Research from national aesthetic practitioner register Save Face has revealed that complaints regarding thread lift procedures being performed by non-qualified practitioners tripled in 2022 compared to the previous year.
Ashton Collins, founder and director of Save Face, has stated that in 2022, the organisation received 118 complaints following thread lifting procedures – a 30% increase from 2021.
Practitioners require a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration to perform a thread lift as it is classed as an invasive medical procedure, so they can only be administered in certain settings by registered practitioners. According to Save Face, thread lifts performed outside of these restrictions raise the risk of serious complications including blood vessel injuries, nerve damage, infection, facial asymmetry, dimpling or protrusion/migration of the thread.
Following this rise in complaints, Save Face has established the Thread Bare campaign in collaboration with aesthetic practitioner and thread expert Dr Mahsa Saleki to raise public and industry awareness of what makes a thread lift procedure safe, and supporting patients in finding reputable, registered practitioners who can perform the treatment safely and effectively.
Dr Saleki commented, “With the steadily increasing popularity of thread-based treatments, it is time to give threads the same care, attention and airtime to their use as other clinic-based treatments such as injectables. In the right hands, threads can be highly effective for medium to long-term lifting, contouring and anti-ageing benefits, but sadly, more and more, I am being consulted by both patients and practitioners to correct all manner of issues due to a lack of understanding, experience and training. We need to stamp out bad practice fast.”
The campaign also emphasises the detrimental impact of short training courses leading either medical or non-medical practitioners to begin undertaking thread procedures on their patients without sufficient knowledge of relevant anatomy or the necessary safety considerations.
Collins commented, “Every year we are receiving more complaints regarding thread lifts being administered by non-healthcare professionals. As the treatment increases in popularity, we feel compelled to work with the industry and key thread practitioners to help educate the public and encourage consumers to do their due diligence and research before choosing a clinic or practitioner for this treatment.”
She continued, “When in doubt, we urge consumers to check the CQC website for an approved facility and our Save Face register for an accredited, vetted practitioner.”