NovaThreads consent form & aftercare instructions

Key takeaways

NovaThreads are absorbable PDO sutures preloaded into syringes, injected into facial tissue to stimulate collagen and create a lifting effect without surgery.

A defensible consent form must disclose risks, screen contraindications, and state that results last 12-18 months rather than permanently.

Swelling and bruising peak at days 3-5 and settle by day 10, so aftercare must cover activity limits and wound care.

The threads themselves absorb within 4-6 months, and the collagen they trigger is what holds the lift afterward.

Pabau captures consent digitally, stores before-and-after photos, and sends aftercare messages on a schedule you set once.

A NovaThreads consent form has two jobs. It has to prove the patient understood the risks, and it has to set expectations that a gradual, 12-18 month result can meet.

Timing is where expectation-setting usually breaks down. A patient who checks the mirror at day three sees swelling, not a lift. The consent form is what tells them to expect that.

This guide covers the sections your consent form needs, a day-by-day recovery framework, and what the aftercare sheet should say. Practice management software like Pabau handles the paperwork side, and its digital intake forms capture a signature before the patient reaches the treatment room.

What are NovaThreads and how do they work?

NovaThreads are absorbable polydioxanone (PDO) sutures, preloaded into pre-threaded syringes for minimally invasive facial lifting. The practitioner places them in the subcutaneous layer at set points along the jawline, midface, cheeks, and temples.

The threads do two things at once. They give mechanical support straight away, and as they dissolve over 4-6 months they trigger neocollagenesis in the treated tissue. Visible change appears over 2-4 weeks as collagen deposition accelerates, then keeps improving to the 3-6 month mark.

That distinction matters for the consent conversation. By three months the threads have largely absorbed, so the lift the patient sees is held by their own collagen.

Treatment areas and patient candidacy

Threads can treat several facial regions, each with its own lifting and contouring goal.

• Jawline and jowls: Threads sit along the mandibular border to define the jawline and reduce jowling.
• Cheeks and midface: Placement lifts descended cheek pads and restores volume projection.
• Temples and lateral brow: Threads elevate the lateral brow arch and tighten temporal skin.
• Marionette lines: Vertical placement softens the lines running from the mouth corners to the jawline.
• Neck and submentum: Lower face and neck work improves definition and skin laxity in the neck.

Ideal candidates have mild to moderate skin laxity, are roughly 35 to 65, and hold realistic expectations about a non-surgical result.

Contraindications include active skin infection, immunosuppression, bleeding disorders, and metallic implants near the treatment area. Current anticoagulation therapy is a relative contraindication rather than an absolute one. Screening belongs in the consultation, which is also where you set the outcome expectations. Our guide to consultations that convert covers how to structure that conversation.

Before and after: What patients realistically see

Most patients feel immediate tightness. Visible lifting arrives later, as collagen deposition does the work, and that lag is what the consent form has to name.

• Weeks 0-1: Swelling and bruising peak. The threads are not visible and discomfort stays minimal.
• Weeks 2-4: Swelling subsides and collagen stimulation begins. Subtle lifting becomes visible.
• Weeks 4-8: Skin texture and jawline definition improve as collagen remodeling accelerates.
• 3-6 months: Results reach their maximum. Skin looks firmer, lifted, and more contoured.
• 4-6 months: The PDO threads finish absorbing. The collagen they stimulated holds the lift from here.
• 12-18 months: Results plateau, then gradually diminish as collagen density normalizes.

The full sequence runs from days to months, and it is worth walking a patient through it in order.

Results duration varies with patient age, skin quality, lifestyle, and sun exposure. Your consent form should state that results typically last 12-18 months, and that a touch-up may be wanted each year.

Recovery timeline and post-procedure care

Recovery is far shorter than a surgical facelift. Patients still need explicit limits on activity and clear wound care instructions to keep complications down.

1. First 24 hours: Avoid touching the treated areas, strenuous exercise, and heat from saunas or hot showers. Sleep with the head raised on two or three pillows. Minor oozing is normal, and gentle cleansing with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser is fine.
2. Days 2-7: Bruising and swelling peak around day 3 to 5, then resolve. Keep the head elevated and skip heavy lifting, vigorous facial massage, and aggressive skincare. Light walking and normal daily activity are fine. Arnica tablets or topical arnica may help with bruising.
3. Days 7-10: Most swelling and bruising have gone, and light exercise and non-contact sport can resume. Hold off on microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and laser for at least two weeks after treatment.
4. Week 2 onward: Full activity resumes, including exercise, sauna use, and active skincare. Year-round sunscreen protects the treated skin and supports collagen remodeling.

Tell patients to contact you straight away if any of these appear.

• Swelling that keeps extending past 10 days
• Persistent fever, or warmth, redness and discharge at an injection site
• A thread emerging through the skin
• Severe asymmetry beyond normal post-treatment swelling
• Numbness, weakness, or facial drooping

Put your practice’s direct number and after-hours protocol on the aftercare sheet, not just in the consent form.

Treatment cost and pricing guidance

Pricing moves with location, provider experience, thread count, and treatment scope. US sessions typically run $2,000 to $6,000, with most practices charging $200 to $400 per thread. UK pricing tends to sit between £2,000 and £4,500 per session.

Aftercare products such as arnica and specialist cleansers are usually sold as optional add-ons. Quote all of it in the consultation rather than on the day of treatment.

The consent form should also state your revision policy. Say plainly whether a touch-up is discounted inside the first 30 to 60 days if the patient is unhappy.

What to include in a NovaThreads consent form

A defensible consent form covers informed consent, risk disclosure, contraindication screening, and written proof that the patient understood the limits.

• Patient demographics and medical history: Name, date of birth, medical conditions, current medications, allergies, and bleeding disorders.
• Procedure description: What the threads are, where they go, and how they work through mechanical lift plus collagen stimulation.
• Expected outcomes and timeline: Improvement visible at 2-4 weeks, peaking at 3-6 months, with results lasting 12-18 months on average.
• Risks and complications: Swelling, bruising, infection, thread migration, thread extrusion, asymmetry, rare nerve injury, and allergic reaction to PDO. Mark which are temporary and which need intervention.
• Absolute contraindications: Active skin infection, severe immunosuppression, known PDO allergy, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and uncontrolled bleeding disorder.
• Relative contraindications: Current anticoagulation therapy, recent isotretinoin use, uncontrolled diabetes, and severe facial nerve dysfunction.
• Alternative treatments: A brief note on dermal fillers, botulinum toxin, and surgical facelift, so the patient has weighed the options.
• Practitioner credentials: The treating provider’s license type and training in thread placement.
• Aftercare compliance: The patient confirms they understand the activity limits and wound care, and will follow them.
• Signature and date fields: Patient and practitioner, with printed names and credentials, plus a medical director where state law requires it.
• Witness signature: Optional but worth having, with a second staff member witnessing the consent.

Have a healthcare attorney in your state review the template before you use it. This file is a starting point, and it is not a finished legal document.

What the aftercare instructions should say

Structured instructions cut patient anxiety, lift compliance, and reduce complications. Give a copy at the time of treatment and send a second copy by email or text for reference at home.

• First 24 hours: Keep the head raised on two or three pillows, including overnight. Avoid hot water, saunas, and vigorous exercise. Gentle cleansing is fine, but do not massage or press the treated areas. Minor oozing is normal.
• Days 2-7: Swelling and bruising are expected and peak around day 3 to 5. Keep the head elevated. Skip heavy lifting over 15 lbs, intense cardio, and facial treatments. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be taken as needed.
• Weeks 2-4: Light exercise and normal activity can resume. Hold off on strong acids, retinoids, and vitamin C serums for two weeks. SPF 30 or higher matters, because sun exposure slows collagen remodeling.
• Ongoing care: Stay hydrated, eat enough protein and vitamin C, and avoid smoking, which impairs collagen synthesis. Book a four-week review to check results.
• When to call the practice: Persistent fever, spreading redness, discharge, a visible thread, worsening swelling after 10 days, facial drooping, or numbness.

Why consent forms and aftercare instructions matter

A signed consent form documents that the patient understood the risks, the realistic outcome, the contraindications, and the alternatives. That record is what protects the practice when a complication or a disappointment turns into a complaint.

Detailed aftercare does the preventive half of the same job. Proper wound care and clear activity limits reduce infection risk, shorten swelling, and cut thread problems such as extrusion and migration.

Digital, trackable documentation also gives you an audit trail. Timestamped consent and delivery records answer a regulator or an insurer far faster than a filing cabinet does.

How Pabau captures consent and delivers aftercare

Most practices still print the consent form, scan the signed copy, and email the aftercare sheet by hand. Pabau is practice management software for med spas and aesthetic practices, and it takes that sequence off the front desk.

Digital forms capture a timestamped signature and file it straight into the patient’s clinical record. Pabau Scribe, our AI scribe, documents thread count, placement, and depth during the procedure, so the note is written before you leave the room.

Before-and-after photos store against the treatment date and body area, so the two-week, four-week, and twelve-week images sit in one comparison. Automated workflows then send the aftercare sheet two hours after treatment and check in on days 3 and 7. A four-week review invitation goes out on the same schedule.

The outcome is that consent, clinical note, photos, and aftercare all live against one patient record. Nobody has to remember to send the day-7 message, and nobody has to hunt for the signed form a year later.

Capture consent and deliver aftercare automatically

Pabau’s digital forms take the signature before treatment, and automated messaging delivers the aftercare sheet and the follow-up invitations. Your team stops chasing paperwork.

Book a demo

Conclusion

Customize the template with your practice details and your state’s requirements before you hand it to anyone. Two edits matter more than the rest. Name the 4-6 month absorption window, and name the 12-18 month result.

A patient who has read both numbers before treatment rarely reads day-five swelling as a failed procedure. That single expectation is what keeps the follow-up appointment friendly.

Practices lose more time on the paperwork than on the treatment. Book a demo to see how Pabau captures NovaThreads consent and delivers aftercare on a schedule.

Continue your research

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Need the RF microneedling equivalent? Morpheus8 aftercare instructions sets out the post-treatment care and healing timeline patients ask about.

Building your intake paperwork from scratch? A med spa consultation form template shows what to capture before any treatment decision.

Offering another skin-tightening treatment? JuVaShape aftercare instructions gives you a matching sheet for that device.

Want the consultation itself tightened up? Consultations in medi-aesthetics walks through screening, consent, and compliance.

Frequently asked questions