Straight-line vector planning produces the ideal lifting effect and sets the stage for maximum collagen regeneration with the Silhouette InstaLift, according to a study in the July 2018 issue of Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

The Silhouette InstaLift uses resorbable suspension sutures with bi-directional cones to redefine the contours of the midface. The sutures lift and reposition tissue while the cones anchor the suture and facial skin in an elevated position. The sutures are absorbed over time, but the sutures and cones, made of glycolide / L-lactide (PLGA), stimulate fibroblasts for gradual collagen maturation (neocollagenesis).  With this dual mechanism of action, Silhouette InstaLift delivers an immediate lift followed by an ongoing volumizing effect that improves with time.

Drawing on their collective experience treating more than 500 men and women with Silhouette InstaLift, researchers led by New York Plastic Surgeon Z. Paul Lorenc, MD point out that sutures should be placed in a straight line that is perpendicular to the skin that requires lifting in order to maximize the mechanical lift and anchoring. If the goal is to lift the nasolabial folds, the sutures must be placed perpendicular to the lower part of the fold near the mouth for the most efficient pull on the tissues. The cones serve to anchor the sutures into this position.

“The results we can achieve with Silhouette InstaLift are largely technique-driven and if the sutures are not placed as a straight-line, you are losing pull and won’t have an anchor in the correct position,” explains Dr. Lorenc.

When the procedure is performed correctly and in the right individual, Silhouette InstaLift results can last for 18 to 24 months.  While the physical lifting capacity of the suture declines as it is absorbed, the complementary collagen-stimulating properties provide ongoing revolumization, Dr. Lorenc says.

Silhouette InstaLift fills an important void in aesthetics. “It’s the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved non-surgical way to suspend midface tissue that has immediate lifting, and then volumization over time,” Dr. Lorenc says. “This is huge.”

Silhouette InstaLift can be used in combination with injectables and/or energy-based skin rejuvenation devices used on other areas of the face (avoiding the midface region) to achieve optimal non-surgical results for patients. In this study, there were no serious side effects seen in the 500 treated patients, and noticeable bruising occurred in just five percent.