Techniques for plastic surgery are developing all the time, particularly when it comes to a facelift. In this article we focus on the deep plane facelift, explaining what it is and how it’s different.
What is the deep plane facelift?
The deep plane is a term which describes the part of the face that exists between the SMAS-platysma complex (muscle and fascia) and the deeper layer of muscles that control facial expression.
The deep plane facelift results in a more long lasting and impactful facelift for those looking for a more significant change to their appearance. That isn’t to say the results look unnatural – quite the reverse, in fact. With a deep plane facelift, the skin remains attached, so continues to sit in a natural position and so the chances of looking stretched or “windswept” in the long term is reduced. This is one of the main benefits over other face lift techniques which involve tightening the skin, though the risk of this can be reduced by working with an experienced team.
With traditional facelift techniques, the surgeon after elevating the skin then elevates the SMAS layer using sutures before re-draping the skin to produce a more youthful appearance. The quality of the result depends on the care and experience of the surgeon and there is a slightly increased risk of unevenness.
When performing a deep plane facelift, the surgeon lifts only under the SMAS layer, including the cheeks, leaving the skin attached. This means the skin isn’t tightened but is lifted along with the underlying tissues.
The idea is that by working on the deep plane level and releasing all the ligaments under the SMAS which hold it fixed your surgeon can make a bigger difference which also lasts longer, so it could be a helpful technique so it can generate more dramatic and long-lasting results.
That said, this technique is not available everywhere at present and traditional techniques remain very good options. Most patients want natural-looking results which means care needs to be taken not to over-tighten the skin.
Of course, because the skin is naturally elastic, methods which pull the skin upwards or indeed move the underlying SMAS without releasing ligaments underneath the SMAS whilst long-lasting, are not as long-lasting as the deep plane facelift. Everyone ages at a different rate but you can expect your traditional facelift to need to be repeated after about 15 years if you want to maintain the results.
