Why the Deep Plane Facelift Will Be Considered the Gold Standard in 2026

As we approach a new year, it means there’s another year of valuable experience and new results under our belts that will help guide us moving forward, especially in the world of facelifts. 

Facelifts remain a popular procedure in the United States — nearly 80,000 were performed in 2024. And these facelifts include terms like ponytail, mini, SMAS, and deep plane, which are common in the facelift arena. 

Well, from where we stand, the deep plane facelift is the way forward as it delivers the most superior results to date, which is why board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Zelken almost exclusively performs deep plane facelifts here at our practice.

To help you better understand why the deep plane facelift rises head and shoulders above other facelift options, we dive into more detail here.

Going only skin deep isn’t ideal

Many people think that a facelift is simply a procedure in which we pull aging tissue taut to lift sagging skin and smooth out wrinkles. Here’s the thing: This is like giving a house a fresh coat of paint to make it look new. It might work for a while, but it’s not a really sustainable solution that tackles the real issues beneath the paint.

In terms of a facelift, if you’re just addressing the top tissues — your skin — this approach can really damage existing skin. And if you consider that your skin still ages after a facelift (it loses 1% of its collagen per year), you’re damaging already vulnerable skin. 

So, in the end, your skin might look great for a little bit, but these results aren’t terribly sustainable, and the skin will sag down again, often all too quickly.

The reality is that if you truly want to hit the reset button on aging skin, the work needs to go much further than skin deep. Using our renovation analogy, we need to get down to the framework.

Getting to the deeper planes for superior results

If you’re taking the time and spending the money on a facelift procedure, it’s a great idea to get it done the right way, and, in our view, that’s the deep plane facelift.

With a deep plane facelift, we go deeper than your skin and reach your SMAS, or superficial muscular aponeurotic system — a thin layer of muscle, fat, and connective tissues.

During a deep plane facelift, Dr. Zelken detaches the ligaments that hold your SMAS in place, then resuspends it in a more youthful position. He also tightens these tissues so that there’s a more stable foundational structure underneath your skin. 

Some of the advantages of addressing these deeper layers to lift and tighten the tissues in your face include:

• A tension-free facelift that won’t pull on or damage existing skin
• Relaxed skin tension over the incision areas to reduce wound breakdown
• Multiple-layer closure for reduced scarring
• Less liposuction
• Less bruising 
• More natural-looking results

This work also extends down into your neck, where Dr. Zelken can create a more youthful contour and profile by going deeper. In fact, Dr. Zelken often performs a deep neck dissection, removing submandibular (salivary) glands that can form bulges in your neck.

Ultimately, the deep plane facelift is designed to enhance your unique beauty and restore youthful harmony to your face. And perhaps more importantly, the deep plane facelift is the best road to an undetectable facelift. And keeping them guessing is a great way to handle aging!

If you’d like to learn more about the different facelifts, we invite you to check out this video by Dr. Zelken.

And if you want to sit down to discuss all that a deep plane facelift can do for you, we invite you to call Jonathan Zelken, MD, in Newport Beach, California, at (949) 676-9119 or request an appointment using our convenient online booking tool.