PDO Threads Perth: Cost, How Long They Last & Who Suits

Thread lifts at Absolute Cosmetic in Perth start from $1,500. What you pay after that depends on thread count and how many areas are done, so your real number comes from the consultation, not a price list. The threads dissolve over six to nine months or thereabouts. The visible effect usually holds 12 to 18 months. Best suited to mild or moderate early laxity, where the skin still has some thickness and spring.

Written by the Absolute Cosmetic content team and medically reviewed by Dr David Syed (AHPRA registration MED0001545979), who performs the thread lifts at Absolute Cosmetic with Dr Maysa Abu Laban (AHPRA registration MED0001577155). Last updated September 2026.

What PDO threads are, in one short section

Polydioxanone (PDO) is an absorbable surgical suture material that has been used in general surgery for decades. In a thread lift, the thread is placed under the skin rather than through it, and the body breaks it down over months while laying down collagen along the thread’s track.

There are two broad categories, and confusing them causes most of the disappointment. Mono threads are smooth, have no barbs, and don’t lift anything: PDO mono threads are a skin-quality treatment. Barbed or cog threads have moulded barbs that grip tissue, allowing a practitioner to reposition the skin and the fat pads underneath. Those are what people mean by “thread lift”.

We won’t relitigate thread materials here. Our comparison of PLLA versus PDO threads covers the material differences, and the Mint thread lift explainer covers how barbed PDO threads work.

How much do PDO threads cost in Perth?

Thread lifts at Absolute Cosmetic start from $1,500. That is one area, a modest number of threads, nothing more. Do the jawline, the mid-face and the jowls in one session, and you are well past it. Prices here are current as of August 2026. You get your total in writing at consultation, before anything is booked.

Five things move the total:

Number of threads. The main driver. A subtle mid-face lift might use a handful per side; a jawline and jowl treatment uses considerably more.

Thread type. Barbed or cog threads cost more per unit than smooth mono threads, and bidirectional cone designs such as Silhouette Soft are priced differently again.

Areas treated. Mid-face, jawline, jowls, brows and neck are quoted separately, and a jawline result often depends partly on supporting the mid-face.

Who performs it. At Absolute Cosmetic, thread lifts are performed by a doctor, not delegated, and that’s reflected in the price.

What’s included afterwards. Review appointments, and what happens if a thread needs adjusting or removing, should be in the quote rather than discovered later.

Our pricing page carries the current schedule, and payment plan options are set out separately.

How long do PDO threads last?

The honest answer is usually 12 to 18 months for the visible effect, and two timelines get routinely conflated in marketing.

The threads absorb over roughly six to nine months, and the material is gone. What persists is the collagen laid down in response, which is why the lift doesn’t vanish the moment the thread does.

The published evidence is thinner than most clinic websites let on. One systematic review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology described the longevity of barbed PDO threads as controversial. A randomised trial in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum pointed to a clear gap in the literature on how well threads really work and for how long. The same trial turned up something worth remembering if anyone tries to sell you extra threads. Because PDO threads anchor into soft tissue that isn’t fixed, adding more of them did not reliably buy better sustained results, or happier patients.

So treat promises of two or three years with scepticism, and “more threads equals more lift” the same way. Results are not permanent.

Why do some doctors criticise PDO threads?

Because several of the criticisms are fair, and knowing them puts you in a better position at consultation.

The lift is modest. Threads pull on soft tissue. And that tissue isn’t anchored to bone. A facelift goes deeper. It moves the structural layer and takes skin away. Different order of magnitude entirely, whatever the marketing has occasionally implied.

Longevity is limited relative to the cost. Spending $2,000 or more on a result that lasts 12 to 18 months is a perfectly reasonable choice, as long as you knew that going in. Not knowing is what breeds the resentment.

Complications are more common than marketing suggests. One clinical review in The Dermatologist puts published complication rates past 30 per cent and argues that gets glossed over. Most of it is minor and clears up: bruising, swelling, redness, dimpling, tenderness. Infection matters more, and some PDO series put it at 5 to 6 per cent. A 2026 meta-analysis said much the same. Safe enough as procedures go, but the risk swings with the patient and the operator.

Results depend heavily on the operator. Insertion angle, depth, vector and placement all change the outcome, which is awkward for a treatment often marketed on the product rather than the practitioner.

Patient selection is often poor. Threads in skin that is too lax or too thin will disappoint, and no amount of technique fixes a badly chosen candidate.

Where they do have a genuine place: early to moderate laxity, reasonable skin quality, someone wanting a temporary option or not ready for surgery. Used that way with clear expectations, threads are reasonable. Used as a cheaper substitute for a facelift, they disappoint.

Who PDO threads suit, and who they do not

Threads suit people with early to moderate laxity whose skin still has reasonable thickness and elasticity, typically from the mid-30s to early 50s, who want a temporary result and understand it will need repeating.

They also suit patients who aren’t ready for surgery, or can’t have it for medical reasons, and would rather have a modest improvement now.

They don’t suit several groups, and we’d rather say so than take the booking. Significant skin excess is the clearest: if there’s genuinely more skin than the structure needs, traction won’t remove it. Heavy established jowling is the same. Very thin skin risks visible or palpable threads; very lax skin doesn’t hold traction. Active infection rules it out, as do certain autoimmune conditions, bleeding disorders and some anticoagulants. Unrealistic expectations are a contraindication in their own right.

If that describes you, the more useful conversation is a mini facelift assessment. Our articles on whether you’re a lower face lift candidate and how lower face lift, neck lift and mini facelift compare are the right starting points, and our piece weighing surgical against non-surgical options covers the trade-off directly.

PDO threads compared with the alternatives

Threads sit in a fairly narrow niche. Mechanical repositioning, no surgery, for a limited stretch of time. The table below is not a ranking. It is there to help you match the tool to the problem.

Common facial volume treatments do volume. It doesn’t lift anything that has dropped, though mid-face volume can still change how the lower face reads. That trips people up. Energy devices are different again. Skin quality, collagen, tightening, no repositioning. Surgery shifts the deeper layer and removes the spare skin. Lasts longest. Asks the most of you.

Option	What it addresses	How long it lasts	Downtime	Relative cost	Reversibility
PDO threads	Mild to moderate laxity, mechanical repositioning of jowls, mid-face, brows	12 to 18 months typically	Swelling and bruising 1 to 2 weeks	Moderate	Absorbs; can be removed surgically if problematic
Dermal filler	Volume loss, contour, structural support	Varies by product and area	Minimal to a few days	Low to moderate per session	Some products dissolvable
RF microneedling or HIFU	Skin quality, texture, early laxity	Maintained with sessions every 6 to 12 months	24 hours to about a week	Low to moderate per session	Not reversible, but no implant left behind
Mini facelift	Significant laxity, excess skin, established jowling	Years	Weeks, with a GP referral and cooling-off period required	Highest	Not reversible

The procedure and recovery, realistically

A thread lift takes around 30 minutes once numbing is done, and the appointment is longer than the procedure.

Consultation comes first, with Dr David Syed or Dr Maysa, and photographs are sometimes requested beforehand. On the day the face is mapped and marked, then local anaesthetic or numbing cream goes on. Gas sedation is available for suitable patients.

Threads are inserted through entry points rather than incisions. Afterwards you’ll have visible entry marks for the rest of the day, coverable with makeup from the next day, plus a pulling sensation that feels stronger than the result looks.

Then comes the first fortnight. Swelling, bruising and tightness are all normal. A little dimpling at the entry points is common early on and usually settles as the tissue relaxes. Sleep on your back with your head propped up, and go easy on your face for about two weeks: no wide yawning, no vigorous chewing, no dental work, no facial massage. Leave strenuous exercise alone for the first week.

You will see something straight away. The fuller effect takes two to three months, while the collagen forms. Ring us if an area looks uneven, if you can feel a thread under the skin, or if somewhere gets steadily more painful or hot. Do not wait for your review appointment. We have someone on call around the clock.

Risks and complications

AHPRA classifies thread lifts as a higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedure. What follows is worth reading properly rather than skimming.

The common effects, the ones that usually pass on their own, are bruising, swelling, tenderness, tightness, and dimpling or puckering of the skin where the threads went in. Most of it settles inside one to two weeks as the tissue relaxes.

The more serious risks deserve to be spelled out. One side can settle differently from the other. Threads can become visible, or you can feel them under the skin, which is more likely where the skin is thin. A thread can migrate, meaning it shifts from where it was placed. It can also extrude, where the end works its way up to the surface. Infection has been reported at around 5 to 6 per cent in some PDO series, and sometimes the thread has to come out. Nerves can be irritated, which alters sensation. Discomfort can drag on. Granulomas or persistent nodules can form around a thread. And then there is the one nobody puts in an advertisement: a result that underwhelms and needs revising, more threads, or removal.

If something goes wrong, contact us. We assess in person, and what happens next depends on what’s happened. Threads can be taken out. Infection gets treated. Asymmetry is reviewed once the swelling has settled, rather than corrected early on a face that is still changing. Worth knowing: removing a barbed thread is a procedure in its own right and isn’t always simple, which is one more reason to think it through properly before you start. There is fuller information on our risks and complications page, and documented outcomes are on our before and after gallery.

What to check before you book a thread lift anywhere

Look at the practitioner before you look at the price. Everyone registered in Australia appears on the AHPRA public register, including us. Type in the name, see that the registration is current, and see whether any conditions have been placed on it.

Then five questions. Who holds the needle? Did that person consult with you? Is a doctor on site where it happens? What is in the consent, and do you get something in writing beforehand? How long is the cooling-off period? And who answers the phone at 9pm on a Saturday, because threads don’t only misbehave during business hours.

Since 2 September 2025, AHPRA’s guidelines for advertising higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures have applied to thread lifts. Among other things, they restrict testimonials, influencer content included, and they limit advertising directed at under-18s. So a clinic still running patient testimonials or influencer promotions for thread lifts has already told you something about how carefully it reads its obligations.

Why choose Dr David Syed and Dr Maysa for PDO threads in Perth

The doctors who perform your thread lift. At Absolute Cosmetic, one of two doctors performs thread lifts. One is Dr David Syed (AHPRA registration MED0001545979), MBBS, FRACGP. He is a registered medical practitioner and Specialist General Practitioner, holding specialist registration in general practice. He completed his medical degree at the University of Western Australia in 1992 and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. That is close to three decades in general practice, and more than 15 years at Absolute Cosmetic working in skin rejuvenation and non-surgical techniques, including Silhouette Soft and PDO thread lifts. The general practice background matters here, because your existing conditions and medications affect both whether threads are appropriate for you and how you heal. You need a consultation with Dr Syed before any thread lift, and our guide to booking a consultation with Dr Syed covers how to prepare. Verify his registration on the AHPRA public register.

Thread lifts with Dr Maysa. Dr Maysa Abu Laban (AHPRA registration MED0001577155), a registered medical practitioner in cosmetic and skin cancer medicine, also performs thread lifts at Absolute Cosmetic. She completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1989, trained further in internal medicine (MRCP 1, England) and aesthetic medicine, and completed a Master’s in Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgery at the University of Queensland in 2012. She has 24 years of experience in cosmetic treatments in Western Australia, including thread lifts and intense pulsed light. The skin cancer background matters at a thread consultation, because your skin gets assessed on its own terms rather than only as something to lift. Dr Maysa consults at our Innaloo clinic, and as with Dr Syed, a consultation is required before any thread lift. You can check her registration on the AHPRA public register.

Clinical oversight and memberships. Medical Director Dr Glenn Murray (AHPRA registration MED0001196978), MBBS, FRACGP, MIT AI (Health) Cert., is a registered medical practitioner and Specialist General Practitioner, with specialist registration in general practice and approximately 30 years of experience in aesthetic medicine. He leads the practice and its clinical standards across five Perth clinics, and the Director of Nursing, Stephanie Murray (AHPRA registration NMW0001544535), leads the nursing team. Dr Murray is a member of the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia, the Australian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine, the International Master Course on Ageing Skin and the European Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery, with profiles on RealSelf, LinkedIn and Facebook. Our memberships and awards page and team page have the full details.

Where we treat. Five full-time Perth clinics: Nedlands, Joondalup, Perth City at Raine Square, Applecross and Innaloo. Dr Syed’s consulting days vary between clinics, so reception will match you to the right one. We also visit Mandurah, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha and Esperance, with Busselton opening soon, plus Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp consultations for patients outside Perth. All clinic locations are listed on our site.

How consultations work. Thread lifts are delivered in medically supervised clinic settings by appropriately qualified, AHPRA-registered practitioners. Every consultation with Dr David Syed or Dr Maysa includes an individual assessment, a discussion of risks, recovery and alternatives including surgery, written information to take home, and a cooling-off period before treatment. Use that time, read the risks and complications information, and seek a second opinion before deciding.

Frequently asked questions

How much do PDO threads cost in Australia?

It varies a lot between clinics, and with thread type and thread count. At Absolute Cosmetic in Perth, thread lifts start at $1,500, and multi-area treatments cost more. Ask for a written total once you have been assessed, rather than comparing headline “from” prices. Prices current as of August 2026.

Why do plastic surgeons criticise PDO threads?

Because the main criticisms hold up. The lift is modest next to surgery. Longevity is limited, at 12 to 18 months. Published complication rates run higher than marketing implies. And results lean heavily on technique and on choosing the right patient. Threads have also been sold as a substitute for surgery, which they are not.

Are PDO threads really worth it?

For early to moderate laxity in someone with reasonable skin quality who accepts the result is temporary, they can be. For significant excess skin or heavy jowling, the money is better spent on a surgical consultation, since threads will underdeliver however many are used.

How long does a thread lift last?

Two different clocks here. The threads themselves are gone in roughly six to nine months. The visible effect usually hangs on for 12 to 18 months, thanks to collagen laid down along the way. Research has not settled the longevity question, so be sceptical if someone promises you two or three years. Results are not permanent.

How long does it take to recover from a thread lift?

Expect swelling, bruising and tightness for one to two weeks, with entry marks visible on the day and coverable with makeup the next day. Facial movement restrictions apply for around two weeks. Most people plan a few days away from social commitments.

Can PDO threads be removed?

Yes, though removing a barbed thread is a procedure in itself and isn’t always straightforward once tissue has healed around the barbs. Threads also absorb naturally over six to nine months. If a thread is visible, palpable or infected, removal is assessed in person.

Are thread lifts better than filler?

They do different things. Threads move tissue. Filler replaces volume. Mild laxity, threads. Lost volume, filler. A lot of faces need some of each, which is what the consultation is for.

Individual outcomes vary, influenced by genetics, age, diet, lifestyle and general health, and no result can be guaranteed. This article is general information only. It is not medical advice, and it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. The content here is intended for readers aged 18 and over.