I’ve been spending quite a lot of time pondering my increasingly droopy jowls and somewhat saggy neck. Resenting its impact on my confidence, I decide to take action, and I know just the man to see. Situated on Harley Street, Professor Syed Haq’s excellent reputation goes before him; charming, friendly and chatty, he instantly puts me at ease. His suggestion: a Croma Countourel thread lift. It’s an area in which he has vast experience, having performed more than 2,500 of these treatments. And he has the compelling before and after shots as proof – it doesn’t take much arm twisting to persuade me. Croma’s Countourel Absorbable PDO (polydioxanone) thread lifts are like a little magic trick for the face: dissolvable threads are used to lift and tighten sagging skin, promoting collagen production and improving overall texture, giving a more youthful appearance without the need to go under the knife. A mini face-lift without the drama of full-on surgery, if you will. Although my main concern is my saggy neck and chin, Professor Haq explains that inserting threads in that area can create unwanted bulges. The best course of treatment is to lift the whole lower face instead, by inserting (in my case) six threads in either side. This in turn will help to lift the jowls and neck, and even makes the eyes appear brighter as it reduces the ‘drag’ from the jowls. In the course of threading these thin, dissolvable, yet incredibly strong threads underneath the skin, invisible ‘projections’ grab on from the inside, gripping the underlying tissue as the thread is pulled tight. The body’s healing response is then triggered – there is no actual injury caused by the threads under the skin, but the body, detecting the threads, stimulates collagen production in the affected area. Collagen can fill gaps in sagging skin and restore a more youthful elasticity to the face, so as well as the immediate physical lift, there is an ongoing benefit as the threads gradually dissolve, resulting in lovely, lifted contours.

© Dmytro Buianskyi

Professor Haq applies numbing cream first, and then a local anaesthetic is inserted via a cannula, which does feel a little scratchy at times. The Croma Countourel procedure uses a new type of cannula, shaped like the letter W, and this is, I am told, much less invasive than the traditional L shape, lessening any bruising and reducing downtime. Next, the threads go in and are tightened, which feels a little odd, albeit satisfyingly so, as I can feel the skin on my face physically lifting. There is some uncomfortable massage that’s necessary to make sure that the threads are in place, and that they aren’t touching at the point where they cross over each other, but the whole procedure is over in less than an hour. There is quite a lot of temporary swelling and puckering afterwards (which I have been warned to expect) and it means I can’t open my mouth too wide for a few days, which certainly slows down my eating! At my four week follow up appointment Professor Haq is very happy with the healing, and looking at the before and after photos, the improvement is impressive. My neck and chin are definitely less saggy and my jawline sharper. It will continue to improve over the next few weeks, and the effects should stay with me for up to two years. Since the treatment I find myself looking in the mirror and smiling, and that’s a big win.