The right treatment combination for nasolabial folds depends on your face type. Here’s how thread lifts, filler, and fat-reduction treatments come together for sagging in leaner faces versus fuller ones, plus the finishing treatments both types share.
Hi, this is DAYONE Clinic. When people start researching treatments for their smile lines, one question comes up again and again: “Can I just get a thread lift and filler together, too?” The short answer: the right combination depends on your face type. Below, we explain when a thread lift makes sense and what else you may need to add, broken down by face type.
In your 50s and 60s, skin needs a tailored plan
By your 50s and 60s, your skin shouldn’t be a testing ground. Everyone’s face shape and lifestyle are different, so chasing whatever treatment other people swear by isn’t the way to go. Instead of simply filling in what has sagged, real improvement comes from a structural approach—lifting tissue back to where it belongs.
The key to correcting nasolabial folds is treating sagging and volume loss as two separate problems. That’s why people with fuller faces and people with leaner faces need different treatment combinations.
Type 1: Sagging skin without much facial fat
Here, sagging is the main concern, and excess fat isn’t much of a factor.
For these patients, a thread lift alone can effectively correct the sagging. Think of a clothesline: hang dry laundry on it, and the line barely dips. Add a small amount of filler to the hollow along the fold, and the sagging and volume loss are corrected together, so the smile lines soften considerably. If fine lines or loss of firmness are a bigger concern, adding a skin booster or Thermage can improve results even further.
Type 2: Sagging with more facial fat
When sagging comes with extra fat, a thread lift on its own may only go so far. Just as a clothesline sags under the weight of wet laundry, the weight of the fat makes the face sag faster.
For these patients, the first step is reducing that volume with Ultherapy or fat-dissolving injections. Next comes the thread lift, with filler to fill in any hollow areas. All three need to work together to effectively correct the area around the folds.
What both types need
Even after the sagging and volume loss have been corrected, many people are still left with creases and fine lines that have built up over the years. Finishing with a skin booster (such as Rejuran or Re2O) or a radiofrequency treatment like Thermage can improve skin texture and firmness as well.
The bottom line
A thread lift is a very effective treatment for nasolabial folds, but putting together the right combination for your face type matters far more.
Natural, long-lasting results depend on looking at the whole picture—your facial structure, the angle of the sagging, and your current volume. If you’re wondering which type you are and which combination is right for you, we recommend visiting DAYONE Clinic near Gangnam Station for a thorough consultation with your physician. Feel free to reach out anytime with questions.
This post is based on an interview from DAYONE Clinic’s YouTube channel, Face Design Lab.
This article is general information about the treatment and does not replace an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. Results and their duration vary from person to person.
Wondering what would suit you?
Whether a treatment suits you, and how to plan it, is best decided with a doctor.