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Extended Deep Plane Facelift
In Houston, TX
As you age, the effects of time, gravity, and environmental factors begin to show themselves on your face. These changes are part of the natural aging process, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept them.
While a traditional facelift primarily relies on tension to lift the face and neck, Dr. Sean Delaney’s signature Extended Deep Plane Facelift focuses on releasing the facial retaining ligaments for a more natural and vertical elevation of your soft tissues. At Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, Dr. Delaney exclusively performs an Extended Deep Plane Facelift for patients who wish to restore a more refreshed, youthful appearance to their faces.
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What Is an Extended Deep Plane Facelift?
An Extended Deep Plane Facelift offers a comprehensive approach to facial rejuvenation by addressing aging changes in the “deep plane” underneath the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS) layer. This technique’s “extended” dissection involves the release of facial retaining ligaments, which allows for improvement of the midface, nasolabial fold, and corners of the mouth. These regions are usually not satisfactorily corrected with traditional facelift techniques. Unlike traditional facelifts that focus primarily on pulling as hard as possible on the SMAS, the Extended Deep Plane Facelift relies on releasing the facial retaining ligaments to permit a more dramatic lift with less tension for a more natural result.
Because the surgery is conducted at a deeper tissue level, there can be an enhanced correction of smile lines and the mid-cheek areas. Dr. Delaney also incorporates an Extended Deep Plane Neck Lift as part of the procedure, addressing sagging, excess skin, fullness, and banding in the neck for more comprehensive rejuvenation.
This approach can also provide better skin circulation during your body’s natural healing process. It may result in faster healing and less visible bruising. Particularly for younger patients, there can be reduced downtime with this surgical approach.
What Can an Extended Deep Plane Facelift Achieve?
The key paradigm of an Extended Deep Plane Facelift is the complete release of the facial retaining ligaments contained deep in the SMAS layer to allow for a tension-free redraping of the facial and neck soft tissue. This release of the ligaments permits a more powerful vertical lift of the face and neck for a very natural rejuvenation result with improvements in smile lines, the corners of the mouth, and the jowls.
What Are the Benefits of an Extended Deep Plane Facelift?
- Natural-Looking Results: Refreshes your appearance without skin looking tight or as if you’d had anything “done.”
- Comprehensive Rejuvenation: Addresses age-related changes beginning under the eyes down to the lower neck.
- Restored Volume: By lifting and repositioning underlying facial muscles and fat pads, volume is naturally restored.
- Minimal Scarring: Strategic incision placement and low-tension closure minimize visible scarring.
- Increased Self-Esteem: By reversing signs of aging, patients feel more confident in their appearance.
- Lasting Results: An Extended Deep Plane Facelift can last at least ten years and sometimes longer with proper care.
How Is an Extended Deep Plane Facelift Different From Other Deep Plane Facelifts?
For facelift surgery, you often hear the terminology “deep plane.” In truth, there is no standard definition, and plastic surgeons use varying degrees of this approach. Dr. Delaney focuses on the Extended Deep Plane surgical technique that includes an extended dissection within the deep plane of the face, reaching the nasolabial folds and corners of the mouth.
A traditional deep plane facelift may refer to any facelift procedure in which some work is performed underneath the SMAS layer. This sometimes may mean a deep plane dissection of one to two centimeters only. In contrast, an Extended Deep Plane Facelift addresses signs of aging in additional areas closer to the center of the face by dissecting further and releasing the facial retaining ligaments. This advanced technique offers a more comprehensive approach, adjusting the deep muscular layers of the midface, lower face, jawline, and neck.
The Extended Deep Plane Facelift addresses aging concerns that are often difficult to treat with a traditional deep plane facelift, such as jowls or deeply etched nasolabial folds. And, because an Extended Deep Plane Facelift is tailored according to your individual facial anatomy, you’ll receive personalized, beautiful results.
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How Is an Extended Deep Plane Facelift Different From SMAS Techniques?
Your face has a network of fibrous tissues connecting the temples to the cheeks and neck called the SMAS. It starts sagging as aging progresses, taking the skin on top along with it.
During an SMAS facelift, the skin is elevated off the surface of the SMAS, and the SMAS is folded over itself and suspended vertically. With this technique, the SMAS is not cut.
A deep plane facelift refers to any procedure in which the SMAS is incised and the work is performed beneath the SMAS layer.
With an Extended Deep Plane Facelift, most of the operation is performed beneath the SMAS layer. The facial retaining ligaments (zygomatic, masseteric, cervical, and mandibular) that can only be accessed in the deep plane are released to allow the facial tissue to redrape vertically.
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Who Is the Ideal Candidate For an Extended Deep Plane Facelift?
When you look in the mirror there are four general signs of facial aging that are indicative of a need for facelift surgery. The primary signs are: jowling, deep nasolabial folds, bunching of skin around your mouth, and/or hanging skin or banding in the neck area.
In general, Dr. Delaney finds the 40s and 50s to be the optimal age for an Extended Deep Plane Facelift. However, men and women in the 60s and 70s can also obtain superb results.
No other cosmetic practice in Houston provides the level of preoperative, operative, and postoperative care that FPSA does.
Learn MoreWhat Can I Expect After My Extended Deep Plane Facelift?
Each Extended Deep Plane Facelift is performed in our AAAHC-accredited operating room. Once your surgery is complete, you will be taken to our recovery area, where you are monitored and prepared for release by Dr. Delaney and our clinical team. You will have a soft dressing around your head to protect the surgical incisions from your procedure, as well as surgical drains.
Dr. Delaney requires his Extended Deep Plane Facelift patients to stay overnight in the Hotel Chifley (Tapestry Collection by Hilton), located one block from our office, where you will be accompanied and cared for by a registered nurse.
You will return to our office for your first postoperative appointment the following morning. Dr. Delaney will examine you, remove the drains, and replace the original surgical dressing with a smaller compression dressing.
At your next post-op visit, typically the second or third day after surgery, one of our team will continue to care for you by gently washing your hair before you see the doctor. After this appointment, you will switch from the previous bandage to a facial sling. This easy-to-use sling must be worn 24/7 for one week and only at night for the next week. Dr. Delaney will provide comprehensive post-op recovery instructions for maintaining this dressing as you heal.
You must swivel at the waist rather than turning your neck to avoid pulling on your sutures. This means you cannot drive for at least one week after surgery. For the first two weeks, you must sleep on your back with your head elevated above your heart. It is essential to keep your neck from flexing forward, so you can use a flat pillow or no pillow. You can shower beginning the day after your hair is washed in our office.
What Can I Expect From My Extended Deep Plane Facelift Recovery?
After your Extended Deep Plane Facelift surgery, you will experience some bruising, swelling, and numbness around the incisions. However, these are expected side effects and will resolve as you recover. Any discomfort can be managed with over-the-counter or prescription pain medication.
Dr. Delaney recommends taking two weeks off of work after your Extended Deep Plane Facelift to give yourself time to heal and for bruising and swelling to dissipate. Makeup can be gently applied a few days after surgery as long as you avoid your incisions. If you bruise easily, it may take longer for discoloration to fade, so we advise you to plan your surgery at least five weeks before any important public event.
Three weeks after surgery, most patients are back to their regular routines. However, you should avoid lifting anything heavy or engaging in strenuous activities for four to five weeks after your Extended Deep Plane Facelift.
To ensure proper healing and optimal results, it is essential that you follow Dr. Delaney’s postoperative care plan to the letter. Dr. Delaney also incorporates platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) to enhance healing after your Extended Deep Plane Facelift, and patients may also choose to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy to accelerate the recovery process.
What Can I Expect From My Extended Deep Plane Facelift Results?
After your surgery, you will see immediate results from your Extended Deep Plane Facelift. However, as the swelling and bruising fade and your face settles into its new contours, you will continue to see improvements in your appearance. Most patients see their final results around six months after surgery.
Your Extended Deep Plane Facelift results typically last around ten years before you may require touch-ups. However, while an Extended Deep Plane Facelift can refresh and rejuvenate your appearance, the natural aging process will continue. The longevity of your facelift results depends on several factors, including genetics, lifestyle, skincare, and sun exposure. Staying hydrated, following a healthy diet and skin care regimen, and being diligent about applying sun protection can all help extend your results.
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Can I Combine Other Procedures With My Extended Deep Plane Facelift?
It is very common for patients to choose to combine other facial rejuvenation procedures with their Extended Deep Plane Facelift. Patients often choose to have a brow lift and/or upper or lower eyelid surgery to address weakened muscles in the eyebrow area and eyelids that cause them to look older than they are or to address excess skin and under-eye bags for comprehensive facial rejuvenation. You may also choose to undergo facial fat transfer or temporal implants to address facial volume loss. We also offer several surgical and non-surgical skin tightening and resurfacing procedures.
Combining additional procedures with your Extended Deep Plane Facelift not only offers enhanced results but also allows you to avoid multiple surgeries and the associated recovery periods.
What Are the Risks of an Extended Deep Plane Facelift?
Risks associated with an Extended Deep Plane Facelift include infection, swelling, bruising, bleeding, asymmetry, and facial nerve damage. However, as with any procedure, you can minimize your risks by choosing Dr. Sean Delaney, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon with extensive experience in Extended Deep Plane Facelifts.
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Begin Your Journey With Facial Plastic Surgery Associates
Discover firsthand how effortless your journey will be to enhance your natural beauty and achieve your aesthetic goals. At Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, you can feel confident that you will be in the best, most caring hands every step of the way. Schedule a comprehensive consultation for Extended Deep Plane Facelift surgery with your dedicated expert, Dr. Sean Delaney.
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