Demystifying the Deep Plane Facelift: What It Means Anatomically and Why It Works

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Rhytidectomy is a common procedure performed by facial plastic surgeons. On well-selected patients, rhytidectomy rejuvenates the aging face by repositioning soft tissues and improving facial shape. The fundamental goal of rhytidectomy, or facelift surgery, is to provide a more youthful facial appearance by elevating soft tissues that often descend with aging. The success and longevity of any rhytidectomy procedure are based on the individual patient's anatomy and aging and on the mobilization, elevation, and fixation of the soft tissues during the facelift procedure. Although surgeons often use many terms to describe a given facelift technique, anatomical terms are best used to name the facelift procedure, as the plane of dissection and the vector of elevation are what determines the end result. This paper attempts to simplify and demystify the deep plane facelift procedure and to describe the anatomy that makes this technique successful.