The deep‐plane facelift is a facelift technique that is best suited for patients that have a relatively long and thin face. During a deep‐plane facelift, Dr. Repta will actually reposition soft facial tissues by lifting the entire face rather than just the superficial layers of skin.
Advantages of Deep-Plane Facelifts
The advantage of the deep‐plane facelift is that more blood supply to the skin is maintained and the amount of bruising can be less. As mentioned above, it is best suited for certain face types since the deep‐plane facelift does not allow the deeper tissues and the skin to be moved separately or in different directions.
With years of experience having performed some of the most beautiful facelifts Scottsdale has to offer, Dr. Repta is your top choice in facial plastic surgery. He is here to help you turn back the hands of time and give you that youthful, rejuvenated look you desire.
Benefits of a Deep-Plane Facelift in Scottsdale
While skin-only facelifts focus on the outermost skin layers, creating that “done” look most people associate with facelifts, the standard facelift today goes a bit deeper to the superficial musculoaponeurotic system or the SMAS layer. The SMAS layer lies beneath the facial fat and is made up of fibrous connective tissue. It separates the deeper facial structures such as nerves and the muscles that control facial movements from the superficial layers of the face.
Although the SMAS facelift is an improvement over the more archaic skin-only facelift, it has only a minute effect on the deeper tissues. For this reason, some degree of skin pulling is necessary to achieve a desired result.
Deeper Layers for Lasting Results in Facelifts
The benefit of the deep-plane facelift is that it repositions the deep facial tissue beneath the SMAS layer, allowing the entire face to be elevated. Additionally the layer between the skin and SMAS is maintained, improving the blood supply to the skin.
The two main limitations of the deep-plane facelift is that it is really best suited for longer, thinner faces, and that the technique does not allow the skin and deep tissues to be moved independently of each other.
There are some who believe that since the deeper layer that is utilized is fibrous and inelastic, unlike the superficial layers of skin, which are very elastic, this procedure may produce longer lasting results.
Candidates
Patients who desire a significant rejuvenation in the mid to lower face are generally good candidates for the deep-plane facelift as these are the areas most significantly affected by this procedure. This is because the fat pads in the cheeks are lifted and repositioned, eliminating facial hollows and restoring volume in the cheekbones. In addition, since the SMAS layer is connected to the muscles of your neck, a deep-plane facelift is also highly effective in creating a smoother, more elegant neckline.
Recovery & Healing
Immediately following your procedure, your face and neck will be wrapped in surgical garments. This is done primarily to catch some of the remaining numbing medication, but also to add some mild compression to the area. It is important to keep your head elevated for the first week or so. Most patients return to their normal activities 2-3 weeks following surgery. While swelling is greatly reduced within the first couple of weeks, it may take up to 6 months for last vestiges of swelling to disappear and the final results to manifest.