Is a Deep Plane Facelift Painful?

You will not feel any pain during your deep plane facelift surgery, as you will be under general anesthesia. As you recover, you can expect some swelling, bruising, tenderness, and soreness, which can be managed with pain medication.

How Many Appointments Will I Need?

All patients must attend a consultation as their first appointment. From there, you will be scheduled for a surgical appointment, where you will receive the surgery. Then you will need to attend a series of check-in sessions to have your sutures removed and to have your progress monitored by Dr. Jones. You can expect around 5-6 appointments in total.

How Long Until I See Results?

Patients typically see noticeable improvements within 2-4 weeks of their surgery. Results will continue to improve over several months, with final results appearing around 6 months to a year.

How Soon Can I Travel After a Deep Plane Facelift?

In general, it’s best to wait at least 2-4 weeks before flying. Cabin pressure can cause bleeding, blot clots, and increased bruising and swelling. You will also need to have your sutures and bandages removed, so flying would interfere with these scheduled appointments.

What Are the Risks Associated with a Deep Plane Facelift?

Like any procedure, a deep-plane facelift involves some risk. Specifically, you may experience: Bleeding Scarring Swelling Tenderness Soreness Infection Nerve damage, such as temporary or permanent facial weakness or numbness Hematomas Skin necrosis Alopecia Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon who specializes in facial cosmetic procedures, like Dr. Jone,s significantly reduces the likelihood of these risks.

Philadelphia, PA

Deep Plane Facelift

Anchored in vitality

Introduction to Deep Plane Facelift

As we age, our faces are among the first areas to show physical signs of how many years have passed. We naturally develop signs of aging, such as wrinkles, sunken cheeks, sagging jowls, and loose skin due to natural aging, gravity, lifestyle factors, and more. At Evan Jones, MD, in Bala Cynwyd, PA, we offer the deep-plane facelift, a gold-standard facial rejuvenation procedure, to individuals seeking to turn back the clock and regain their youthful contours.

Dr. Evan Jones takes into account each patient’s individual needs, facial structure, signs of aging, and aesthetic goals for each deep plane facelift patient in the Main Line and Philadelphia area, ensuring a unique experience and natural-looking results that last.

A dramatic, low-angle shot of a surgeon in a sterile operating room, seen from the perspective of the patient. The surgeon wears blue scrubs, a mask, and surgical loupes with a bright headlamp, looking down with focus as they begin a procedure. - cosmetic rhinoplasty in Los Angeles, CA

What is a Deep Plane Facelift?

A deep plane facelift is an advanced cosmetic surgery that lifts facial tissues as a single, cohesive unit rather than just tightening the skin. This technique is designed to restore youthful contours to the cheeks and jawline by lifting and repositioning deeper underlying facial muscles and ligaments, and trimming excess skin and fat. This technique allows Dr. Jones to release tension points that cause facial sagging and reposition the face to achieve a harmonious, anatomically sound appearance that seamlessly blends with the rest of the face and neck.

Our Main Line and Philadelphia patients often choose this option because it provides significant improvement without sacrificing softness or their natural facial expression. This technique excels at treating deep smile lines, wrinkles, sagging, and moderate-to-severe jowling.

Preservation Deep Plane Facelift

A preservation deep-plane facelift addresses signs of aging in the midface, jawline, and neck by repositioning the deeper facial structures rather than simply pulling the skin, while sparing tissue. During a preservation deep-plane facelift, the SMAS (deep tissue) layer is elevated while minimizing the separation of the skin from the underlying blood vessels. This leads to significant, long-lasting, and natural-looking rejuvenation for the midface and neck with a quicker, smoother recovery.

The longer-lasting results are particularly effective for patients with significant laxity or volume descent.

Extended Deep Plane Facelift

This technique repositions the underlying facial muscles and fat pads and extends into the neck and cheek areas more than a deep-plane facelift. Dr. Jones releases key ligaments and lifts the midface, lower face, and neck as a cohesive unit, providing comprehensive, widespread rejuvenation to restore youthful contours. This technique also avoids a “pulled” look, which older methods sometimes produced.

What Are the Benefits of a Deep Plane Facelift?

Our deep plane facelift has produced exceptional results for our Bala Cynwyd, Main Line, and Philadelphia patients that have prompted several 5-star reviews, which you can browse on our website. Some of these benefits include:

A natural-looking, more youthful appearance
Comprehensive treatment of signs of aging in the face and neck
Smoother, tighter skin
Elimination of lines, wrinkles, and creases
Improved facial balance, symmetry, and proportion
Minimal trauma to the superficial skin layer
Sculpted jawline
Better definition of facial features
Reduced the appearance of jowls
Boost in confidence
Long-lasting results
Minimal scarring

Who Are the Best Candidates for a Deep Plane Facelift?

The best candidates for a deep plane facelift in Bala Cynwyd are individuals in the Philadelphia and Main Line area who have some or all of the following characteristics:

Moderate to severe jowls, sagging cheeks, lost facial volume, deep wrinkles, skin laxity
Non-smoker
At a stable weight
Have realistic expectations
Want to achieve a youthful appearance
Willing to undergo a couple of weeks of downtime

A male clinician in a blue suit and a female patient in a black sweater and jeans walk together down a brightly lit medical office hallway while engaged in conversation. - first step in Los Angeles, CA

How to Begin Your Deep Plane Facelift Journey

To begin your deep plane facelift journey, schedule a consultation with Dr. Jones at our office in Bala Cynwyd. During your consultation, you will discuss a variety of topics and complete tasks that will be considered in determining your candidacy. Some of these topics include:

Sharing your aesthetic goals, medical history, and concerns
A physical examination and assessment of your face, neck, and collarbone
Explanation of the procedure in greater detail
Expectations regarding the procedure
Risks and benefits

Your consultation will be completely private and confidential, so we encourage you to be completely honest. This helps Dr. Jones make an informed recommendation for your procedure and how to recover properly.

When you and Dr. Jones decide that a deep plane facelift is the best way forward to achieve your aesthetic goals, you will work together to create a surgical plan based on your unique needs and goals.

What to Expect on the Day of Deep Plane Facelift Surgery

Your deep-plane facelift will take place at our surgical facility in Bala Cynwyd, just outside Philadelphia and the Main Line. After you get checked in, you will be taken to an operating room, where you will go over the procedure and expectations again. Dr. Jones will create markings along specific areas where the incisions will be placed. Before making any incisions, you will be given general anesthesia and will fall into a deep state of restful unconsciousness.

During your surgery, Dr. Jones will make the incisions, release the ligaments, lift the targeted muscles, and reshape and reposition the connective tissue. To complete the surgery, Dr. Jones will suture the incisions closed to ensure proper healing and place you in the recovery suite to be monitored. When you feel good enough to leave, you will be driven home by a friend or family member who will look after you for the remainder of the day.

The entire surgery typically takes around 3-6 hours, depending on the extent of the surgery and whether other procedures are combined.

A surgeon in blue scrubs, a surgical mask, and a lighted headlamp stands in an operating room giving a double thumbs-up.- Facelift in Los Angeles, CA

Combining My Deep Plane Facelift with Other Procedures

Many of our Philadelphia and Main Line patients combine their deep-plane facelift with other procedures for a variety of reasons, as explained below.

Neck Lift

Combining a neck lift completes the cohesiveness of addressing the facial signs of aging. It further lifts the skin and gets rid of excess skin, fat, and muscle banding that ages you and gives you a “turkey wattle.” It also prevents a mismatched appearance where your face looks younger than your neck.

Eyelid Lift

An eyelid lift enhances the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both by removing or repositioning excess skin, fat, and muscle. When you combine this procedure, you can achieve harmonious rejuvenation, addressing the upper face as well as the mid and lower face, resulting in comprehensive restoration.

Deep Plane Facelift Recovery

Your Guide to Post-Deep Plane Facelift Care

Recovering from your deep plane facelift in Bala Cynwyd involves around 2-3 weeks of initial downtime, but you won’t see your final results for several months to a year. The first 2-3 weeks involve swelling, bruising, tenderness, and soreness, which can be better tolerated with prescribed pain medication from Dr. Jones. These side effects are common and temporary, but you should let us know immediately if they persist for more than a few weeks or bother you.

Take plenty of rest, including time off work, to prioritize your body’s healing. Eat softer foods to minimize pressure on your jaw and cheeks. Avoid intense exercise for at least a few weeks, but you can go for light walks after a few days to promote blood flow. Sleep and rest on your back with your head elevated to minimize swelling and avoid putting pressure on your face.

Go to all scheduled appointments with Dr. Jones, so he can monitor your recovery and check your progress. He will always let you know when he wants to see you next and what you will be going over.

How Much Does a Deep Plane Facelift Cost in Philadelphia, PA?

The cost of a deep plane facelift in Philadelphia, the Main Line, and Bala Cynwyd usually differs for each patient. This is because each patient has a completely unique treatment plan that requires a unique surgery. During this surgery, patients will have varying degrees of signs of aging, which can lead to a shorter or longer surgery, including varying amounts of time and anesthesia. More experienced providers will also cost more.

The best way to find out how much your deep plane facelift costs is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jones.

Why Choose Dr. Jones?

Dr. Evan Jones is an otolaryngologist and fellowship-trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon serving patients throughout Bala Cynwyd, the greater Main Line, and the Philadelphia area. He is adept at performing facial procedures, as this is the specialty he trained for at the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University, where he earned a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, followed by medical training at Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Jones completed surgical residency at Baylor College of Medicine and a highly sought-after, advanced fellowship with the president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.

Dr. Jones’s extensive training in the deep-plane facelift approach allows him to develop a sophisticated understanding of facial anatomy, function, and the aging process. His philosophy focuses on patient-specific care and harmonious, natural-looking results, ensuring that aesthetic improvement never gets in the way of self-expression or identity. Patients in the Main Line, Bala Cynwyd, and the Philadelphia area choose Dr. Jones because he treats his patients like family, uses technical precision to deliver accurate results, and is determined to achieve natural, refined, and long-lasting outcomes.

A surgeon in dark scrubs ties a blue surgical cap behind his head while standing in a dimly lit operating room under bright surgical lights. - Procedure in Los Angeles, CA

Schedule Your Consultation

If a deep-plane facelift at Evan Jones, MD, in the greater Philadelphia and Main Line area interests you, please schedule a consultation to get started. Our team will be more than happy to help you find a time on your schedule that works, so you can get rid of unwanted wrinkles, achieve smoother, tighter skin, and restore your youthful contours with an expert.

Deep Plane Facelift FAQ’S

All patients must attend a consultation as their first appointment. From there, you will be scheduled for a surgical appointment, where you will receive the surgery. Then you will need to attend a series of check-in sessions to have your sutures removed and to have your progress monitored by Dr. Jones. You can expect around 5-6 appointments in total.
Like any procedure, a deep-plane facelift involves some risk. Specifically, you may experience:
- Bleeding
- Scarring
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Soreness
- Infection
- Nerve damage, such as temporary or permanent facial weakness or numbness
- Hematomas
- Skin necrosis
- Alopecia
Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon who specializes in facial cosmetic procedures, like Dr. Jone,s significantly reduces the likelihood of these risks.

Accessibility: If you are vision-impaired or have some other impairment covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act or a similar law, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to using this website, please contact our Accessibility Manager at (610) 664-8830