Guide:
- What Is A Deep Plane Mini Facelift?
- Deep Plane Facelift vs. Mini Facelift: What’s The Difference?
- Best Candidates For Deep Plane Mini Facelift
- Recovery After Deep Plane Mini Facelift
What Is A Deep Plane Mini Facelift?
Like the traditional deep plane, the deep plane mini facelift targets the four ligaments that anchor the underlying facial muscles and tissues together. These are then released for an overall resuspension and rejuvenation. The key difference is that it targets the lower portion of the face and the jawline, rather than the entire face from the cheeks down to the neck.
As with a full deep plane facelift, the charm of the deep plane mini facelift is that it repositions and sculpts the underlying tissues of the face for a more youthful, natural appearance without putting too much tension on the skin and looking “overly pulled.”
During the mini deep plane facelift, plastic surgeons meticulously create a series of short incisions around the ears to minimize any visible scarring as much as possible. Through these incisions, they can trim any excess skin and fat and target the layer beneath the SMAS to release and reposition the underlying framework. This leaves the tissues around the lower face and jawline tighter and more youthful-looking by eliminating the appearance of jowls and sculpting the chin and jawline.
With the deep plane mini facelift, patients benefit from the advantage of both the short incision of the mini facelift and the dramatic improvements the deep plane technique promotes.
For those concerned about aging changes in many areas of their face, the traditional mini facelift may not be an effective solution. While the deep plane mini lift can deliver dramatic improvements for many patients, some may achieve better, more comprehensive results by pairing it with other procedures, such as a blepharoplasty or a brow lift.
Deciding if a deep plane mini facelift or other type of facelift is right for you depends on your goals and the extent of your concerns. While the full deep plane facelift delivers more comprehensive and advanced improvements in the mid-face, neck, and jowls, the deep plane mini lift can also address deeper tissues for natural, lasting results, just across a smaller area of the face.
Deep Plane Facelift vs. Mini Facelift: What’s The Difference?
- The deep plane facelift is a complex and comprehensive procedure that simultaneously addresses multiple areas of the face and neck, providing significant and long-lasting rejuvenation.
- The mini facelift, on the other hand, targets only a small portion of the facial contour: the lower face and along the jawline.
- The mini facelift is a great option for men and women with minor aging changes looking for a quicker, less invasive solution.
- Deep plane facelifts address the most severe facial aging problems head-on, such as sagging jowls and cheeks, nasolabial folds, skin laxity on the face and neck, and muscle banding across the neck area.
- The deep plane facelift creates a longer-lasting, more natural-looking result by targeting these areas and releasing the deep ligaments that hold the primary tissues and muscles used for facial expression.
RealSelf states the deep plane facelift is ideal for more mature patients with deep nasolabial folds and sagging skin around their midface, jawline, chin, and neck.
You may benefit from a mini facelift if you notice loose skin and wrinkles around your lower face. While it does not address the deeper facial tissues and muscles, like the deep plane technique, it can be an option for temporarily improving aging changes around the lower face that don’t respond to non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments.
According to the University of Utah Health, patients who may be suitable for a mini facelift are younger with mild jowls who do not have significant laxity in the neck area, or those who have had a full facelift and want to ‘touch up’ their previous results.
Patients love the mini deep plane facelift because it delivers the best of both worlds: the smaller scars and shorter recovery of the mini facelift, with the dramatic, natural rejuvenation results of the deep plane facelift.
Best Candidates For Deep Plane Mini Facelift
While the deep plane mini facelift works deep beneath the superficial layers of skin to completely restore the underlying framework of the lower face, it still does not address the neck. Best candidates have mild to moderate aging changes in the lower face area.
Ideal candidates for this small, yet powerful procedure:
- Do not yet have severe fullness or muscle bands in their neck
- Do not yet have significant skin laxity around the neck
- Want to address earlier signs of jowls
- Have lines around the corners of their mouth and their chin caused by the weakening of the underlying muscles and tissues used to smile
- Patients who would prefer a shorter downtime and less noticeable incisions
Recovery After Deep Plane Mini Facelift
Most patients can return to normal activities within 2 weeks following their deep plane mini lift. Be prepared to take this time away from work and exercise. It’s normal to experience swelling, bruising, and soreness initially, this should fade naturally. Most swelling subsides within one to two weeks, with the rest gradually resolving with time.
To minimize discomfort during deep plane facelift recovery:
- Pain medications and specific instructions will be provided
- You’ll return to the office the day after your mini lift for post-op dressing removal, and again one week later for suture removal if they are not dissolvable
After your mini lift, you’ll be given detailed instructions on how to take care of your body as it heals. These instructions may include:
Wear extra sunscreen around your incisions and avoid sun exposure as much as possible.
- Keep your head elevated, especially as you’re sleeping.
- Take your pain medications as recommended by your surgical team.
- Stay hydrated.
- Eat protein-rich foods.
- Avoid strenuous activities. Let your body heal!
- Clean and moisturize your incisions with saline and ointments as directed by your surgeon.
- Wear extra sunscreen around your incisions and avoid sun exposure as much as possible.
Schedule Your Deep Plane Mini Facelift Consultation in Newport Beach
If you’re curious whether a deep plane mini facelift is right for you, request a consultation with Newport Beach board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva for a personalized assessment of your concerns.
