The deep plane facelift is a transformative procedure designed to restore the face and neck structures back to their youthful position. This powerful technique maximizes results while delivering natural, long lasting effects.
Why a Deep Plane Facelift?
- This technique creates results which simply cannot be achieved through less advanced styles of facelifting.
- By performing tension free lifting, the effect created by the deep plane facelift is more natural appearing than less advanced styles of facelift.
- Tension free lifting also allows for better scar healing conditions, reducing the risk of widened or hypertrophic scars.
- Because the deep plane facelift technique truly repositions the deeper structures rather than just pulling on them, the effects are much longer lasting.
Before & After Gallery
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Know before you go
Making the decision to further explore plastic surgery can be daunting. This is why we work hard to create a patient experience that focuses heavily on patient education & support. After inquiring you can expect:
- A phone consultation with Erin, our patient care coordinator specialist. During this consultation she will learn more about you and your areas of concern. She will review your options in detail, including technique, downtime, and costs. Together you will decide if we feel like a good fit, and schedule an in person consultation.
- Your in person consultation will be a deep dive into the facial aging process, facial anatomy, discussion of surgical techniques, and reviewing the post-operative course in detail. Together we will craft the perfect solutions for you.
- We try to make surgical scheduling a breeze. We handle all of the communications and payments with the surgery center and anesthesiology team. We encourage you to bring your calendar and potential dates that work well for you. A 20% fully refundable deposit is all that is needed to secure your ideal date.
- During your pre-operative visit, we make sure you are 100% prepared for your surgical journey. We go over the post-operative care kit containing everything you will need for your post-surgical care. We also take pre-operative photographs and go through all the surgical consents.
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Post recovery tips
We find that for the vast majority of our patients the post-surgical course is well tolerated and well prepared for. Some expectations for the immediate postoperative course are:
- The downtime is typically 2-3 weeks for most patients. After this time the average person should have no idea that you had anything done. Any obvious signs of surgery have resolved by this point.
- For most patients this tends not to be a terribly uncomfortable procedure. The vast majority of our patients use non-narcotic pain control alone with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Occasionally patients may require something stronger if the over the counter medicines are not enough, in these cases we may prescribe a mild narcotic pain medicine.
- We closely follow all of our patients through their post-surgical course. Typically we see deep plane facelift patients at 1 day, 5 days, 14 days, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. During each of these visits we are carefully inspecting all aspects of the surgery and ensure the best possible results.
- We perform laser resurfacing of your incisions at 6 weeks and 3 months as well as review skin care at 3 weeks to maximize your surgical results.
While downtime can vary patient to patient, most are socially presentable in 2-3 weeks. At that time the average person would not be able to tell that you've had anything done. The finer details usually take about 2-3 months to really show.
For most patients the pain after a deep plane facelift is very manageable with non-narcotic pain medication. We recommend alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen every three hours. Pain is experienced on a spectrum however, and some patients do require additional pain control. In these cases we may prescribe a light narcotic pain medication for 2-3 days.
While there are differences in how long a facelift incision must be depending on the patient, there is always a scar anytime you make an incision on the body. One of the many benefits to a deep plane facelift is that it is a tension free procedure. Lifting without tension creates the best conditions possible for healing. We also treat our scars at 6 weeks and three months with our lasers. Most patients end up with a fine white line that is nearly imperceptible.
Facial aging is a process that happens in unison throughout the face, therefore most patients find that they are good candidates for complementary procedures. These include browlifting, eyelid lifts (blepharoplasty), lip lifts, and fat grafting. Each patient's plan will be uniquely tailored to meet their needs.