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Refresher Lift: Full Story? CLICK HERE

The Refresher Lift is the cornerstone procedure of our modular approach to facial rejuvenation. As part of the natural aging process, the skin and muscles of the lower face and neck lose elasticity, resulting in jowls and a poor neck contour. No technology can rival our signature procedure, The Refresher Lift, in returning freshness and youthfulness to an aging or tired looking face. This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis under intravenous (local) or general anesthesia.

Our state of the art Refresher Lift has recently been enhanced by the addition of stemcell boosted fat micro grafts the Stemcell Refresher Lift. During this procedure, the surgeon harvests fat (usually from the lower abdomen) and uses a centrifugation process to separate the adult stem cells from the extracted fat. These extracted stem and regenerative cells from the less useful remaining fluid are gently mixed with new fat collected for the microinjection procedure. These cells are reinjected mixed with fresh fat cells below the facial skin which not only helps to recreate the fullness of youth, but also promotes skin healing and rejuvenation. Look carefully at the skin texture of a post face lift. The skin is glowing and has the look and feel of much younger skin due partly to the action of the stem and regenerative cells.

Our state-of-the-art Refresher Lifts are performed by uplifting and enhancing the cheek area, reducing jowls and saggy neck skin with extremely discreet and limited incisions. Also, the volume restoration provided by the incorporation of a cheek lift and/or Fat Injections provides a remarkably natural and youthful result as compared to the often stretched look of classical facelifts. In addition, associate procedures such as brow lifts, eyelid lifts, neck plication, and lip enhancements are often performed simultaneously to fulfill your specific needs.

After the surgery, some swelling and bruising can be expected and normally subsides within a week or two. Most sutures are removed between five to ten days, while residual bruising can be covered by camouflage makeup to shorten the time required before one can resume social activities. The discomfort after the surgery is usually well-managed by medications prescribed by our doctors and rarely lasts longer than 3 to 4 days.

Before	After
44 years old, Refresher lift,brow lift, fat injections to lips., post op picture taken 12 month(s) after procedure

Other associated procedures that are performed along with a face lift: peel, nose correction, chin implant, fat injections, among others -- all giving the face a fully rejuvenated look.

Our "Refresher Lift"

Incorporating the effectiveness of a facelift with cheek lifting and short incisions provides youthful results for all patients over forty years old. As can be seen below, some patients in their thirties can also benefit from a refresher lift.

Before	After
56 years old, post op picture taken 1 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
70 years old, Face lift, neck lift, brow lift, post op picture taken 4 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
50 years old, Face lift, neck lift, brow lift, upper eye lid trimming, post op picture taken 48 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
51 years old, Refresher face lift, neck lift, brow lift, post op picture taken 1 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
51 years old, Refresher face lift, neck lift, brow lift, post op picture taken 1 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
50 years old, face lift, neck lift, brow lift, post op picture taken 6 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
Secondary corrective face lift, neck lift, brow lift, post op picture taken 3 month(s) after procedure
Previous face lift performed by another surgeon with very poor results.
Before	After
60 years old, Face lift, neck lift, brow lift, post op picture taken 3 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
60 years old, Face lift, neck lift, brow lift, post op picture taken 3 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
73 years old, Face lift, neck lift, brow lift, chemical peel, post op picture taken 3 month(s) after procedure
Patient had extreme sun damage to skin
Before	After
72 years old, Face lift, neck lift with defating, brow lift, removal of fat pads from lower eye lids, trimming of upper eye lids, post op picture taken 3 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
50 years old, Facelift, post op picture taken 3 month(s) after procedure
Patient previousely had a brow lift.
Before	After
35 years old, post op picture taken 24 month(s) after procedure
face lift, cheek lift and brow lift.






Before	After
61 years old, post op picture taken 6 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
37 years old, post op picture taken 12 month(s) after procedure

Before	After
63 years old, Refresher lift, neck lift, botox, post op picture taken 3 month(s) after procedure

Refresher Lift: Full Story ? CLICK HERE

Is the Refresher Lift (RF) different from the Macs Lift? By Christian G Drehsen M.D.

The Refresher Lift is quite different in its reach and adaptability.

The name Refresher Lift was actually coined by my patients who told me how �refreshed� they felt after surgery. I started using the name in the 1990�s because it was a lot easier was a lot easier to describe its effect than to explain the procedure using medical jargon that only a plastic surgeon would understand. Below, I will explain the procedure with a caveat to non board certified plastic surgeons: The Refresher Lift has proven to be safe, effective, and long lasting with reasonable recovery times. It is well within the capabilities of trained board certified plastic surgeons, but it is NOT for weekend trained amateurs.

Several important goals areaccomplished with the Refresher Lift. Refreshing requires more than a simple tightening; a natural looking rejuvenation cannot be achieved without the restoration of a youthful cheek contour, the filling of suborbital hollows, the elimination of jowls, and redefining the submandibular trough . The Refresher Lift produces a strong vertical uplift achieving restoration of the malar fullness and filling of the suborbital hollow. It is not a mini lift since the lengths of the incisions vary according to the specific requirements demanded by the patients� needs.

The mechanism creating the strong vertical uplift is based on an obliquely directed (lateral canthus to base of earlobe) inverted C, elliptically shaped smasectomy, starting with a pie shaped excision of the lateral periorbital orbicularis and finishing with a similar excisional wedge of the superolateral platysma in the sub-tragal area. The strong quasi vertical uplift of the malar pad is achieved with a near/far slipped auto-locking knot running suture. Prior to this step, a gathering auto-locking purse string suture is used to elevate the superolateral platysma and the lower smas in a fanlike fashion, and secure them to the rigid pretragal smas (this suture may extend in the neck when needed, toward the supraglottic area tightening the mid platysma).

In some cases, when a substantial superolateral malar uplift is needed, and only a minimal fat pad laxity is present, a subperiosteal malar undermining accompanied by a strong transfixing suspension suture anchored to the temporal fascia is added to the smasectomy.

Closure of the orbicularis resection consistently improves lower lid posture. The small lateral canthal dog ear created by the vertical uplift is reduced by syringe liposuction of the subcutaneous malar pad. Squinting lines are reduced by a punch avulsion of the lateral periorbital orbicularis. Enhancement of the medial sub orbital fill hollow is achieved at the end of the procedure with 4 to 5 cc micro fat grafting placed below orbital rim and under the periorbital orbicularis.

A receding hairline belies all rejuvenating efforts. The Refresher Lift maintains a youthful temporal hairline because the hairs are never displaced behind or above the superior ear sulcus. This is achieved by using a sharply beveled, wavy, intra, or retro trichial incision, designed to minimize the displacement of the temporal hairline or sideburns. The post -tragal incision is refined by a one sided Z-plasty.

When nosignificant redraping or no anteroposterior neck tightening is needed, the post auricular sulcus absorbs the dog ear resulting from the superolateral cheek skin transfer. When a more substantial lateral neck skin redraping is needed, a beveled, wavy intra and/or retro trichial incision is designed following obliquely, the nape of the neck.

The most common ancillary procedures performed in conjunction with the Refresher Lift or Stemcell Refresher Lift are intraconjunctival lower blepharoplasties with a 35% TCA peel, corset platysmaraphy to correct prominent band, pre or sub platysmal fat excision, and repair the platysmal sling with a strong slipped knot, auto locking suture. Our dual plane brow lift is commonly performed to restore an elegant and dynamic framing of the eyes.

This brief description of the Refresher Lift cannot possibly incorporate the dozens of small yet meaningful refinements that I have incorporated in this procedure over the years. If you are a board certified plastic surgeon and wish to learn this procedure in detail, please contact our practice administrator, Patrick Dines, at 727-592-0991 or email me at drdrehsen@refresherlift.com and we can make some arrangements for you to visit us and learn the details of this procedure.

For a personal and confidential consultation with one of our Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, call the Clinique of Plastic Surgery at 800-942-1606 to schedule your appointment today!

As with any medical procedure, there are certain inherent risks that should be discussed. Costs vary depending upon the extent of the surgery and areas treated.