Bruising and lip swelling appearing weeks after Thread lift; a report of one case with suspected thread migration

After a Thread lift, bruising and mouth symptoms that appear some time after the procedure may be a sign that the thread has moved[1]. Dr. Sumiyoshi Tachibana and colleagues at our clinic reported in 2026 in a plastic surgery journal one case in which a thread placed in the cheek was thought to have migrated across the face's midline to the upper lip on the opposite side[1]. The report recommends seeking an examination early if such symptoms appear[1].

What was the course of events?

A 47-year-old woman had four barbed dissolving threads (PDO thread, Fiora) inserted in the mid-cheek to lift that area, and four dissolving TestLift threads inserted in the lower face to lift that area.[1]The course immediately after surgery was smooth.[1].

About one week later, she began to occasionally feel a catching sensation or looseness in the cheek.[1]On day 14, limited bruising appeared at the base of the right nostril and in the area to the left of the groove below the nose.[1].

On day 19, swelling and pain in the upper lip and bruising in the right upper lip appeared.[1]At this point, the tip of the thread could be felt with a finger on the inside of the right upper lip (the mucosal membrane inside the mouth).[1].

How was the thread removed?

The mucosal membrane on the inside of the right upper lip was incised and the thread was removed.[1]What came out was a straight, unbroken 5 cm barbed thread, which extended in the direction of the base of the left nostril.[1]At the removal site there was no pus or other material, and the thread came out without resistance.[1]After removal, the symptoms subsided, and at one month there was no recurrence or pain.[1].

From this, it is inferred that the thread inserted in the left cheek migrated across the face's midline to the opposite upper lip.[1]While thread migration itself is known as a complication of Thread lift, reports of cases estimated to have migrated to the opposite upper lip that required surgical removal are said to be rare.[1].

Is delayed bruising a sign of infection?

The report notes that limited bruising appearing some time after the procedure and symptoms around the mouth may, rather than infection being the primary cause, indicate a problem primarily involving thread migration.[1]This is not to rule out infection; diagnosis of the cause requires examination.

Infection and inflammation are also troubles that can occur after Thread lift. If caught early and controlled with medication, thread removal may be avoided[2]. Because the cause is difficult to determine by appearance alone, do not self-diagnose; have the clinic where you had the procedure examine you.

What are common reasons patients seek thread removal?

The most common reasons patients seek thread removal are thread protrusion, visibility of the thread, depression, or irregularity[3]. A meta-analysis of multiple studies reports that thread extrusion occurs in 1.6% of dissolving threads and 7.6% of non-dissolving threads[4]. Whether actual removal is necessary is determined by examination.

According to research summaries, reports of serious complications are overall rare[5]. However, if infection occurs around the thread, there is a risk that irreversible scarring may remain.[5].

After the procedure, what symptoms warrant a visit to the clinic?

This case reports limited bruising that appeared some time after the procedure, a catching or loosened sensation in the cheek, upper lip swelling and pain, and palpability of the thread tip inside the mouth.[1]The report recommends seeking an examination early if such symptoms occur.[1].

Keeping a record of the type and number of threads received and the procedure date will make it easier to communicate during the examination. If you notice concerning symptoms, ask your doctor to confirm whether the position of the thread and the location of the symptoms match.