PDO threads are the one category where the buying decision is almost entirely about sizes: three thread types, five gauges, six lengths. FillerFace holds the full NEO range in UK stock — 16 lines across mono, screw and cog, every one in packs of 20, from £19.99 a pack. This guide covers which type does what, which gauge and length suits which area, and what a thread actually costs, with every product linked so you can check stock as you go.
Prices are correct at the time of writing. Threads are usually run alongside fillers and boosters; the dermal filler buying guide and skin boosters buying guide cover those.
What PDO threads are
PDO — polydioxanone — is an absorbable material with a long history in surgery. Placed beneath the skin, a PDO thread stimulates collagen along its track as it absorbs over several months, and depending on its shape it either firms the tissue around it or physically repositions it. Results build after placement rather than appearing on the day, and the threads themselves are gone within six to eight months, leaving the new collagen behind.
Mono, screw and cog — which does what
- Mono threads are smooth and unbarbed. They don't lift; they stimulate collagen across an area to improve skin quality and firmness. The workhorse of the category, and where most clinics start. Available 27G to 31G, 12mm to 50mm.
- Screw threads are twisted around the needle, giving more volumising effect than a mono in the same placement. Used where a little more substance is wanted — nasolabial folds, marionette lines, hollow cheeks — without moving to a cog.
- Cog threads are barbed: these are the lifting threads. They anchor in tissue and reposition it — jawline, mid-face, brow. Heavier gauge, longer, and priced accordingly.
Which thread for which job
| Patient wants | Thread type | Options in stock |
|---|---|---|
| Firmer, better-quality skin across the cheeks, neck or under the chin | Mono | NEO Mono 30G (25.4mm/30mm), 29G (25.4mm/30mm), 30G (38mm/50mm), 27G (38mm/50mm) |
| Fine lines and delicate areas: brow, under-eye, upper lip, crow's feet | Mono, finest gauge, shortest length | NEO Mono 31G (12mm/16mm), 30G (18mm/30mm), 31G (25.4mm/30mm) |
| Folds and hollows that want a little substance | Screw | NEO Screw 29G (38mm/50mm), 30G (38mm/50mm), 27G (38mm/50mm), 29G (25.4mm/30mm) |
| Fine-line volume in small areas | Screw, finest gauge | NEO Screw 31G (12mm/16mm), 31G (25.4mm/30mm), 30G (25.4mm/30mm) |
| Lift: jawline, mid-face, brow | Cog | Neo Cog 19G/100mm sharp tip, Neo Cog 23G x 90mm; cog cannulas on the cannula page |
Pairings follow the usual positioning of each type. Your assessment and technique come first.
Choosing gauge and length
Two rules cover most of it. Thinner gauge and shorter length for superficial and delicate areas — 31G and 30G at 12mm to 30mm for the brow, periorbital skin and upper lip. Heavier gauge and longer threads for deeper placement and lift — 27G and 29G at 38mm to 50mm for cheeks, jawline and neck, and 19G to 23G at 90mm to 100mm for cogs. Sizes are listed as the two lengths on the pack (e.g. 25.4mm/30mm). Most clinics carry one short-fine mono, one long mono, one screw and one cog, and add gauges as the menu grows.
The NEO range, with prices
- Mono, £19.99 a pack of 20 — 31G 12mm/16mm · 31G 25.4mm/30mm · 30G 18mm/30mm · 30G 25.4mm/30mm · 30G 38mm/50mm · 29G 25.4mm/30mm · 27G 38mm/50mm.
- Screw, £22.99 a pack of 20 — 31G 12mm/16mm · 31G 25.4mm/30mm · 30G 25.4mm/30mm · 30G 38mm/50mm · 29G 25.4mm/30mm · 29G 38mm/50mm · 27G 38mm/50mm.
- Cog, £99.99 a pack of 20 — 19G/100mm sharp tip · 23G x 90mm.
The whole range is on the PDO threads page, with live stock. NEO is the range we've standardised on for consistency of barb and needle quality; Korean manufacture dominates the category.
Cost per thread
At the prices above: a mono thread is £1.00, a screw £1.15, a cog £5.00. Thread work uses several per treatment, so a mono session of 20 threads costs you about £20 in product and a cog lift of 6 to 8 threads £30–£40. Multi-buy pricing applies on many lines at checkout; clinics that stock two or three gauges at once avoid the mid-list gap where the size you need isn't on the shelf.
Buying PDO threads as a UK practitioner
- Genuine, CE marked stock. Sterile, in date and traceable by batch. Ask any supplier the same.
- Range depth. A supplier carrying two sizes is no use mid-treatment. Check the gauge and length list before opening an account.
- UK stock. Order by 4pm for next-day delivery; free over £100.
- Cash flow. Buy Now Pay Later at checkout; wholesale quotes for groups, academies and pharmacies.
New to buying? Start with how UK professionals buy aesthetic products, then open an account.
FAQ
Where do UK clinics buy PDO threads?
From a UK aesthetics supplier holding the full gauge and length list in stock. FillerFace carries 16 NEO lines — mono, screw and cog — with next-day delivery.
How much do PDO threads cost for clinics?
At FillerFace, £19.99 for a pack of 20 mono threads, £22.99 for screw and £99.99 for cog, at the time of writing — £1.00, £1.15 and £5.00 a thread.
Mono or cog?
Mono threads firm and improve skin quality across an area and don't lift. Cog threads are barbed and reposition tissue — they're the lifting threads. Screw sits between the two, adding a little substance.
Which gauge for the under-eye and brow?
The finest and shortest: 31G at 12mm/16mm, or 30G at 18mm/30mm. Save 27G and 29G at 38mm/50mm for cheeks, jawline and neck.
How long do PDO threads last?
The thread itself absorbs over roughly six to eight months; the collagen it stimulates is what carries the result beyond that. Patients are usually re-treated as the effect softens.