What is a Refresher Face Lift?

The goal of a facelift is for the face to look younger and refreshed.  There are many names for different types of facelifts:  the most important factor is the surgeon.

Hello, this is a great question! Unfortunately, there is a lot of variation in facelift terminology and trademarked names. This is very confusing for patients. It is also confusing for surgeons, as we are not entirely consistent as a specialty in when we refer to facelift procedures. The facelift procedure is the definitive procedure in facial rejuvenation. It usually involves involves some degree of elevation of the skin in front of and behind the ear and some form of tightening of the underlying support layer, the SMAS. There are also more limited incision facelifts of various types, commonly referred to as “mini-lifts”. Theoretically, these procedures may require less recovery as less tissue is manipulated. The downside is that they can leave your face looking “unfinished”. If you require a neck lift, you also have aging changes in your mid-face that may benefit from surgery to achieve balance. I any case, I don’t think that the recovery is necessarily significantly better than with a full face. It is possible to be out and about in public in a week or so after a facelift. I would consult with an experienced facelift surgeon to go over the options.

A “Refresher” facelift is more of a marketing term. You are either going to have a facelift or not. Many of these are marketing terms and gimmicks and have no correlation to operative procedures.