‘Lifting thread’, currently used as cosmetic surgical thread, is a absorbable suture that is inserted subcutaneously to pull sagging skin, removing wrinkles. It also induces biological response from the skin tissue
to form collagen capsule and exp...
‘Lifting thread’, currently used as cosmetic surgical thread, is a absorbable suture that is inserted subcutaneously to pull sagging skin, removing wrinkles. It also induces biological response from the skin tissue
to form collagen capsule and express myofibroblastic cells around the suture to complement aged tissue, ultimately showing anti-aging response of preventing sagging of skin and enhancing skin elasticity.
Amongst the commonly used threads used for ‘lifting thread’, Polydioxanone(PDO) shows great elasticity as it has been developed for suture of soft tissue with its advantage of cheap cost and short absorption period due to its low melting point. But it only lasts 6 months, which makes it impractical for long-term wrinkle removal. Poly L-Lactic acid(PLLA) is suitable for long-term wrinkle removal as its disintegration occurs over long period 2~4 years, but its low elasticity and high crystallization point and melting point debilitates its machinability and its commercially high cost also works as a disadvantage.
The current study has performed a comparative analysis of physical characteristics of a PDO/PLLA thread composed in a certain ratio of PDO and PLLA to improve short life of PDO and low elasticity of PLLA which
have been pointed out as their respective disadvantage and fulfill its intention as ‘lifting thread’. PDO/PLLA composite showed more homeogenous crystallization with higher content of PLLA, but its
crystallization point, melting point, and pyrolysis point increased, worsening its machinability. However, small addition of PLLA into PDO showed much lower crystallization point, melting point, and pyrolysis point than pure PDO100, increasing its machinability.