Choosing the right facelift is a huge decision that can affect your end result, but how do you decide? This blog discusses the top facial rejuvenation procedures: traditional facelifts and deep plane facelifts, and the benefits, techniques, and ideal candidates for each. It also details what to expect during recovery so you can make an informed choice about your care.
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Which Facelift Is Best For Me?
If you’re starting to notice wrinkles, facial creases, and a loss of facial structure, you might be considering a facelift to address these signs of aging. But which facelift technique is right for you?
The deep plane facelift has recently taken center stage as the most effective facelift technique, but how does it compare to traditional methods? We will look at both options below.
Traditional Facelift: Benefits, Techniques, and Candidates
A facelift, sometimes called a rhytidectomy, is the gold standard for facial rejuvenation procedures. Targeting the mid-to-lower face, including the nasolabial folds and jowls, a facelift can turn back the clock and reveal tighter facial contours for a more youthful look.
A facelift can treat:
- Sagging skin
- Wrinkles and fine lines
- Jowls
- Nasolabial folds
A primary difference between a traditional facelift and a deep plane facelift is the depth of the revision. Traditional facelifts lift and reposition the SMAS layer beneath the skin, providing a moderate level of revision without relying on pulling the skin in a false or contorted way. Fat and tissues may also be repositioned to enhance a more natural-looking result.
Candidates for a facelift have moderate facial aging, specifically around the jaw and mid-face, and want a modest, natural-looking result.
Deep Plane Facelift: Benefits, Techniques, and Candidates
A deep plane facelift takes things a step further: Rather than lifting and moving the SMAS layer, this technique treats even deeper beneath the SMAS and lifts these structures as a single unit. To do this, surgeons detach, reposition, and reattach ligaments and tissues for a more dramatic revision without creating a pulled look.
A deep plane facelift can treat:
- Nasolabial folds
- Midface sagging and sunken cheeks
- Jowls
- Deep creases and wrinkles
One of the defining features of a deep plane facelift, and a key departure from traditional methods, is that it allows for the repositioning of fat pads and ligaments, which greatly improves the appearance of volume loss.
As a major contributor to facial aging and the resulting sunken appearance, facial volume loss is a key benefit of deep plane techniques. Rather than using fillers or fat grafting to restore lost volume and structure in the cheeks, a deep plane facelift repositions the patient’s own fat pads to recreate the plump, contoured appearance of youth.
Although modern facelift techniques have greatly improved over the last decade, deep plane facelifts are superior in longevity. Because they do not rely on applying tension to the skin’s surface but rather restructure the underlying tissues and muscles, there is no pulled or windswept look, and the results last much longer.
For candidates, timing is everything. Deep plane facelifts offer dramatic rejuvenating results and are ideal only for those with more severe concerns. While age is never the sole determining factor in candidacy, older patients are typically ideal candidates for this procedure. Patients seeking a deep plane facelift who are younger or have only mild concerns may not enjoy the full benefits of the procedure. Most plastic surgeons will recommend a less invasive procedure for younger patients, such as a mini facelift.
Do Deep Plane Facelifts Involve a Long Recovery?
Traditional and deep plane facelifts have comparable recovery periods, with both requiring about two weeks of downtime, meaning no work and plenty of rest.
Patients may experience slight differences in swelling, with deep plane facelifts showing greater initial swelling due to the manipulation of deeper tissues. The two procedures are similar in terms of pain and discomfort, as deep plane facelifts treat the facial tissues as a single unit and fewer nerves are severed or altered. Deep plane facelifts may also have less bruising for the same reason, although each patient is different.
Learn More About Facelift Options in Beverly Hills, CA
The best way to determine which facelift option is best for you is to schedule a consultation with a highly qualified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Celebrity facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jason Diamond is the expert trusted by some of Hollywood’s most famous faces. Discover what Dr. Diamond can do for your deep plane facelift: Call The Diamond Face Institute today at (310) 859-9816 or complete the contact form to request a consultation.