The worth of a deep plane facelift really depends on the patient and how much they want an improvement. When it comes to aesthetic surgery, you could potentially ask if any procedure is worth it? Aesthetic surgery on the face is not a need, but rather it’s a want. My goal is to determine what the patient wants corrected or improved, and accomplish that in the best way possible leaving my patients very satisfied.
So when asked if it’s worth it, that’s for the patient to decide. However, from my perspective, I would say that the deep plane facelift procedure is the single best procedure to rejuvenate the face, to make the face look more refreshed, and to make it look younger.
When we do a deep plane facelift or any facelift, our goal is to lift the tissues of the face. We do this by going under the superficial muscular aponeurotic system, the SMAS, which is the investing layer of the face. This gives the sturdiest lift, and in my opinion the most natural lift. We lift the skin on the neck and tighten it to create a better angle to the chin neckline. We also lift the jowls so that they disappear, and the mandible — the jawline — is seen in a very short border.
We also lift the cheeks because we want the face to appear top heavy rather than bottom heavy. A youthful face is shaped like an upside triangle, but as we age, the triangle becomes upright with more volume at the bottom because over time, our cheek fat and jowls often descend. When we lift those areas into a better position, it improves and increases the volume to the face in the right places. For me, I believe a deep plane facelift does the best job of lifting cheeks. I call it an underwire bra for cheek fat.
How painful is a deep plane facelift?
Most of my patients who have had a deep plane facelift have pain the night of surgery and a little bit of pain the next day. However, after about two days, a vast majority of my patients are off of their narcotic pain medicine. They may take one pill, but they’re almost off of the narcotic pain medicine entirely and instead prefer taking acetaminophen Tylenol only.
I don’t recommend ibuprofen or Advil or any of those drugs because they cause bruising and bleeding. I have done thousands of facelift procedures and I listen to my patients, paying attention to the amount of pain that they’re experiencing immediately after surgery and 26 to 72 hours later, so I can honestly say it’s not a very painful procedure and doesn’t require a patient to be on prescription meds for more than 48 hours..
How much does a deep plane facelift cost?
I charge about $22,000 to $25,000 in Beverly Hills for a deep plane facelift when done alone and without any other procedures. Many of my patients add an eye lift, brow lift, rhinoplasty, and/or chemical peel to the procedure which significantly affects the cost. When you look at the best surgeons in Beverly Hills, I’m a little on the inexpensive side.
I love the facelift procedure and I love deep plane facelifts because they work really well. If you have questions for me, I’d love to talk to you. I’d love to see you in my office. Call or email me any time. I look forward to meeting you and coming up with a plan to give you exactly what you want.
About Dr. Jonathan Sykes
Dr. Jonathan Sykes is a world-famous expert plastic surgeon who performs all cosmetic and functional plastic surgery procedures on the face and neck. He is a past president of The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and served on their Board of Directors for over 10 years. He is also a Professor Emeritus in Facial Plastic Surgery from UC Davis Medical Center, and the former Director of Facial Plastic Surgery at that institution.
He is known as the expert’s expert, and is often called to consult and advise other plastic surgeons in both Northern California and Beverly Hills. He has a special interest in eyelid and browlift surgery, facial rejuvenation surgery including facelifts, and rhinoplasty. He also has a particular interest in facial feminization surgery. Have questions? Email Dr.Sykes at: [email protected]