If you’re noticing sagging skin of your lower face and neck around your jawline, fullness under your chin, or a general lack of definition , you may wonder whether a facelift is sufficient or if a more targeted approach is needed. These concerns are common, especially as the lower face and neck often age at different rates, creating an imbalance in your appearance.
A deep plane facelift is a surgical approach that goes beyond the surface. It lifts deeper facial layers to restore contour and structure, particularly around the midface and jaw. When combined with neck rejuvenation, it addresses both areas fluidly, helping you achieve smoother transitions, better definition, and a refreshed, natural look.
Why Combine Surgeries?
Undergoing a single procedure can be effective, but in some cases, it’s worth considering the overall balance of your appearance. Beyond the logistical benefits, such as cost-efficiency and a single recovery period, combining a deep plane facelift with neck rejuvenation often yields a more balanced and comprehensive result.
Ageing affects more than just the face. You might find your facial features refreshed after a facelift, while the neck still reveals signs of ageing. This contrast can make results appear uneven. For this reason, combining surgeries is often recommended.
Specific Benefits of a Deep Plane Facelift
Compared to other techniques, deep plane face and neck lifts require advanced surgical skill and patience. Patients often choose this approach for enhanced cheek elevation, jawline definition, and longer-lasting results.
The procedure involves releasing specific tethering points in the face and neck. Unlike traditional facelifts, the deep plane method works beneath the superficial layers, allowing deeper facial structures to be lifted with less tension and more precision.
This approach also gives the skin more flexibility during repositioning, as the lift is performed using the deeper, more mobile tissues of the face. As a result, no tension is placed on the skin itself, helping to create a natural, long-lasting outcome.
Another key advantage is the ability for the surgeon to work more effectively on deeper neck structures. This control allows for detailed sculpting, contributing to a more defined jawline. Without this technique, some patients may experience undercorrected neck areas.
When paired with a neck lift, the improvements to the lower face and neck are often significant.
Understanding Facial Anatomy
Beneath the skin lies a muscular layer that spans much of the face and neck: the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). Over time, this layer can sag and loosen, leading to visible skin laxity. The SMAS is connected to deeper structures such as bone and muscle via strong ligaments.
To put this in perspective, the skin is linked to the SMAS, which itself connects to deeper tissues. With this anatomical understanding, the advantages of deep plane facelifts become clearer.
What Is Involved in Neck Rejuvenation?
Neck rejuvenation is a cosmetic treatment designed to enhance the appearance of the neck by addressing wrinkles, loose skin, and excess fat. Treatment options may include non-surgical techniques such as injections or laser treatments, or more comprehensive surgical procedures like a neck lift.
When combined with a deep plane facelift, a neck lift typically includes removal of excess skin and fat, along with tightening of the underlying muscles.
What Is a Deep Plane Facelift?
Deep plane facelifts use advanced techniques to release muscle layers beneath the skin, allowing them to be repositioned without placing tension on the skin surface. This can help create a more natural appearance, as opposed to the tight or stretched look that can result from skin-only procedures.
The technique involves working at the level of the SMAS and below, giving surgeons access to deeper structures. This enables the repositioning of both the SMAS and the overlying skin for optimal rejuvenation.
What Are the Advantages Compared to Traditional Facelifts?
Deep plane facelifts often achieve results that look natural and refreshed, avoiding the tight or overly pulled appearance sometimes seen with traditional techniques. By working with deeper muscle layers, this approach allows for smoother repositioning and more balanced facial contours.
Releasing these deeper structures also lifts the midface, creating subtle improvements in the cheeks and cheekbones. Perhaps the most significant benefit, however, is how well the results tend to last over time.
Why Choose a Deep Plane Facelift Instead?
Traditional facelifts typically focus on lifting only the skin. In these procedures, muscle layers are folded over one another without targeting or supporting the SMAS layer, which can result in an overly tight or unnatural appearance.
Because the skin is elastic, the effects of these facelifts may fade as natural elasticity continues to decline with age.
A deep plane facelift takes a more advanced approach. It works beneath the SMAS layer to release the ligaments that connect deeper facial structures. This allows for more thorough and tension-free repositioning, helping to restore facial contours to a more youthful and balanced alignment.
What Traditional Methods Can’t Do
Through this more advanced technique, surgeons can enhance the midface area. The deep plane approach allows complete release and repositioning of facial muscles, resulting in a more lifted appearance that highlights the cheeks and cheekbones.
In contrast, traditional facelifts often leave the midface untreated, which can contribute to a hollow or sunken look commonly associated with ageing.
Contact Solomon Facial Plastic for Your Deep Plane Facelift
Choosing the right surgeon is a critical step in achieving results that feel both natural and transformative. Experience matters, not only in surgical technique but also in understanding patient goals and delivering outcomes that enhance, not change, your natural features.
Dr. Philip Solomon brings over 25 years of focused experience in facial cosmetic surgery, offering patients in Toronto deep plane facelift procedures performed in a fully accredited medical setting.
If you’re ready to explore facial rejuvenation with a tailored and precise approach, we invite you to consult with Dr. Solomon. His deep understanding of facial anatomy and commitment to patient care can help guide you toward a result that feels like you: refreshed, refined, and confident.
To schedule your consultation, contact Solomon Facial Plastic at 855-519-2799 or complete our online contact form. Our clinic is open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sep 02nd 2025