Seoul
Chief MD, Gangnam
Duk-ha Kim
The trust our patients have placed in this clinic was built on conviction and principle. We intend to hold to both, unchanged, through the next hundred years.
Absorbable thread lifting guide
Thread Lift (MINT)
A MINT thread lift places absorbable barbed threads under the skin to hold tissue mechanically. In the U.S. the MINT Product Family from Hans Biomed Corp. of Seoul is cleared through the FDA 510(k) route as an absorbable polydioxanone surgical suture under 21 CFR 878.4840, with decisions dated 2020-09-09 and 2023-03-07. Clearance is a different pathway from FDA approval, and the indication wording the manufacturer publishes describes fixation in an elevated position as temporary.
- Thread material
- Polydioxanone (PDO), classified as an absorbable surgical suture
- U.S. regulatory route
- 510(k) clearance, Class II device, 21 CFR 878.4840 — not an FDA premarket approval
- Clearance records
- K192423 (decision 2020-09-09) and K220549 (decision 2023-03-07), both Substantially Equivalent; applicant Hans Biomed Corp., Seoul
- Indication wording
- Manufacturer-published wording describes temporarily fixating tissue in an elevated position
What is a MINT thread lift?
It is a procedure that passes absorbable barbed threads under the skin to hold tissue in a raised position. In the FDA 510(k) database the MINT Product Family, applicant Hans Biomed Corp. of Seoul, was found Substantially Equivalent in a decision dated 2020-09-09 (K192423) and again on 2023-03-07 (K220549), which names MINT, MINT Lift and MINT-I. Both records sit under the regulation for absorbable polydioxanone surgical suture, 21 CFR 878.4840.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansion
What is the thread actually made of, and does that differ by product?
MINT threads are cleared as polydioxanone (PDO) suture material. A narrative review of absorbable thread materials describes PDO, PLLA and PLCL as chemically different polymers that hydrolyse at different speeds, with PLCL described as markedly the slowest of the three. That paper is a narrative review rather than an original experiment, and its author discloses consultancy and research funding from thread manufacturers, so this page uses it only as evidence that the materials differ and does not state a breakdown timetable as fact.
Sources: Wong V, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2021 — absorbable thread materialsFDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)
What does the 510(k) route mean for a thread?
Surgical sutures are Class II devices handled through 510(k) clearance with special controls, not through premarket approval. The manufacturer shows substantial equivalence to a legally marketed predicate device, and FDA guidance for this category asks absorbable sutures for data such as the resorption profile. Clinical trials are not generally required. So a clearance record supports the sentence "cleared in the U.S. as an absorbable suture", and does not support "FDA-approved" or "clinically validated by the FDA".
Sources: FDA — surgical sutures Class II special controls guidanceFDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansion
What does the cleared indication actually say?
The manufacturer publishes the wording for each clearance: K130191 in 2013 for "soft tissue approximation where use of absorbable sutures is appropriate"; K192423 in 2020 for "mid-face suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek subcutaneous fat layer and SMAS layer in an elevated position for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds"; and K220549 in 2023 for "face suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek sub dermis in an elevated position". These are the manufacturer-published wordings. The word temporarily is part of the wording itself, so a temporary hold is what the record describes.
Sources: MINT PDO — manufacturer statement on FDA clearancesFDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansion
Are all lifting threads in the same regulatory category?
No. MINT is cleared under 21 CFR 878.4840 as a polydioxanone absorbable suture. Silhouette InstaLift, from Silhouette Lift, Inc., was cleared in K142061 with a decision dated 2015-04-24 under a different regulation, 21 CFR 878.4493, product code GAM, with a glycolide-L-lactide based material. Different regulation, different product code, different raw material: when two thread products are compared, those records are the thing being compared, not the brand names.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K142061 — Silhouette InstaLiftFDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)
Does a thread lift replace a surgical facelift?
A published review of thread lifting states the technique should not yet be adopted as an alternative to rhytidectomy, describing reported results as subtle and short-lived. The cleared indication wording also frames the fixation as temporary. If the goal belongs to surgery, the useful comparison is a surgical consultation rather than a larger number of threads.
Sources: Tavares et al., Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 — review of thread liftingMINT PDO — manufacturer statement on FDA clearances
How long does the effect last?
The cleared indication wording itself states the fixation is temporary — that word comes from the FDA record, not from this page. Individual studies quoted inside a published review report retention figures, but the review authors treat those studies as uncontrolled and state they do not support a conclusion about duration, so this page does not repeat those numbers as an expected outcome. What is documented to differ is the thread material: a narrative review describes PDO, PLLA and PLCL as hydrolysing at different speeds, with PLCL described as markedly the slowest of the three — though that review’s own author discloses consultancy and research funding from thread manufacturers, which is why this page treats it as evidence that materials differ rather than as a timetable. Because no controlled study cited here ties a material to a measured duration, ask the treating doctor which material the thread being used is made of, when they plan to reassess the result, and what they have observed in their own follow-up rather than a number quoted from an uncontrolled study.
Sources: MINT PDO — manufacturer statement on FDA clearancesTavares et al., Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 — review of thread liftingWong V, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2021 — absorbable thread materials
Which complications are reported after thread lifting?
Reported problems include thread extrusion through the skin, dimpling or contour irregularity, altered sensation, infection, threads that can be felt or seen under the skin, and asymmetry. This page does not publish complication rates, so treat frequency as a consultation question: how often the clinic sees each problem, how it manages it, and who assesses it if it appears later.
Sources: Tavares et al., Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 — review of thread lifting
How should you read claims about how long it lasts?
Start from the wording, which describes the fixation as temporary. Retention figures circulating from individual studies quoted inside the review come from uncontrolled work that the review authors themselves treat as not supporting the conclusion, so this page does not publish those numbers. Materials do differ in how slowly they break down, but the source describing that is a narrative review with a disclosed manufacturer relationship, which is not a basis for promising a duration.
Sources: MINT PDO — manufacturer statement on FDA clearancesTavares et al., Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 — review of thread liftingWong V, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2021 — absorbable thread materials
What should you confirm at the consultation?
Confirm the exact product name and thread material, how it is regulated where you are treated, how many threads are planned and why, the area and tissue plane, what change is expected and when it will be assessed, which complications the clinic manages and how, and who performs the procedure. Because several reported problems can appear after the treatment day, agree before booking on where to contact and what to send if something changes once you are home.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA — surgical sutures Class II special controls guidanceTavares et al., Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 — review of thread lifting
Are MINT threads, InstaLift and a surgical lift the same kind of choice?
They are not one category at three strengths. Compare the material and the regulatory record behind each option before comparing brand names or a number of threads.
| Option | Material and regulatory record | Useful starting question | Confirm before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| MINT threads | Polydioxanone (PDO); U.S. 510(k) K192423 (2020-09-09) and K220549 (2023-03-07), 21 CFR 878.4840 | Is a temporary suspension of tissue with an absorbable suture the goal? | The product actually used locally and how it is regulated where you are treated |
| Silhouette InstaLift | Glycolide-L-lactide based; U.S. 510(k) K142061 (2015-04-24), 21 CFR 878.4493, product code GAM | Is this a separate device category rather than another brand of the same thread? | That the record you are shown belongs to the product being used on you |
| Surgical facelift (rhytidectomy) | A surgical procedure, outside the device-clearance records cited here | Is the goal larger than what a temporary fixation describes? | A surgical consultation — a review states threads should not yet be adopted as an alternative |
This table organises regulatory records and materials for a consultation. It is not a ranking, a recommendation or a statement about results, and it does not map any domestic menu item to a cleared model name.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansionFDA 510(k) K142061 — Silhouette InstaLiftTavares et al., Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 — review of thread lifting
Medical care at Abijou
Care is provided by the medical team at the branch you select. These clinicians lead the three branches linked from this guide; confirm the doctor assigned to your visit with that branch.
Chief MD, Myeongdong
Cheol-su Yoon
I want to be thinking about how the patient feels right up to the last moment of the procedure.
Chief MD, Hongdae
Jae-wook Kim
I will give my best with the attentiveness to catch even the smallest change.
Listed branch medical team — not a medical-review byline for this article.
Frequently asked questions
What does "MINT" refer to — a brand, a model or a thread count?
It is a product family name, not a thread count. FDA 510(k) records list the MINT Product Family with applicant Hans Biomed Corp. of Seoul, with decision dates 2020-09-09 (K192423) and 2023-03-07 (K220549); the 2023 record names MINT, MINT Lift and MINT-I. Both decisions were Substantially Equivalent findings under 21 CFR 878.4840.
What does 21 CFR 878.4840 mean on the record?
It is the FDA classification for an absorbable polydioxanone surgical suture, which is the device category MINT threads are cleared in. It tells you what the product is regulated as, rather than what cosmetic result it produces. Silhouette InstaLift is cleared under a different regulation, 21 CFR 878.4493, so the classification number is one of the few things that reliably separates thread products.
How are the threads meant to hold tissue up?
By mechanical fixation, according to the indication wording the manufacturer publishes. The 2020 clearance is described as mid-face suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek subcutaneous fat layer and SMAS layer in an elevated position, and the 2023 clearance as face suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek sub dermis in an elevated position. The word temporarily belongs to that wording. This page quotes the manufacturer’s published text and has not compared it with FDA’s own wording.
PDO, PLLA or PLCL — does the thread material change anything?
They are chemically different polymers, not interchangeable names for one product. MINT threads are cleared as PDO sutures, while a narrative review of absorbable thread materials describes PLLA and PLCL as separate polymers that hydrolyse at different speeds, PLCL markedly the slowest. That review is not an original experiment and its author discloses consultancy and funding from thread manufacturers, so treat it as evidence that materials differ and ask the clinic which material it plans to use and why, instead of reading a breakdown schedule off it.
Thread lifting or an energy-based device such as HIFU or RF — how do I compare them?
Compare the records, because they are separate device categories rather than strong and mild versions of one treatment. A thread is an implanted absorbable suture cleared under the suture regulation with an indication wording about temporary fixation; an energy-based device belongs to a different device type with its own clearance and its own indication wording, which the sources on this page do not cover. Ask each clinic for the exact product name and the indication that applies where you are treated, then compare those two records side by side.
Thread lift or surgical facelift — how should I decide?
They are not equivalent options: a review of thread lifting concludes the technique should not yet be adopted as an alternative to rhytidectomy, and describes reported results as subtle and short-lived. The cleared wording for MINT threads also describes the fixation as temporary. If what you want matches what surgery does, the next conversation is a surgical consultation, not a larger thread count.
How much does it hurt, and what is recovery like?
The sources cited here are regulatory records and a literature review, and none of them publishes a standard pain score or recovery timeline, so this page does not state one. What the literature does describe is the type of problem reported afterwards — thread extrusion, dimpling, altered sensation, infection, palpable or visible threads and asymmetry. Ask the clinic what it tells patients to expect, what restrictions apply afterwards, and how long you should stay reachable.
What if something changes after I fly home?
Agree a contact route before you leave, because several reported problems can appear after the treatment day rather than during it. Thread extrusion through the skin, dimpling, altered sensation, infection, threads that can be felt or seen, and asymmetry are all reported in the thread-lifting literature. Ask who assesses a problem remotely, what photographs or records they need, and what happens if a thread has to be removed.
How often would the treatment be repeated?
No repeat interval comes from the records cited here, because they clear a suture product family and do not set a treatment schedule. The indication wording describes the fixation as temporary, so any repeat plan reflects the clinic’s own protocol and your assessment rather than a regulatory rule. Ask for that plan in writing before you compare quotes.
Which complications are described in the literature?
Reported problems include thread extrusion through the skin, skin dimpling or contour irregularity, altered sensation, infection, threads that can be felt or seen under the skin, and asymmetry. This page does not publish rates for them, so frequency is a question for the consultation rather than a number to compare online. Ask how often the clinic sees each one and how it manages them.
Who should not have this, or should raise something first?
The records cited here publish no patient-selection list, so suitability is a clinical decision rather than something readable from a clearance number. Raise anything affecting wound healing, infection risk, bleeding or scarring, along with previous facial procedures and implants, current medicines, and any dental or facial treatment you have planned. Ask the clinic what it treats as a reason to postpone.
Are MINT threads FDA-approved?
No — the records are 510(k) clearances, which is a different pathway from FDA approval. Surgical sutures are Class II devices marketed by showing substantial equivalence to a predicate device under special controls, and FDA guidance for this category does not generally require clinical trials, asking instead for data such as an absorbable suture’s resorption profile. So "cleared in the U.S. as an absorbable suture" is accurate while "FDA-approved" or "clinically validated by the FDA" is not. This page also cannot confirm the Korean regulatory status of the product you are offered, so ask the clinic for that directly.
How do I compare quotes that are priced per thread?
Align what one thread includes before you compare the numbers. Check the product name and material, how many threads the plan uses and in which area, whether review visits and the management of a problem are included, and who performs the procedure. Thread count is a quantity on an invoice rather than a regulatory grade, so a per-thread figure only becomes comparable once those items match.
Is this suited to someone who wants a clearly visible change?
Put the size of the change into words before booking, because that is what decides it. The cleared wording describes temporarily fixating tissue in an elevated position, and a literature review of thread lifting describes the reported results as subtle and short-lived. Say at the consultation what change you are looking for and ask directly whether this category covers it, rather than adding threads to close the gap.
How Abijou works
We started in Gangnam in 2006 and the network now runs 17 branches across Korea. The line we work to is skin transformation woven into everyday life — care you can keep up with, rather than one dramatic change.
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