A fish hook face lift, also known as the thread lift, involved barbed threads being used to lift sagging eyebrows and eyelids, deep nasolabial folds or aging neck tissue. A thin needle inserts the sutures under the facial tissue and the barbs on the end of the thread grab and lift the sagging skin.  On the other end of the thread there are teeth which anchor the skin to the underlying facial tissues.

Several variations of the technique exist. In general, the “closed” technique involves molding the soft skin tissue over the thread in multiple points until it catches in the appropriate location to provide the best result. During an “open” technique, the surgeon will use instruments under the skin to create a raw surface so that when the sutures are pulled up, the lift is more likely to remain in the appropriate position. Depending on the client’s needs, the number of threads used can range from two to 20.

When all the threads are in place they are pulled back to achieve the desired amount of lift.