How do you shave decades off your face? Read on to learn about the Deep Plane facelift technique.
“Facelift surgery is without a doubt the most transformative anti-aging procedure available,” says Dr. Philip Solomon, MD, FRCSC, Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon, practicing in Facial Plastic Surgery. “Facelifts have been around for many years, however previously, this surgery may have left tell-tale signs of an ‘overdone or operated’ appearance that may have turned people off.”
Dr. Solomon says there was a time when facelift surgeries were operations that were costly or assumed to only be available to the upper echelon of society and associated with movie stars or the very wealthy. “Today facelifts are sought-out by people from a larger demographic and socio-economic background,” says Dr. Solomon.
The procedure itself has changed over the years as well, as has the age at which people are choosing to embrace this surgery. “We are now living in a time when facelift surgery is performed on a broad range of both men and women, ranging in age from their mid-40s to mid-70s,” and occasionally even older. Dr. Solomon continues, “Facelift surgery can provide a radical improvement to someone’s appearance, helping them look years younger by enhancing the contour of the jawline, middle face and neck.”
As we have seen in our parents and grandparents, as we age our skin begins to sag. “There has been a tremendous amount of time and resources spent in the ‘anti-aging’ world, looking for devices to replace the facelift. While some innovative technologies have evolved that can help slow down the aging process or lessen the appearance of aging, nothing has come close to replacing the facelift using a non-invasive approach. What has evolved over time are surgical techniques and technology,” he says.
“Throughout North America, Europe and parts of Asia, there has been a shift toward what’s known as a ‘Deep Plane’ facelift, which addresses the deeper structures of the face. The SMAS layer is what covers the facial muscles and when lifted and repositioned, can provide results that are longer lasting and more natural-looking than alternative, less complex facelifts,” says Dr. Solomon. There are different degrees of a Deep Plane Facelift, and in Canada there are only a handful of surgeons who offer this technique.
Dr. Philip Solomon performs Deep Plane facelifts at his uptown private surgical facility, The Solomon Nasal and Facial Plastic Surgery Centre, or alternatively in the hospital, depending on his patients’ preference. “I have found that since I have added the Deep Plane facelift technique, my patients’ experience has improved. In my opinion, my patients’ results are better than ever. It is rare that I will perform a facelift now without performing a Deep Plane technique.”
According to Dr. Solomon, a facelift is the gold standard of treatment for the aging face. “That being said, it doesn’t fix everything. Some patients also benefit from adjunct procedures, such as laser resurfacing, as well as blepharoplasty (upper or lower eyelid surgery), and often facial fat grafting.
He points out that laser resurfacing is often necessary to improve ones’ skin texture and overall appearance. Eyelid surgery, by surgically removing excess skin and removing eyelid bags, can make one appear less tired and more youthful. Fat grafting or filler replaces volume loss and can enhance the patients’ facelift outcome.
Dr. Solomon’s theory is that one plus one plus one equals 10, meaning one procedure alone isn’t going to be the only solution. “By combining multiple modalities, we can often reach a 10.” It’s a formula. And it’s a formula that Dr. Solomon knows well.
May 17th 2021