As Dr. Keller travels the globe performing his time-perfected and highly sought after deep plane facelift procedure for an international patient base, requests at his Santa Barbara and Los Angeles based offices continue to proliferate. The recent innovation to Keller’s deep plane technique is the bidirectional deep plane facelift, which has been spreading rapidly by word-of-mouth in the surgical community. “This is without a doubt, a game changer for any patient seeking natural looking results,” Keller has said. “It’s simply better than anything else out there for reversing signs of age in a discreet and subtle way”. We know that Dr. Keller is perhaps the foremost expert in the world on the deep plane facelift, and now the bidirectional deep plane facelift. But for those of us who don’t have decades of specialized surgical experience under our belts, what makes the deep plane facelift (bidirectional or otherwise) a more appealing choice for patients, who are increasingly opting for it over the standard, or traditional facelift?
Firstly, let’s clarify the basic comparison points. A standard facelift, or Rhytidectomy in medical language, involves the removal of excess facial fat, the tightening of facial muscles, and the trimming or re-draping of facial skin to approximate a smoother, firmer facial appearance. The procedure takes place on either the face, neck, or both. Comparatively, the term deep plane refers to a specific type of facelift in which the SMAS, a layer of connective tissue underneath the skin and on top of the facial muscles, is lifted to tighten the cheeks, jawline, and neck. The deep plane facelift and bidirectional deep plane procedures are recognized by cosmetic surgeons as being more durable than the traditional facelift technique. Because it targets deeper tissues and muscles, the SMA technique can have both more satisfying, and longer lasting, results. Although more invasive, these deeper techniques allow Dr. Keller to provide amazing, effective and life enhancing results.
Even more specifically, with the deep plane facelift techniques, “both the skin and the fibromuscular sheet beneath it are detached as a single unit. This means that no tension is placed on the skin, affording the patient plausible results and a whole world of potential facial expressions [. . .] Instead of a standard facelift’s cut-and-pull technique, the surgeon releases four key ligament groups around the cheeks and jaw, and moves everything upward rather than backward. This vertical reorientation automatically eliminates jowls and allows the cheek pads and muscles to sit higher on the face, giving a naturally youthful—as opposed to wildly altered—appearance (fat pads have an alarming habit of slipping down the face with age). An added bonus of targeting the mid-face in this fashion is that nasolabial folds (the lines that run from nose to outer chin) are ironed out in the process, too. Put simply: The lifting effect is voluminous and vertical rather than tight and horizontal”. (Meet the Deep-Plane Facelift, a Serious Procedure That Gets Natural-Looking Results) And, you may even save on those regular visits to your medspa for fillers!
For some, a traditional facelift may check all of the boxes, repairing those problem areas that the patient is seeking to remedy. But based on the large number of celebrity A-listers who have been bragging about their spectacular results from recent deep plane facelift procedures, we don’t expect the demand for this cosmetic surgery choice to slow down! Surgery is a significant medical decision that should not be taken lightly. You will be seeing your results in the mirror for many years, so as always, we suggest that the most important step in your journey to feeling and looking your best, is to work with the most qualified and experienced surgeon, whose work you appreciate, and who understands your aesthetic goals. If you would like to discuss a deep plane facelift at Dr. Keller’s Los Angeles or Santa Barbara offices, we welcome you to contact us for your consultation today.