones are common outcomes.

2. Even without direct tension on the cheekbones, the face’s contour shifting into an inverted triangle can create an optical illusion that makes the cheekbones look more prominent.

3. By adjusting the thread insertion design according to each facial structure, such side effects can be effectively avoided.

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I hope this post serves as helpful information for many of you.

 

If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, please feel free to leave a like or comment.

 

I’ll be happy to respond with care!

 

Thank you!

 

📍 Primi Clinic
3F, 52 Seongsuil-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Primi Clinic)

 

📍 Primi Clinic
서울특별시 성동구 성수일로 52 3F (Primi Clinic)