Do PCL threads last longer than PDO threads?

Looking at the thread alone, PCL threads stay in the body longer than PDO threads: the research literature puts absorption at 1–1.5 years for PCL and 6–8 months for PDO. But a thread that stays longer doesn't mean the lifted contour lasts that much longer, so it's hard to judge how long results last by material alone.

Basic Properties of the Two Materials

Both are dissolvable threads that break down and are absorbed in the body, but their properties differ a little.

• PDO (polydioxanone): the longest-standing and most widely used material for thread lifts. It's absorbed over about 6–8 months
• PCL (polycaprolactone): a flexible, highly elastic material. It's absorbed over about 1–1.5 years and ultimately breaks down into water and carbon dioxide

Some sources say PCL's flexibility means less discomfort after treatment than PDO or PLLA threads, but this needs more research.

(Evidence: literature review by Korean researchers, 2024)

Differences Seen in an Animal Study

One study placed both threads under rat skin and compared them.

• PDO threads took about 24 weeks to be absorbed
• PCL threads remained in the tissue for more than a year
• With both threads, surrounding collagen increased for the first 12 weeks and then decreased
• With PCL, the decline in collagen started later

(Evidence: animal study by Korean researchers, rat model, 2022)

Human faces and rat skin are different, so these results can't be translated directly into how long results last in people.

Staying Longer vs. Lasting Longer

This is the most important part of the question. Many factors besides material affect how long a lift lasts.

• Thread thickness and pulling force: if a thread is too thin, the barbs lose their grip on tissue quickly
• Barb (cog) shape: affects how firmly tissue is held
• Direction and depth of placement: it matters whether threads were placed to match the direction of sagging
• Your face: how much sagging there is, skin thickness, age and lifestyle

The researchers behind the literature review also concluded that choosing a thread means looking at thickness, pulling force and thread characteristics together, not just how long it lasts.

(Evidence: literature review by Korean researchers, 2024)

An analysis pooling 12 studies on dissolvable threads found that the longest follow-up was two years and that long-term data are still limited.

(Evidence: systematic review of 818 patients, 2025)

Recovery and Side Effects

Recovery is also reported to differ slightly by material.

• In an analysis pooling 19 studies on dissolvable threads, bruising and swelling were reported more often with PCL threads
• Barbed threads had more side-effect reports than smooth or cone threads
• Even so, the overall side-effect rate for dissolvable threads was generally low

(Evidence: review of 19 studies with 1,406 patients, 2025)

If you have an important event coming up, allow plenty of recovery time, whichever material is used.

Points to Decide Before Your Consultation

What you want comes before the question of whether PCL or PDO is better.

• Whether you want to lift sagging areas or fill hollow ones
• How much time you can set aside for recovery
• Whether you can come back for visits at three and six months
• Previous thread lifts and how your recovery went

Once these are clear, choosing the material, thread shape and number becomes easier. Different materials are sometimes combined on one face.