Name: Deep Plane Facelift
Brand: Austin Face & Body
Rating: 4.8 (186 reviews)

The deep plane facelift is exclusively performed by facial plastic surgeons with the highest level of skill and expertise. It’s an advanced technique that yields youthful, natural results.

The deep plane lift

In a league of its own

The deep plane facelift was developed as a way to modify standard facelift techniques. It’s a unique approach because it goes beyond signs of aging on the skin’s surface. It also addresses the effects of aging that occur deep within the facial structure, below the SMAS layer. In this way, your plastic surgeon can address changes in the mid-face and deep nasolabial folds.

During surgery, this technique keeps the skin and underlying tissues aligned while detaching and repositioning the entire structure. This results in no strain on the skin or muscle – and instead places tension at the level of the fascia. By adjusting and elevating the facial tissue as a whole, the deep plane facelift results in a subtle, natural enhancement.

Are you a candidate?

We can confirm your candidacy for a deep plane facelift during a private consultation at our Austin office. During this visit, we will review your medical history, signs of aging, and unique aesthetic goals. In general, the best candidates for a deep plane facelift are individuals who:

Want to address signs of aging on the mid-face and neck region
Are healthy enough to undergo surgery that can take up to four hours
Have not been diagnosed with any bleeding disorders or abnormalities
Possess realistic expectations for what the deep plane facelift can accomplish

Facial aging: Why does it happen?

Everyone ages eventually – but some of us seem to show the telltale signs at a faster rate with lost elasticity, poor skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles, volume loss, and texture irregularities. Why does this happen?

There are a number of factors that can cause external skin changes. Some of them are within your control, and some are simply a natural outcome of the aging process:

Sun exposure. Your sun exposure is one of the main factors related to aging that is within your control. When your skin is exposed to ultraviolet light, it speeds up the aging process and can cause early wrinkling. Wearing sunscreen every day, and avoiding the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is the best thing you can do to reduce its harmful effects on your appearance.
Facial movement. Smiling, squinting, frowning – these are just some of the repetitive facial expressions that we use to communicate. But, they can also lead to fine lines and wrinkles. As you age, your skin isn’t as flexible as it once was, and all that movement can result in permanent creases on your face.
The natural aging process. As you age, your skin produces less natural oils and your elasticity suffers. This is a natural process that isn’t within your control.
Smoking. Smoking cigarettes accelerates the normal aging process and can cause premature lines, wrinkles, and texture irregularities.

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The procedure: What to expect

At Austin Face & Body, our facial plastic surgeons perform the deep plane facelift under general anesthesia. To begin, we will create a standard facelift incision – one that typically begins in the hairline and extends around the ear.

Through that opening, we will tighten and reposition the deep layers of the musculature and gently elevate the underlying tissue. This will all be accomplished without stretching the skin, allowing us to avoid the artificial, “wind-swept” look.

Beautiful middle aged woman smiling outside

Recovery & Results

Immediately after surgery, we will cover the wound with ointment and a light-pressure dressing. You can expect to stay home from work for about two weeks to ensure a smooth recovery.

After six months, your final results will be apparent. At that point, your mid-face should appear gently lifted, and you’ll notice an improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, facial volume, jowls, submental fullness, and neck wrinkles.

Customizing your procedure:

Deep plane neck lift

If you also struggle with excess skin and banding on the neck, we can address these issues during a deep plane neck lift. We will extend your incision so that it travels farther down the hairline, in addition to creating an incision in the submental crease. Through those openings, we will mimic the deep plane techniques to address loose neck skin, jowls and platysmal banding.

Deep plane mini facelift

The deep plane mini facelift is sought-after by many of our Austin patients because it combines the deep plane technical approach with short incisions – resulting in less scarring and an easier recovery period.

To begin, your facial plastic surgeon in Austin will create short, curved incisions around the ears. Through those openings, we will release and elevate the underlying musculature – restoring a more youthful facial structure. This approach tends to be ideal for men and women who have jowls, skin laxity on the neck, vertical neck banding, and lines that run from the corners of the mouth down to the chin.

Deep plane or SMAS facelift?

Traditional facelift techniques – including the SMAS facelift – are very effective in lifting and tightening tissue along the lower face and neck. As such, they are ideal for Austin women and men who want to target signs of aging on the lower third of the face only.

However, standard techniques were not designed to address drooping in the mid-face region or the deep folds that extend from the edges of the nose to the corners of the mouth. If you want to target those specific areas, a deep plane facelift may be in your best interest. It has a longer healing period and is a more involved procedure that poses some risk to the facial nerve, but the results it can achieve are unmatched.

Providers who perform Deep Plane Facelifts at Austin Face & Body

Dr. Alex Pong

Dr. Pong joins Austin Face and Body from Louisville, KY, where he completed an Aesthetic Society-endorsed fellowship working under world-renowned breast surgeon, Dr. Brad Calobrace. Prior to that, he completed his medical degree with honors and graduated first in his class from UT Health in San Antonio.

Dr. Alex Pong »

Deep Plane Facelift