When the face begins to show signs of aging, such as sagging cheeks, jowling, loose neck skin, and deep folds, it is natural to start weighing your options. For many patients, the question comes down to this: is a traditional facelift enough, or is the extended deep plane technique worth the additional investment? Understanding how these two approaches differ and what each one can realistically deliver is the first step toward making a confident, informed decision.
This article explains the key differences between traditional and extended deep plane facelifts, why Dr. Turin performs the extended deep plane technique for most patients, and what you can expect from the process at Koda Plastic Surgery in Scottsdale, AZ.
What a Traditional Facelift Does and Where It Falls Short
A traditional facelift addresses the skin and a thin layer of fibrous tissue just beneath it. During this procedure, the surgeon lifts and tightens this layer, removes excess skin, and repositions surface tissue to create a more youthful appearance.
For patients with mild to moderate concerns, this can produce a noticeable improvement. However, because it does not address the underlying structural causes of facial aging, its results are limited. The midface is frequently left under-corrected, the tension placed on the skin can increase the risk of a pulled appearance, and because the underlying ligaments are left untouched, gravity continues to act on those structures after surgery, meaning results may fade sooner than patients expect.
Why Traditional Facelift Results May Not Last
Because the facial retaining ligaments are not released during a traditional facelift, the deeper structural forces that cause aging continue working after surgery. Over time, the lifted tissue descends again, often within a few years. Some patients eventually find themselves considering revision surgery sooner than anticipated. For patients with significant concerns or those who want results that hold up long term, this limitation is worth understanding before committing to a surgical approach.
What Makes the Extended Deep Plane Facelift Different
The extended deep plane facelift lifts and repositions the deeper layers of the face, including the muscles and ligaments, rather than simply tightening the skin at the surface. This allows Dr. Turin to correct sagging in the midface, jawline, and neck more comprehensively, with results that often look natural and may last longer than those from traditional facelift techniques. Because the work happens at a deeper level with less tension on the skin, the risk of a pulled or operated appearance is also considerably reduced.
With more tissue layers kept intact during dissection, trauma to the face may be reduced, which can translate to less bruising, less swelling, and a more comfortable recovery for many patients.
What the Extended Deep Plane Approach Can Address
Since this technique works at the structural level, it can correct concerns that surface-level treatments consistently leave unresolved. The most common areas patients want to address include the cheeks, jawline, and neck, all of which respond well to the extended deep plane approach.
Sagging Cheeks and Midface Volume Loss
The midface is one of the first areas to show significant age-related changes and one of the most difficult areas to address with a traditional facelift. The extended deep plane technique allows for direct repositioning of the cheek fat pads and deeper midface structures, restoring the fullness and projection that tends to flatten or descend with age.
Jowling and Jawline Definition
Jowls form when the ligaments and soft tissue that once held the lower face in place begin to loosen and descend. A traditional facelift can reduce the appearance of jowling, but without releasing the underlying ligaments, the correction is limited. The extended deep plane approach addresses jowling at its source, restoring a clean, defined jawline that can hold up over time.
Neck Laxity and Muscle Banding
The neck lift is almost always performed alongside the facelift at Koda Plastic Surgery, and the two procedures complement each other well. During the neck lift, the platysmal muscles are tightened and sutured together to create a firm hammock of tissue beneath the chin. This eliminates banding and loose skin under the neck, creating a smooth, crisp neckline that complements the facelift results above.
Facial Fat Grafting Is Included With Every Facelift at Koda Plastic Surgery
One distinguishing aspect of Dr. Turin’s approach is that facial fat grafting is always included in the facelift procedure. Lifting and repositioning tissue addresses sagging, but this approach does not restore the volume the face naturally loses with age. Without that volume, even a beautifully executed lift can look hollow or incomplete.
Fat grafting involves harvesting a small amount of your own fat, processing it, and strategically transferring it to the cheeks, temples, and lower lids. The result is a face that looks genuinely younger rather than simply tighter. Because your own fat is used, the volume is soft and natural, and can provide long-lasting improvement, without the ongoing maintenance often associated with injectable fillers.
How the Extended Deep Plane Facelift Compares to Non-Surgical Options
Injectables, laser treatments, microneedling, and PDO threads all have their place in a comprehensive aesthetic plan, and many patients use them to maintain their results or address early signs of aging before surgery becomes the right conversation. But non-surgical treatments work at the surface level. They can improve skin texture, add temporary volume, and create modest tightening, but they cannot reposition descended tissue, release facial ligaments, or address the structural changes that produce significant jowling, deep folds, or a loose neck.
At that stage, surgery is not simply a more aggressive option. It is a fundamentally different approach. The extended deep plane facelift corrects the underlying anatomy in a way that no topical treatment, device, or injectable can replicate, and it delivers results that may last many years depending on individual factors.
Recovery From an Extended Deep Plane Facelift
Most patients experience swelling and bruising during the first 1-2 weeks following surgery, with both gradually subsiding as healing progresses. Many patients find the recovery more manageable than they anticipated, and most are comfortable returning to light activity and social settings within a few weeks. Every patient heals on their own timeline, and individual factors such as age, skin quality, and overall health all influence how recovery unfolds.
Full results take time to develop as the tissues settle and swelling resolves fully. Most patients see meaningful improvement within the first month, with the final outcome continuing to refine over the following 3-6 months. Dr. Turin provides personalized post-operative guidance at every stage to support optimal healing and help you understand what to expect as your results take shape.
Are You a Candidate for an Extended Deep Plane Facelift?
The extended deep plane facelift is well-suited for adults who want meaningful, lasting results and are noticing concerns that non-surgical treatments have stopped addressing effectively, such as visible jowling, descended cheeks, deep nasolabial folds, or loose skin along the neck. Ideal candidates are in good overall health, at a stable weight, and have realistic expectations about what surgery can achieve.
Because Dr. Turin customizes every procedure to the individual patient’s anatomy and goals, there is no single profile that defines a good candidate. Patients who want a more modest improvement may be better served by options such as facial fat grafting or a mini facelift, and Dr. Turin will discuss all of these during your consultation.
Why Choose Dr. Turin for Your Facelift?
Dr. Sergey Turin is a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Koda Plastic Surgery, specializing in deep plane facelifts and revision facial surgery. He trained alongside world experts in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, and performs the extended deep plane as his standard approach, not an occasional offering.
Koda was founded on a simple but uncommon principle: prioritizing the patient experience over surgical volume. Dr. Turin takes the time to understand each patient’s anatomy, listen to their goals, and recommend the approach that genuinely fits. The result is care that feels personal and outcomes that look natural.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Your consultation with Dr. Turin is a conversation, not a sales pitch. He will assess your facial anatomy, listen to your goals, and walk you through which approach best fits what you want to achieve. For some patients, that is the extended deep plane facelift. For others, a mini facelift or fat grafting alone may be the more appropriate starting point, and Dr. Turin will tell you so honestly.
You will leave with a clear understanding of what surgery can realistically deliver, what recovery looks like, and what results to expect. You will receive an honest assessment from a surgeon who believes the right procedure is the one that genuinely fits your needs.
Discover If an Extended Deep Plane Facelift Is Right for You
Dr. Turin’s goal with every facelift is simple: you should look like yourself, only more rested and more defined. Not operated on. Not pulled. Just genuinely refreshed.
As a trusted deep plane surgery specialist in Scottsdale, AZ, Dr. Turin serves patients from across the Phoenix metro area, including Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler, as well as out-of-state patients who travel in for the procedure. To schedule your consultation, call (480) 256-8018 or book online today.
