Don’t Be Fooled: The Truth about Recovering from a Deep-Plane Facelift

I’d like to share a concern that several patients have raised about having a deep-plane facelift for facial rejuvenation at my practice in Bondi Junction. They’ve often done some preliminary online research and found comments from doctors who say that recovery from this advanced procedure takes longer and is more painful than the SMAS lift.

My experience tells me otherwise. I’ve been performing facial plastic surgery for more than three decades. I believe that both techniques are valid, but that when performed correctly by a well-trained and highly skilled surgeon, a deep-plane facelift provides superior results and does not require significant healing.

SMAS vs. Deep Plane Face Lift

The medical term for a facelift is rhytidectomy. The procedure has evolved tremendously over the years, allowing me to help my patients achieve even greater levels of aesthetic enhancement and physical transformation. No treatment is right for every patient, of course, but I find that the deep plane facelift generally offers a superior solution.

Here’s why:

In the beginning was the Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System facelift. (That’s a mouthful, I know, so let’s just refer to it as the SMAS facelift or the traditional approach.)

SMAS has its place and can adequately treat changes in the lower face caused by ageing,

• Jowls

• Banding in the neck

What SMAS facelifts cannot adequately correct are

• Ageing changes due to ptosis of mid-facial structures

• Deep melolabial folds

(The melolabial crease is a facial divide separating the lips from the cheeks. Facial plastic surgeons consider it a key facial aesthetic boundary and a vital component of successful facial rejuvenation.)

Dedicated facial plastic surgeons worked to develop the deep plane facelift I perform precisely because of shortcomings in what can be accomplished with a SMAS facelift. The deep plane facelift is specifically designed to address ageing changes in areas the SMAS cannot.

Dr Marcells Explains What to Expect after a Deep Plane Facelift

Patient safety and satisfaction are part of the DNA of my facial plastic surgery practice. We achieve those goals by communicating clearly with our patients and helping them to help themselves heal quickly and effectively.

After a deep-plane facelift,
my patients are surprised at how little pain they feel

I’m not surprised at all. You see, a deep plane facelift doesn’t separate the skin from the deeper tissue, pulling it painfully. The deep plane technique focuses on repositioning loose facial soft tissue as a single unit. With this approach, my patients suffer less tissue trauma, less pain, and faster healing, too.

Prescription and OTC analgesics will alleviate any discomfort, while cold compresses control swelling and bruising. Most bruising will be gone in a fortnight, especially when patients follow my instructions for at-home care.

Would you like to know more? That’s what we’re here for! To discover how an expertly performed deep-plane facelift can rejuvenate your appearance without putting you out of commission for an extended amount of time, please use our online enquiry form or call us on 1300 555 095.