What Is a Deep Plane Facelift? Understanding the Procedure and Benefits
Posted January 17, 2025 in Facelift

Many people have seen famous examples of facelift results from decades past and are turned away from facial rejuvenation surgery due to the unnatural looking results. Although the facelift isn’t the right choice for everyone, it’s important to properly understand what’s possible with the facelift before making your decision. Today, we’ve developed facelift techniques that can produce stunningly natural and flattering results – one of these techniques is called the deep plane facelift, and it’s widely known as the most transformative and rejuvenating option available. Here’s what to know about this technique offered by Dr. David Gilpin, Nashville’s foremost double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon.
What is the Deep Plane Facelift?
As we age, the skin and deeper tissues of the face begin to lose their elasticity and sag. There are a couple reasons for this – the first is the effects of gravity. The second is the natural loss of collagen – the connective protein that gives your skin youthful firmness. Past a certain point, these factors can’t be treated using non-surgical treatments alone. A facelift rejuvenates the skin by repositioning it and removing any excess skin. This procedure is typically combined with fat transfer to blend the facelift result and the loss of collagen which occurs from aging. The goal is to recapture the youthful profile and look you had when you were younger.
How is the Deep Plane Facelift Different From a Traditional Facelift?
A traditional facelift is what most people think of when considering this surgical procedure. It simply smooths the skin and gets rid of any excess or sagging. The problem with this is that it doesn’t address the deeper tissues and muscles under the skin (called the SMAS layer, or superficial musculoaponeurotic system). The SMAS layer also begins to sag with time, bringing the skin with it. When a facelift smooths the skin over the SMAS layer without addressing the deeper tissues, it can create the lumpy, stretched, or doughy look we’re all familiar with.
The deep plane facelift corrects this by also resuspending the SMAS and deep plane layer of the skin. It restores your face to its natural youthful position at its deepest level, creating some of the most natural-looking results possible. It’s ideal for patients with significant signs of aging, for which a traditional facelift won’t achieve the desired results.
What are the Benefits of a Deep Plane Facelift?
The deep plane facelift offers many benefits over the traditional facelift. Firstly, it can create long-lasting results because of its ability to rejuvenate the deeper layers of the face. For many patients, deep plane facelift results can last ten years or more! Secondly, it can create a natural appearance similar to how you looked ten years ago. These results not only cause you to look younger, but they continue to make you look younger for your age as time goes on. And finally, it’s one of the most effective ways to reverse sagging, jowls, hollowness, volume loss, drooping, and much more. It can even be combined with options like the brow lift or neck lift for a comprehensive facial rejuvenation suite.
Deep Plane Facelift in Nashville, TN
To learn more about the deep plane facelift in Nashville, TN, contact Gilpin Facial Plastics & Aesthetics and schedule a consultation. Here, you can find a luxury experience and the expertise of our dual-board-certified facial plastic surgeon and facelift expert, Dr. Gilpin. Call today or contact us online to get started.
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