Close
Written By: Jeffrey Atlas, PA-C, Health Content Writer
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Gopal Grandhige, MD, FACS, Board-Certified Surgeon
Last Reviewed: September 18, 2026
PDO smooth threads are fine, dissolvable sutures a provider slides under your skin to trigger collagen. They firm skin and soften fine lines. What they don’t do is lift a sagging jaw the way glossy ads suggest. That job belongs to barbed threads.
PDO smooth threads, also called mono threads, are absorbable polydioxanone sutures placed in a mesh pattern beneath the skin. They set off a mild healing response that builds new collagen and elastin over several weeks. The result is firmer, smoother skin, not the mechanical lift that barbed threads create.
In my consults, plenty of patients arrive expecting a facelift from mono threads. They leave with a clearer picture. If you’re weighing your options, our overview of PDO thread treatment in Tampa maps out where each thread type fits.
PDO smooth threads are the simplest members of the thread family. No barbs, no cones, no twists. Just a thin strand of polydioxanone, the same material surgeons have used in dissolvable stitches since the 1980s.
A provider places 10 to 40 or more of these strands in a crosshatch under the skin. Your body treats them as a mild irritant and lays down fresh collagen around each one. Then the threads dissolve. Placement runs under local numbing, and most people get a day or three of swelling or bruising. That’s the whole downtime story.
The threads work by controlled irritation, not by pulling. Once placed, each strand sets off a low-grade healing response. Fibroblasts, the cells that make collagen, wake up, and your skin starts producing collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid around the mesh.
Peak collagen usually shows up around two to three months in, well after the threads themselves fade. So results build slowly instead of appearing overnight.
One more myth worth killing. More threads do not mean more result. A 2025 randomized trial found that extra threads did nothing for lasting outcomes or satisfaction, with early gains fading by about 60 days. The collagen response is real, but long-term data stays thin.
Smooth threads shine on skin quality, not heavy lifting. They work best for:
What they can’t do is fix real sagging. If your jawline or cheeks have dropped, mono threads won’t reposition that tissue. For real lift, barbed or cog threads do the mechanical work. Some patients are better served by a cheek lift using those thread types, or by pairing treatments.
You’ll also see claims that smooth threads sculpt the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. I’d treat that with skepticism. The evidence for body contouring with mono threads is weak, and I won’t sell a patient on it.
Not the way most ads imply. PDO threads are FDA-cleared as absorbable surgical sutures for soft tissue approximation, which means wound closure. Several clearances state plainly that the suture is not for lifting tissue.
Using them for cosmetic collagen work is off-label. That word sounds alarming, but off-label use is routine and legal across aesthetic medicine. It means the FDA reviewed the device as a stitch, not a wrinkle treatment. If a clinic says their threads are FDA-approved for lifting, that claim isn’t supported by the record.
Ask which specific product your provider uses and what its cleared indication is. Few patients think to. It’s one of the sharper questions you can bring to a consult.
The threads dissolve in roughly four to nine months, most often around six to eight. The collagen they leave behind lasts longer than the strand itself.
Most patients see skin-quality gains hold for six to eighteen months. A lucky few stretch toward two years. But the “results last two-plus years, guaranteed” line you read online oversells it. The collagen effect fades. Without maintenance or a combination plan, it quietly winds down.
If you want specifics on how the threads dissolve and what to expect month by month, we walk patients through that timeline before anything gets scheduled. Age, skin quality, and daily habits all move the number.
At Formation in Tampa, PDO smooth threads sit inside a bigger plan, not a quick upsell. Consultations and candidacy run through Dr. Gopal Grandhige, a board-certified surgeon who specializes in aesthetic surgery. He’ll tell you plainly if threads aren’t the right tool for your skin.
The hands-on work is separate. Jeff Atlas, PA-C, performs the injections and thread placement. His orthopaedic background means precise, anatomy-aware thread placement, which matters far more than thread count.
Thread work is popular for good reason. Recovery is short and serious complications are rare. But the fastest way to regret PDO smooth threads in 2026 is picking a provider on ads alone and skipping the credential check. Poor placement means dimpling, asymmetry, or a correction that undoes the whole point. If this sounds like a fit for your skin and goals, that’s the conversation Formation is built to have.
Not really. PDO smooth threads build collagen to firm and smooth skin, but they do not reposition sagging tissue. That mechanical lift comes from barbed or cog threads. If your goal is lifting a dropped jawline, smooth threads are the wrong tool on their own.
The threads dissolve in roughly four to nine months, most often around six to eight. The collagen they leave behind tends to hold for six to eighteen months. A few patients reach close to two years, but claims of guaranteed multi-year results are oversold without maintenance.
For the right candidate, yes. In one 2026 multicenter study of about 2,000 PDO cases, the overall complication rate was near 12%, and most problems were minor, such as swelling or mild asymmetry. Choosing a provider who knows facial anatomy lowers the risk of dimpling or thread visibility.
Smooth threads, also called mono threads, have no barbs and stimulate collagen for texture and firmness. Barbed or cog threads anchor tissue and physically lift it. Many patients get better results from a mix of both rather than one alone.
Most treatment areas use anywhere from 10 to 40 or more threads placed in a mesh. More is not better, though. A 2025 randomized trial found that adding threads did not improve lasting results or satisfaction, with early gains fading by about 60 days.
Placement runs under local numbing, so most people feel pressure more than pain. Expect one to three days of mild swelling, bruising, or tightness. Most patients return to normal activity within a few days.
The next step after losing 100 pounds.
After significant weight loss, the skin doesn’t always shrink back to match the body’s new shape. And no amount of exercise can remove that excess skin.
In this surgery, Dr. Gopal performs a 360° circumferential body lift to remove excess skin and reshape the patient’s waistline, abdomen, and lower back.
The approach involves lifting the skin on the back and pulling it downward on the front to create a smoother, flatter contour while positioning the incision low enough to be concealed by underwear.
This patient lost over 100 pounds. During surgery, Dr. Gopal explains how approximately 3 pounds of skin were removed from the back, with another 5 pounds planned for removal from the front.
It’s not just about removing skin. It’s about reshaping the body after a significant weight-loss journey.
📍 Dr. Gopal Grandhige | Formation, South Tampa
Interested in body contouring after major weight loss? Schedule a consultation to explore your options.
#BodyLift #CircumferentialBodyLift #ExcessSkinRemoval #WeightLoss #BodyContouring
There’s lean. Then there’s sculpted.
High-definition liposuction goes beyond traditional fat removal. It’s about strategically sculpting around the underlying muscles to create more visible definition in the chest, abdomen, and waist.
For this patient, the goal was a leaner, more defined, athletic appearance without an exaggerated look.
Dr. Gopal Grandhige specializes in male HD liposuction, customizing each procedure to the patient’s anatomy, muscle structure, and desired level of definition.
The result? A more sculpted physique that complements his natural build.
Interested in HD liposuction? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal at Formation Tampa. Link in bio.
Actual patient photos. Individual results vary.
#HDLiposuction #MaleLiposuction #HighDefinitionLiposuction #BodySculpting #Tampa
“That responsibility means everything to me.”
When a patient chooses a plastic surgeon, they’re placing an extraordinary amount of trust in someone else’s hands.
And that responsibility goes far beyond what happens in the operating room.
For Dr. Gopal, it means taking the time to understand each patient’s goals, carefully planning their procedure, making thoughtful decisions throughout surgery, and being there for them during recovery.
Every detail matters because there’s a real person behind every procedure, with hopes, concerns, and expectations.
And that person deserves to feel cared for every step of the way.
#Tampa #CosmeticSurgery #PatientCare #bodycountouring #hdliposuction
Every body needs a different plan.
An HD liposuction consultation with Dr. Gopal is much more than discussing which areas to treat.
He takes the time to evaluate each patient’s anatomy, explain what he’s seeing, and walk through exactly how he would approach the procedure.
Where should fat be removed? Where should it be preserved? How can the waist be sculpted while maintaining natural curves? And when might additional skin tightening be needed?
These are just some of the decisions Dr. Gopal walks patients through, explaining not only what he recommends, but why.
This Reel is a small glimpse into a consultation that typically involves a much more detailed conversation, with time for patients to ask questions and understand their options.
📍 Formation | South Tampa
Considering high-definition liposuction? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal to discuss your goals and explore what’s possible.
#HDLipo #HighDefinitionLiposuction #BodyContouring #Tampa
There’s lean. Then there’s sculpted.
For some men, even years of consistent training and cutting cycles don’t produce the abdominal definition they’re working toward.
Here’s what one patient shared in his Google review of Formation:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Waited a few months to write this because I wanted to make sure the results held up.
The HD technique did what years of cutting cycles couldn’t. Abs actually show now, even relaxed, even in bad lighting. If you’ve chased a six pack for years you know what that means. Recovery was more involved than I expected and the bruising was wild for a bit. But the result looks like me, just leaner and more defined. Doesn’t look surgical, which was my biggest fear going in. Would recommend, but only if you’re already putting in the work.”
Dr. Gopal Grandhige specializes in male high-definition liposuction, an advanced body-contouring technique that goes beyond traditional fat removal.
By strategically removing fat around the underlying muscles, HD liposuction can enhance natural muscle definition and create a leaner, more sculpted, athletic appearance.
The goal isn’t to create artificial abs. It’s to reveal and enhance the muscle contours already there, with the level of definition customized to each patient’s anatomy and goals.
📍 Formation, South Tampa
Interested in male HD liposuction? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal to explore your options.
Google patient review.
#HDLiposuction #MaleLiposuction #BodyContouring #Tampa
Crunches can only do so much.
You can spend hours strengthening your abdominal muscles, but that doesn’t guarantee visible definition.
A layer of fat sits between the muscles and the skin, and crunches can’t specifically target that fat.
For many people, exercise and reducing overall body fat can help reveal their abs. But even people who are already lean and fit can have stubborn fat that hides their natural muscle definition.
That’s where high-definition liposuction may help.
Dr. Gopal uses HD lipo to selectively remove fat around the natural contours of the abdominal muscles, helping reveal the definition that’s already there.
📍 Formation | South Tampa
Interested in HD lipo? Schedule a consultation to learn more.
#HDLipo #HighDefinitionLiposuction #AbdominalSculpting #BodyContouring
Which one had surgery 1 or 2? 👀
High-definition liposuction goes beyond traditional fat removal. Instead of simply reducing fat evenly, the surgeon strategically removes fat around the underlying muscles to make their natural contours more visible.
But here’s what makes it interesting: HD lipo doesn’t create the same six-pack on everyone. Each person’s anatomy, muscle development, and desired level of definition influence the final result.
Now take another look at these two patients.
Which one do you think had HD liposuction, 1 or 2?
Drop your guess below, then check the pinned comment for the answer!
#HDLiposuction #MaleLiposuction #BodyContouring #Tampa
There’s a story behind every decision.
Cosmetic surgery is a personal decision. Yet people who choose it often find themselves having to explain or defend that choice to others.
Some want to restore changes after pregnancy or weight loss. Others have worked hard to get in shape but still have areas they’d like to improve. And some simply want to feel more comfortable with their appearance.
The reasons are different for everyone. And they don’t have to make sense to anyone else.
At Formation, Dr. Gopal believes the decision to pursue cosmetic surgery should be guided by a patient’s personal goals, realistic expectations, and what’s medically appropriate for them.
Because ultimately, the person making that decision is the one who will live with it.
#Tampa #CosmeticSurgery #BodyContouring #Liposuction
Our first four-legged patient. 🐾
Dr. Gopal takes his liposuction and body contouring very seriously.
Even when his patients have four legs.
From loose skin and neck liposuction to a jawline that deserves its own before-and-after reveal, this might be his most dramatic transformation yet.
And yes, he even got the patient’s permission to share the results. 😂
A little Halloween fun from Dr. Gopal and his two very patient pups! 🎃🐶
No dogs underwent surgery. Just two willing participants and one very committed surgeon.
#SurgeonLife #tampa #necklipo
What weight loss can’t fix.
After losing over 100 pounds, this patient had achieved significant weight loss, but was left with excess skin around his abdomen and back that weight loss alone couldn’t address.
During an 8-hour surgery, Dr. Gopal performed a circumferential body lift, a procedure that removes excess skin around the entire midsection to improve body contour.
In this video, Dr. Gopal walks through the procedure, explaining how he removed approximately 3 pounds of skin from the back and estimated another 4–5 pounds would be removed from the abdomen.
He’s also using a small amount of fat collected during the procedure to add volume to the upper chest, improving its contour without performing a separate chest lift.
For patients who have experienced major weight loss, body contouring can help address the excess skin that remains after the weight is gone.
Considering surgery after weight loss? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gopal at Formation in Tampa to explore your options.
Actual patient footage. Individual results vary.
#BodyContouring #BodyLift #ExcessSkinRemoval
