Lisa Barlow, a star of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, told Page Six’s Virtual Reali‑Tea that she prefers thread lifts to Botox and fillers, calling the minimally invasive procedure “the best thing that you can do for yourself.” Barlow, 50, said she first had threads about nine years ago, uses a specific cosmetic practitioner and described the treatment as a natural way to tighten and lift the face without the appearance she associates with fillers.
"I don’t like filler. I don’t like to put Botox in my face," Barlow said, adding that her mother questions the wisdom of injecting botulinum toxin near the brain. She said threads can "tighten, lift [and] sculpt," and pointed to benefits such as eyebrow lifts and same‑day results. Barlow estimated the cost at about $3,500 and denied recent facelift claims, saying the subtle changes to her face and neck are the result of threads rather than surgery.
Barlow emphasized she is not opposed to facelifts, saying, "There’s nothing wrong with getting a facelift too," and that she is comfortable both with natural aging and with cosmetic enhancement. She framed her choices as personal, saying people should not be shamed for how they choose to look and adding, "I like to be natural too. I feel comfortable both ways. I don’t think there is anything wrong with aging naturally and being pretty as an older woman. I still think I’m young."
Cosmetic surgery groups and review sites define thread lifts as procedures meant to lift and tighten sagging skin on jowls, cheeks, brows and neck while stimulating collagen to improve texture and firmness. The Plastic Surgeons of Northern Arizona says thread lifts target those areas and can produce improvements in skin firmness. The procedure is usually performed with minimal anesthesia and often takes about an hour.
Many medical professionals, however, advise caution. Critics point to unpredictable outcomes, a lack of long‑term safety data and temporary results that typically last up to about 18 months. "I recommend that patients steer clear of procedures that do not yet have a well‑established safety profile and extensive long‑term data," said Dr. Adam Boettcher, according to reporting on the procedure.
Patient reports and industry resources such as RealSelf list potential complications including extrusion, where a thread protrudes through the skin; dimpling from improper placement; thread migration; and, in rare cases, nerve damage. Recovery can include swelling and bruising, a pattern that played out publicly when Real Housewives of Miami star Alexia Nepola disclosed she experienced swelling and bruising after a thread lift last year.
Barlow said she consults only a particular practitioner and that the treatment provides a subtle lift she prefers to injectable fillers. Her comments reflect a broader trend among public figures and reality television personalities who have spotlighted non‑surgical cosmetic procedures while medical experts urge patients to weigh short‑term benefits against risks and the limited duration of results.
