The Lifting Thread is a cosmetic procedure that offers a minimally invasive alternative to face lift surgery. Thread lifts claim to tighten your skin by inserting medical-grade thread material into your face and then âpullingâ your skin up by tightening the thread. Also called a barbed suture lift, it aims to lift and sculpt the shape of your face or breasts. Thread lifts use temporary, medical-grade suture material to âstitch-upâ your skin so that itâs drawn taut.