Michele Lukkason

With Refinery Skin Clinic Since 2017

Treatments & Services I Offer

I specialize in advanced aesthetic injectable treatments and regenerative skin therapies designed to create natural-looking, beautifully balanced results that help my clients look refreshed, confident, and unmistakably like themselves.

Services I provide include:

• Full-face facial balancing with advanced dermal filler techniques 
• BOTOX® Cosmetic and neuromodulator treatments for wrinkle prevention, softening expression lines, and facial rejuvenation 
• Lip enhancement and facial contouring with the JUVÉDERM® Collection 
• Cheek augmentation and midface restoration for lift, support, and facial harmony 
• Hair restoration with Ariessence® PDGF 
• SkinPen® microneedling with Ariessence® PDGF for collagen stimulation and regenerative skin rejuvenation 
• Comprehensive consultation and individualized treatment planning with a strong emphasis on natural-looking outcomes and long-term skin health 

What I’m Known For & My Areas of Expertise

My clients often come to me because they want injectable results that look natural, elegant, and never obvious. No one has ever sat in my chair and said, “Please make me look overfilled and vaguely surprised.” Which works out nicely, because that’s not my style either!

I believe aesthetic treatments should enhance what’s already beautiful, restore what time may have changed, and help you look like a more rested, refreshed version of yourself, not someone entirely new.

My expertise centers around facial balancing, advanced injectable artistry, regenerative aesthetic treatments, and creating thoughtful treatment plans rooted in anatomy, restraint, and long-term strategy. 

To me, cosmetic injectables are about so much more than just placing product. They’re about understanding facial structure, movement, proportion, aging patterns, tissue support, and how the smallest adjustments can create the most beautiful shifts.

That blend of artistry and clinical precision is one of my favorite things about this work.

I’m also deeply committed to continuing education because in aesthetics, standing still isn’t an option! Techniques evolve. Safety evolves. Best practices evolve.

My clients deserve the very best of all of it.

A Little Bit About Me

I’m Minnesota-born and raised, and my path into aesthetic medicine has been both deeply personal and incredibly meaningful.

I originally began my medical career as a Medical Assistant working in facial plastic surgery, dermatology, and MOHS surgery, where I quickly fell in love with aesthetics, facial anatomy, and the fascinating intersection of medicine and artistry.

But my connection to this work became profoundly more personal in my mid-20s when I was diagnosed with cancer. As a result of treatment, I experienced facial asymmetry and drooping that significantly affected how I saw myself. And while aesthetics can sometimes get unfairly reduced to vanity from the outside, I know firsthand that it can be something so much deeper than that.

BOTOX became part of what helped me regain a sense of normalcy, confidence, and feeling like me again during an incredibly difficult chapter of life. That experience changed me. It gave me a very real understanding of how emotionally tied confidence, identity, and self-recognition can be to the face staring back at you in the mirror.

This work has never felt superficial to me because I know exactly how meaningful it can be.

Rebecca, the owner of Refinery Skin Clinic, and I originally worked together in facial plastic surgery, and with encouragement from both her and my incredibly supportive husband, I eventually made the decision to return to school to pursue nursing.

Because apparently I like challenges!

While helping build Refinery, I also spent seven years on the medical-surgical floor at Fairview Ridges, which gave me an incredibly strong clinical foundation that continues to shape how I practice aesthetic nursing today.

I’ve been part of Refinery since day one, which makes watching this practice grow into what it is today especially meaningful.

How I Approach Taking Care of Your Skin’s Health & Appearance

No two faces are the same. No two comfort levels are the same. No two goals are the same. And treatment plans should absolutely reflect that.

My approach always starts with listening. I want to understand what you’re seeing, what’s bothering you, what your goals are, and just as importantly, what doesn’t feel right for you.

While injectables are a major part of what I do, I strongly believe beautiful outcomes come from thinking comprehensively, not transactionally.

Sometimes that means BOTOX. Sometimes that means filler. Sometimes it means skincare, collagen stimulation, regenerative treatments, prevention, or simply creating a longer-term plan instead of trying to solve everything in one appointment.

I love helping clients understand the “why” behind recommendations because informed clients make empowered decisions. And honestly? One of the most rewarding parts of my job is watching someone catch their reflection after treatment and think, “Oh… there I am.”

That moment never gets old.

My Favorite Treatments to Perform & Why I Love Them

BOTOX® Cosmetic

BOTOX will probably always have a special place in my heart. Partly because of my personal story, and partly because it’s one of the most elegant tools we have when used thoughtfully.

I love that subtle, refreshed shift it can create without changing what makes someone look like themselves. Done well, people usually notice you look great. Not your BOTOX. That’s the sweet spot!

Learn more about BOTOX® Cosmetic

Cheek Filler / Midface Restoration

This is where anatomy nerd Michele gets especially excited! The midface plays such an important role in facial structure, support, and overall harmony, and thoughtfully restoring volume here can create incredibly beautiful, natural-looking lift.

This isn’t about randomly adding filler. It’s about understanding architecture.

Learn more about dermal fillers

SkinPen® Microneedling with Ariessence® PDGF+

I’m passionate about treatments that improve skin quality at the foundational level. Healthy collagen, stronger skin, smoother texture, better resilience… that’s the kind of long-game skincare I love, and why I am such a SkinPen® fan.

Because while injectables can do amazing things, beautiful, healthy skin makes everything better!

Learn more about SkinPen® with Ariessence PDGF+

Products I Love Recommending

SkinMedica® TNS® Advanced+ Serum

This is one of those products I recommend constantly because it consistently proves and earns its reputation across the board. TNS supports smoother texture, healthier-looking skin, firmness, and overall rejuvenation in a way that integrates beautifully with professional treatments. It’s a multi-tasking skincare superhero!

Shop TNS Advanced+ Serum online

Plated™ Eye Serum

The under-eye area can be incredibly challenging as skin ages, which is exactly why I love regenerative science here.

This innovative, exosome-rich serum helps support the skin’s own repair mechanisms in a really exciting way, and I’ve seen beautiful improvement in texture, fine lines, and overall eye-area quality.

SkinMedica® HA5® Hydra Collagen Rejuvenating Hydrator

Hydration is foundational. Period. We all need it!

HA5 Hydra Collagen is one of those versatile staples that supports barrier health, smoothness, and overall skin quality beautifully. It’s perfect for all skin types and leaves you with this insane, luminous glow that all of my clients love!

Shop HA5 Hydra Collagen Hydrator online

Education, Certifications & Advanced Training

• Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist (CANS) 
• Registered Nurse (RN), 2018 
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), 2022 
• International Society of Plastic and Surgical Nurses (ISPAN) member for 10+ years 
• Chairperson, ISPAN Education Committee 
• Faculty Instructor for ISPAN Cadaver Course (4 consecutive years) 
• Advanced injector training with Dr. Mauricio de Maio’s MD Codes™ methodology 
• Extensive background in facial plastic surgery, dermatology, and aesthetic nursing 

How Clients & Co-Workers Describe Me

• Warm 
• Compassionate 
• Highly detail-oriented 
• Thoughtful 
• Trustworthy 
• Calm and reassuring 
• Skilled 
• The injector who genuinely listens 

My Life Outside of Refinery Skin Clinic

Outside of work, my life is beautifully full and just a tiny bit chaotic!

I’m raising three boys under 10, which means much of my free time is spent at hockey rinks, baseball fields, lacrosse sidelines, or asking someone to please put on actual shoes.

Our yellow lab, Charlie, contributes enthusiastically to the chaos.

When I manage to carve out a little creative breathing room, I love painting and drawing, which honestly makes perfect sense given how much I love the artistry side of aesthetics.

But above all, my favorite role is simply being Mom.

Fun fact: I spent three years living in Colorado and volunteered with the Minnesota Twins First Aid Team from 2022–2024, because giving back has always been important to me.