Natural-Looking Facelift by Houston Facial Surgeon Dr. Michel Siegel | Deep Plane Facelift in Houston

Dr. Siegel is one of relatively few facial surgeons (only about 5% at the moment) who perform deep plane facelifts for patients.  We describe deep plane facelifts more on this page, but we can also describe them briefly here.  It will make more sense if we first describe the main alternative:  the traditional facelift. 

Traditional Facelifts, or SMAS Facelifts 

There are several kinds of traditional facelifts: full facelift, mini facelift , lower facelift, weekend facelift, ponytail facelift, and S-type facelift (to name just a few).  But they all have one thing in common: they rely on the traditional technique for facial rejuvenation, in which the skin is separated from the underlying fibromuscular layer of the face, known as the SMAS. The SMAS is then pulled horizontally, or backwards, to reverse the signs of aging. This approach creates skin tension and leads to the distorted, pulled, “always looks surprised” appearance everyone fears.

Deep Plane Facelifts 

The deep plane facelift, devised and refined only in the last decade or so, has become the gold standard.

It allows for natural-looking results and longer-lasting results, and it requires much less recovery time.

In a deep plane facelift the skin is not separated from the SMAS. Rather, the surgeon releases key ligament groups weighing the face down, around the cheeks, jaw, and neck and moves those tissues vertically.  That counteracts the pull of gravity and recreates the natural facial contours lost in the aging process.  Because essentially the “cutting” happens at a deeper layer, the face does not look as though it is under constant tension, because it is not.  The result is a face that has both definition and a relaxed look.

Volume replacement is another advantage of the deep plane facelift.  By working under the muscle, it allows access to the fat compartments that have sagged along with the muscle. The skin, muscle and fat, can be repositioned as a single block, restoring the volume loss of the face, and a more youthful appearance. 

Natural results 

A deep plane facelift focuses mainly on the midface – the area of the face most affected by gravity. Correction of this area softens jowls and nasolabial folds (lines running from the nose to the outer chin). It also addresses the droopy fat pads of the midface – the cheeks that often look deflated or flattened because of aging

Less bruising and swelling 

Because the skin has not been separated from the underlying tissues and there is no tension placed on it, the edges where incisions have been made can heal easily and with little scarring.

It can be done as a “ponytail” facelift

The deep-plane technique, coupled with masterfully placed incisions, allow Dr. Siegel’s patients to still wear their hair in a ponytail, without worrying about visible telltale signs of facelift surgery.

A deep plane facelift is a great option even for men

More and more men are seeking plastic surgery. One should know certain factors about a male facelift to maintain not only a natural appearance, but also to avoid obvious signs of a facelift. The incisions are different from those in a female facelift. Because of the facial hair associated with men, incisions need to be designed differently, so as to camouflage the final appearance of the incisions. Dr. Siegel will modify the incision on each patient to account the unique facial hair pattern of each patient, and thus achieve incisions that blend in and are not visible to the naked eye.

No more filler fatigue

Though fillers may provide an option for volume loss as we age, fillers fill: they DO NOT lift saggy facial features. Many of Dr Siegel’s patients first came to him with “filler fatigue,” a term used when patients have grown frustrated from repeated filler treatment, only to appear over-injected but not rejuvenated. Repeated filler treatment costs also add up, often approaching or exceeding the price of a facelift.