Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Dr. Behrooz A. Torkian is a Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon dual board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS). He is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) and focuses his practice exclusively on the face and nose. Haute Beauty chats with Dr. Torkian to learn more about his signature Refreshe Lift.

HB: What is the Refreshe Lift?

Refreshe Lift is a custom tailored procedure designed to tighten the jawline and neck, and add fullness to the upper face and cheekbone area.  It is ideal for the 40-something and the 50-something patient who is looking for reliable rejuvenation without the obvious signs of traditional facelift procedures.  Dr. Torkian’s expert tissue handling ensures that the incisions are virtually invisible.  

Depending on how the aging in their face is progressing, people will come to me with different areas of their face that bother them.  For example, everybody comes and looks in the mirror and uses their fingers to lift up their jaw line.  Some people will lift up the jawline at the area at the angle of the mandible  underneath their ear and others will pull all the way up from their cheek bone area and lift the upper face to improve facial drooping.  The extent of the treatment and specific area of focus is determined  based on what people want and what they are expecting to get out of the rejuvenation procedure.  That determines how the procedure is done. 

HB: Do you prefer it to other methods?

In the 40 to 50-something age group, many patients are psychologically not ready for facelift procedures.  In this age group, they may turn to non-surgical techniques, which use radio frequency, ultrasound or thread-lift type of procedures that use threads or retaining devices, such as the InstaLift.  While these treatments can give you a result as well, they’re not quite as reliable as really physically taking some of that skin out and tightening up the muscle layer.  This is the advantage of the Refreshe Lift – virtually invisible incisions with reliable results.  

HB: Who is a good candidate?

Basically, what the difference is between a Refreshe Lift and some of the other options that we give to patients, such as the non-surgical options that patients in the same age group (late 30’s – late 40’s) would want to do, is that it’s actually more reliable because we are getting underneath the skin, tightening up the muscle layer and cutting out extra skin.  So it’s for the patient who’s not afraid to have something done, but just doesn’t want to look like they have had a lot “done”.

HB: what does recovery look like?

Usually, depending on what needs to be done, it’s a very short recovery treatment.  Short healing phases, stitches in place for only about five to seven days. Generally, bruising, swelling and recovery done by about one week.  Some patients still need to wear their hair down over the incisions because the incisions can be a little bit red for a while, but they’re out in social situations within a week to 10 days.  Some of them may even be ready for work by about five or six days.  Most patients resume exercise with some modifications at approximately two weeks.

Photo Credit: Dr. Behrooz