2026 TriLift Lecture Review [The Principles of Facial Muscle Lifting and Why It Is Needed]

Hello, this is Lifton Dermatology.

On June 14, I attended the TriLift academic lecture and gave a presentation on the topic of Total Facial Contouring.

Under the theme of Total Facial Contouring, I discussed not only the effects of weakened facial muscles on sagging and changes in facial contours, but also how DMSt and TriPollar RF can be applied in actual clinical practice.

New devices and treatment methods are emerging rapidly in aesthetic medicine, and as patients’ needs become more specific, more people are looking for methods suited to their individual facial structure and the causes of aging, rather than treatments that simply tighten the skin.

However, not every patient needs a new device simply because it is new. It is important to carefully consider what role it can play in actual clinical practice and whether it can address the limitations of existing treatments.

Changes in the Muscles Involved in Facial Sagging

Facial aging does not occur only in the skin. Fat may decrease or shift downward, and the structure of the bones may also change. When the volume and tone of the facial expression muscles decrease as well, the three-dimensional appearance of the midface may diminish, and nasolabial folds and sagging along the jawline may become more noticeable.

Even when the face is expressionless, the facial muscles maintain a certain level of force to support the skin and fat. This is called baseline muscle tone, and when this force decreases, it can create the impression that the center of the face has shifted downward.

In particular, many people have recently said that their face looks hollow and loose after rapidly losing weight with treatments such as Wegovy or Mounjaro. When the amount of muscle that supported the face has decreased along with the fat, simply filling in the lost volume may not be sufficient.

TriLift directly stimulates the facial muscles that act as support structures beneath the skin. Rather than simply pulling up sagging areas, it also activates weakened muscles and addresses the force that supports the skin and fat.

TriLift’s Core Technology: DMSt

DMSt is an essential technology when discussing TriLift.

While TriPollar RF delivers radiofrequency energy to the skin and subcutaneous fat layers, DMSt directly stimulates the facial expression muscles that support the tissues from within the face. TriLift differs in that it considers not only skin elasticity but also the muscles that support the face.

DMSt creates stronger contractions than those produced during normal facial expressions, awakening muscles that are not frequently used. With repeated stimulation, it does not merely cause the muscles to move temporarily; it can help reactivate the connection between the brain and muscles and increase baseline muscle tone.

The treatment does not begin at a high intensity. It starts at a low level, after which the intensity and duration are adjusted according to the muscle response. Just as weights are gradually increased during exercise as the body adapts, the electrical load applied to the necessary areas is gradually increased over successive sessions.

How TriLift DMSt Stimulates the Facial Muscles

The face has both elevator muscles, which lift the cheeks and corners of the mouth, and depressor muscles, which pull them downward. As aging progresses, the upward lifting force weakens, while the downward force may become relatively stronger. Therefore, rather than stimulating the entire face at the same intensity, it is necessary to accurately identify the weakened elevator muscles and the exercise points where the muscles respond best.

The reason is that the location of the muscles and the degree of development on each side differ from person to person.

With TriLift, the medical professional moves the handpiece directly while checking the contraction response.

Its strength is that it can be applied in detail according to facial asymmetry and muscle condition, rather than stimulating standardized locations uniformly. DMSt is not simply a technology for moving the muscles forcefully; its significance lies in reactivating weakened facial expression muscles and restoring the force that supports the face upward.

TriPollar RF is then used to treat the skin and fat layers as well, which is the core of TriLift.

From Facial Lifting to Body Contouring

At Lifton Dermatology, many people visit not only for facial lifting but also because they are concerned about fat and skin sagging in the abdomen and thighs.

It is not uncommon for people to feel that their skin has become loose and their body lines have lost definition after childbirth or rapid weight loss. Currently, we apply BodyOnda and fat-dissolving injections according to each person’s condition.

While BodyOnda focuses on the fat layer to refine body lines, TriLift can deliver heat to the subcutaneous fat layer and skin using TriPollar RF, while also stimulating the large muscles that support the body, such as those in the abdomen and buttocks, with DMSt.

In the lecture, we also examined the potential for improving fat metabolism and cellulite when the subcutaneous fat layer is heated to around 40°C.

Even if the amount of fat reduction is not substantial, increased muscle tone can make the abdomen look firmer and change the overall silhouette. Since it considers the skin, fat, and muscles together, I believe it has sufficient potential to complement existing body treatments.

What I wanted to convey in this lecture was not merely the advantages of a particular device. Sagging of the face and body does not begin in just one layer, so it is necessary to consider not only the skin and fat but also muscle strength.

As we continue to build sufficient clinical experience, we will develop specific TriLift protocols suited to the facial structures and body concerns of patients at Lifton Dermatology.