Deep Plane Facelift in Houston, TX

Name: Deep Plane Facelift
Brand: Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center
Rating: 4.7 (455 reviews)

A deep plane facelift focuses on repositioning deeper facial tissues, helping improve definition and address advanced signs of aging with a more comprehensive approach.

Achieve Lasting Youthfulness With a Deep Plane Facelift in Houston

While traditional facelift surgery is arguably the best way to address facial aging, the deep plane technique is the most effective, achieving tighter, more elastic skin and defining the features. This type of facelift leaves the skin firmer, smooths wrinkles, contours the jawline, and provides more youthful refinements to the facial features.

Triple board-certified Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Eisemann and his son, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon Dr. Bradley Eisemann, perform deep plane facelifts in Houston. They will help you achieve your dream of a naturally refreshed and youthful look.

How Is a Deep Plane Facelift Different From a SMAS Facelift?

Both facelift techniques address the Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS). This network of connective tissue runs under the skin but over the facial muscles to form the face’s framework. Tightening the SMAS produces significant, long-lasting facial rejuvenation. However, there are critical differences in how the SMAS is elevated during a traditional facelift versus a deep plane facelift.

A SMAS facelift pulls and stretches the SMAS layer using sutures. Pulling or overstretching this layer can produce an overdone or “pulled” appearance that patients want to avoid. Alternatively, the deep plane facelift elevates the SMAS from the underlying muscles and releases the ligaments that anchor the SMAS near the mouth folds. As a result, the SMAS is “lifted” without tension rather than “pulled” as with a SMAS facelift. Here are some other ways in which the two facelift techniques differ.

SMAS Facelift

The SMAS facelift expertly addresses the muscle and soft tissue near the ear, where the incisions are made. However, it does not address the jowls or the folds around the mouth as effectively as a deep plane facelift.

During a SMAS facelift, four deep ligaments anchor the lifted muscle and connective tissue layer down to the face. These ligaments continue to hold down and anchor the forward part of the jowls and mouth folds.

Because the SMAS facelift is superficial, the results last only a short time, unlike those of a deep plane facelift. SMAS recovery is longer than the deep plane facelift recovery period, while the deep plane facelift appears more natural.

Deep Plane Facelift

The deep plane facelift uses similar incisions to those of a SMAS facelift. However, it releases and lifts the deeper facial muscles and connective tissues near the jowls and the folds around the mouth. The deep plane lift begins from the back of the jawline up to the corner of the eye, where the soft tissue is prone to sagging.

Additionally, a deep plane facelift releases the four ligaments that anchor the muscle and connective tissue, allowing the face to be resuspended for more natural results. While the SMAS facelift can be considered “stretching” the face because the ligaments continue anchoring, the deep plane facelift is an actual anatomical “lift” and redraping. A deep plane facelift lasts longer than an SMAS facelift, providing noticeable improvement for up to 15 years. The deep plane facelift recovery time is shorter than the SMAS recovery period, and the rejuvenating results appear more natural.

The Changing Landscape of the Face: How Does a Face Age?

Facial aging is not caused by one single factor but rather a combination of changes that occur over time. In addition to skin laxity, we lose volume in key areas such as the cheeks and temples, while fat pads shift downward. This redistribution can hollow the eyes, flatten the midface, and create deeper folds around the nose and mouth. Skin also becomes thinner, drier, and less resilient, amplifying fine lines and uneven texture.

For patients seeking a deep plane facelift in Houston, Dr. Eisemann carefully evaluates these changes to design an approach that not only repositions sagging tissue but also restores youthful fullness and smooths the skin’s contours, ensuring a refreshed look that still feels authentically you.

Am I a Candidate for a Deep Plane Facelift?

Younger patients may benefit from a deep plane facelift. However, the ideal candidate is an older person experiencing severe skin laxity, especially in the jaw and neck region, who would like to achieve a more youthful appearance.

Deep plane facelift candidates should meet the following requirements:

Are generally in good health and have no severe medical conditions
Do not smoke
Have facial or neck skin laxity or sagging
Have prominent jowls
Are unhappy with a double chin or a poorly defined jawline
Have sunken cheeks or other facial areas due to lost facial volume

What Are the Benefits of a Deep Plane Facelift?

For the right candidate, a deep plane facelift in Houston provides exceptional results and benefits, including the following:

Less skin trauma than other techniques
Enhanced definition of the jawline, neck, and cheekbones
Reduced chance of needing revision procedures
More natural results than traditional facelift techniques
Reduced scarring
Restores volume to your cheeks
Smoother skin due to a boost in circulation
Can correct eye drooping
Nearly undetectable incisions, which heal quickly
Boosted confidence and self-image
Lifts and firms more severely aging skin to rejuvenate a youthful appearance
Eliminates or removes jowls or a double chin
Tightens the skin
Can turn back the clock as much as ten years
Lifts the brow and opens the eyes for a more open appearance
Smooths wrinkles and heavy lines

The Deep Plane Facelift Procedure

Before your deep plane facelift, Drs. Eisemann discusses your facial concerns and aesthetic goals while evaluating the extent of skin laxity. To prepare for your procedure, you should:

Stop smoking
Stop taking any medications, vitamins, or supplements that thin the blood
Prepare what you'll need available at home while you heal

During your deep plane facelift, incisions are made in the hairline and around the ear to tighten and secure the layer of connective tissue and the underlying muscles beneath the skin.

Drs. Eisemann will release the deeper ligaments to lift and rejuvenate the skin while repositioning the muscle layer and tissues. The incisions are closed, and you’ll begin your recovery.

Recovery From a Deep Plane Facelift

The deep plane technique keeps the skin and muscle attached to the underlying structures, causing less trauma than the SMAS facelift and resulting in a shorter recovery time. Here is what you can expect during recovery from a deep plane facelift.

The First Days Post-Op

After your procedure, you can return home with a designated friend or family member
For the next two days, apply cold packs around your face and neck to help reduce swelling
You’ll need to sleep with your back and head elevated at 45-60 degrees
If drains were placed, Drs. Eisemann might remove them after the first few days
After two days, you may shower and wash your hair, even if the drains are still in place

Week One

You should primarily be resting and recuperating during this time, but be sure also to walk around to keep your circulation active and promote healing
Continue sleeping with your back and head elevated at 45-60 degrees
While swelling will increase up to the fourth day after your surgery, it begins to subside afterward
Do not drive until you feel comfortable and can perform your usual driving functions, generally around one week post-op
After the first week, you can apply cosmetics

Week Two

Residual bruising and swelling will significantly improve
Patients generally take approximately ten days before they are comfortable going out in public
At this point, you should be feeling much better and can return to light work and activities

Week Three

After the third week, you may resume moderate exercise
There will be a marked improvement in swelling and bruising after the third week

Weeks Four Through Six

Most patients are cleared to resume strenuous activities during this time, as healing is likely complete at this point

Why Choose the Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center for a Deep Plane Facelift in Houston?

When you choose us for your deep plane facelift, you're choosing over 30 years of combined surgical experience. Doing so is one of the best ways to ensure results that look naturally youthful, never overdone or artificial. Dr. Michael Eisemann is triple board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, earning him a nearly peerless reputation for aesthetic excellence. He has also served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, and the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. His training, artistry, and compassion consistently help him exceed patient expectations.

Dr. Bradley Eisemann is a board-certified, fellowship-trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon known for his precision and skill. He has performed complex procedures, including the deep plane facelift, under the mentorship of some of the field's most respected pioneers. Dr. Eisemann is dedicated to patient-centered care, helping every patient look and feel their best.