Westport, New Canaan, Ridgefield & All of Fairfield County
Are you looking forward to an event like a wedding, reunion, bar or bat mitzvah where you want to look and feel your best? Are Botox, fillers and other “non-invasive” treatments no longer sufficient to reverse troublesome signs of aging like loose, sagging skin in the face and neck, loss of jawline definition, jowls, and deep wrinkles? If so, then it’s time to consider a different approach.
Developed and published by Dr. O’Connell, “Jawline-Refine” is his go-to procedure for facial rejuvenation when extensive correction in the neck is not needed. Most patients are “out to dinner” with friends at one week. Best of all it’s performed in our office without need for general anesthesia so recovery is minimized while safety and correction are maximized. For many patients, Jawline-Refine is performed without need for sedation, using only oral medications. You’ll leave the office with a light dressing without the after effects and risks of anesthesia.
Jawline-Refine was developed by Dr. Joseph O’Connell over the past two decades with two main goals in mind: natural, reproducible results and a safe contouring of the jawline and lower face.
“This is what you want…you just don’t know about it yet”
The driving force behind the Jawline-Refine was the advances in both surgical technique and suture technology over the past 20 years, together with Dr. O’Connell’s preference for simpler procedures with less recovery, less risk, and less need for anesthesia.
By gently lifting and folding your facial tissue, the Jawline-Refine provides an extremely effective vector for jowl elevation and jawline refinement, together with a natural auto-augmentation of the cheek. This combination results in a restoration of the more heart-shaped face of youth. It's all about volumization and the Jawline-Refine is specifically designed to enhance your own facial volume.
Because the Jawline-Refine does not utilize knots for SMAS elevation, there’s less risk of infection and no possibility of being able to see or feel a knot following surgery. By working in the superficial plane, the facial structures that descend with age are directly addressed without the need to work below the muscles and the all-important facial nerve. In Dr. O'Connell's opinion, the Jawline-Refine offers less risk of nerve injury than some other techniques without the need to manage the troublesome temporal circulation.
Jawline-Refine is not simply Dr. O'Connell’s proprietary facial rejuvenation technique; it’s a technique built upon the time-honored work of preceding master plastic surgeons. Most importantly, Jawline-refine has passed the scrutiny of peer-review and was published as the lead article in the prestigious publication, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, in 2015 under the name of The BiDirectional Lift.
As the originator of the Jawline-Refine Westport plastic surgeon, Dr. Joseph O’Connell, is a published author and nationally recognized expert on facial rejuvenation and facelifts.
Can Jawline-Refine be combined with other procedures?
Additional facial procedures such as eyelid surgery, brow lifting, liposuction of the neck, laser resurfacing, and Ellacor® resurfacing are commonly part of the plan developed for each patient based upon their particular needs, concerns, and facial anatomy
After Jawline-Refine Westport patients typically continue to maintain and enhance their appearance with intense pulsed light and laser treatments as well as with a comprehensive, individualized medical skincare regimen including Botox and fillers when necessary. In our practice, all Botox and fillers are personally administered by Dr. O’Connell – a master surgeon and injector with over 30 years of hands-on experience.
Because it requires a smaller incision, Jawline-Refine poses fewer risks, provides less scarring, and offers a shorter, less troublesome recovery time than traditional facelifts. Jawline-Refine also offers significantly more correction and longer-lasting results than other options, such as filler injections, Botox, lasers, and radiofrequency procedures.
All surgery leaves scars, but with Jawline-Refine, the scars are shorter and stop at the base of the ear. Jawline-Refine was designed to hide scars in natural creases and to preserve the hair, including the sideburn “tuft.”
Here is a photo of the scar from a standard Jawline Refine at 5 years.
Because no knots are used to provide jawline contouring, there’s no need to anchor or bury them and therefore no need to dissect deep into the face into the areas of important nerves, muscles, and blood vessels. Jawline-Refine utilizes knotless, dissolvable sutures, which are slowly absorbed by the body. There’s less inflammation, less swelling, and less risk of infection than with some other techniques.
Because a smaller incision and less dissection is utilized for Jawline-Refine, the procedure is less invasive than traditional facelift surgery and significantly less invasive than a traditional facelift, the procedure is less invasive than traditional facelift surgery and significantly less invasive than a traditional facelift. Bruising and swelling are minimal and our Westport Jawline-Refine patients are generally able to return to sedentary occupations within ten days or less, and unrestricted physical activity at 21 days.
Jawline-Refine (with upper blepharoplasties) performed under local anesthesia in-office. Photos illustrate PreOp, 7 Days Post-Op and 3 weeks Post-Op
This post-op photo, taken in 2021, was taken 6 weeks after surgery
These are taken PreOperatively and at the time of suture removal 7 days following surgery.
Jawline-Refine is almost always performed in Dr. O’Connell’s accredited in-office surgical suite without the need for general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. You never have to worry about who is administering anesthesia because you won’t be “put-under” during the surgery. You’ll recover faster and leave the office feeling great with only a light bandage.
Our traditional facelift patients may still use intravenous sedation or general anesthesia, depending on your specific procedure.
The results of Jawline-Refine are just as effective and last as long or longer than other facelift techniques - and much longer than Botox or fillers. The secret of Jawline-Refine is that it not only elevates and contours the jawline, midface and jowl but it actually volumizes the cheek with the patient’s own tissue. This gives the appearance of increased natural fullness without using any fillers or injections whatsoever.
Take note of the scarring from this patient after 10 years following Jawline-Refine.
Most Westport Jawline-Refine patients are between the ages of 42-75.
Jawline-Refine provides elevation and contouring of the jawline and jowl with added elevation and volumization of the midface and cheek with essentially no scarring behind the ear. This is a type of “minimal incision” or “short-scar” procedure. The best candidates for Jawline-Refine are those with sagging in the mid and lower face, especially in the jawline and jowl areas.
While traditional facelifts are a good choice for many older patients, particularly when added correction of neck laxity is desired, these procedures usually require scars behind the ear and most cases are performed with sedation or general anesthesia.
As with any aesthetic surgical procedure, patients must be in good physical and mental health, accept the associated risks as well as the inevitable scarring and asymmetry that can accompany the procedure, and have realistic expectations about what Jawline-Refine as well as traditional facelifting can and cannot accomplish.
Jawline-Refine is typically done under local anesthesia with some oral tranquilization in the privacy of our accredited outpatient surgical facility in Westport, CT.
Following Jawline-Refine Westport patients are observed for at least one hour before being discharged with instructions to minimize talking and chewing and to keep their head elevated. Showering and hair washing are typically allowed at 48 hours and skin sutures are removed 7 days after the procedure.
With traditional facelifting, IV sedation or general anesthesia can be used at an accredited and licensed hospital or surgicenter.
Dr. Joseph O’Connell
New York Trained, Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
President, Connecticut Society of Plastic Surgeons
Learn More About Dr. Joseph O’ConnellWhen you schedule your confidential, personalized consultation for Jawline-Refine Westport plastic surgeon Dr. O'Connell will carefully and comprehensively evaluate your unique needs and aesthetic goals. Together, you will determine what options may work best for you to restore a more youthful, healthy appearance and provide you with the confidence that comes with putting your best face forward.
A Castle Connolly New York Metro Area Top Doctor for 22 consecutive years
Connecticut Magazine Top Doctors list for 2023
Recognized by New York Magazine as one of the city’s Best Doctors in 2018, 2021, & 2023.
The first step towards a new, beautiful you is to schedule a personal consultation.
Along with providing the highest level of care, no effort is spared to create an environment where each patient is nurtured and cared for as an individual. Use our form to contact Dr. O’Connell with questions about any of our aesthetic or plastic surgery procedures.
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