How Long Does It Last?

Although the aging process continues, most patients report that the procedure sets the clock back 10 years or more, and that they continue to look younger for the rest of their lives.

Will I Look Pulled, Stretched, Or Windswept?

Deep plane facelifts are heralded as the most natural and long-lasting lifts available. Our patients never complain of a “pulled” look, but instead, we are well-known for our natural results. If your goal is a refreshed and rested appearance, this technique may be perfect for you.

How Long Will It Be Before I Can Return To Normal Activities?

Most patients return to work and social activities within 7-10 days, and those who exercise may begin a moderate routine after 2 weeks. We encourage our patients to ambulate leisurely just after the procedure.

Where Are The Incisions?

We use standard face and neck lift incisions, which begin under the sideburn, extend along the natural curves of the ear, around the earlobe, and into the back hairline. There is typically an additional incision behind the chin as well. These incisions heal quickly and inconspicuously.

Is a Deep Plane Facelift Painful?

Your procedure will be performed under sedation with local anesthesia, ensuring you are comfortable and sleep soundly as Dr. Harley revitalizes your look. Postoperatively, the doctor will prescribe medication to help you manage any soreness or tenderness. Most patients can start taking over-the-counter pain medications within the first week.

How Many Appointments Will I Need?

Your deep-plane facelift journey will involve a series of visits, starting with an initial consultation and culminating in several follow-up sessions. Your postoperative visits are a critical part of your treatment plan, allowing Dr. Harley to evaluate your healing process and make sure that no complications arise.

How Long Until I See Results?

With each week of recovery, a more youthful, refreshed appearance will emerge. However, it can take a few months for all swelling to dissipate.

Can I Combine a Deep Plane Facelift With Other Procedures?

Yes, definitely. Dr. Harley often pairs a deep facelift with other facial rejuvenation techniques to maximize your results. During your initial consultation, the doctor can discuss your options for a customized, multifaceted treatment plan.

What Are the Risks Associated With a Deep Plane Facelift?

Although there are risks with any procedure, such as bleeding, infection, and healing setbacks, we have found most complications to be rare and minimal due to the procedure’s minimally invasive nature and anesthesia.

Cashiers, North Carolina

Deep Plane Facelift

Introduction

Introduction to Deep Plane Facelift

The deep-plane facelift and platysmaplasty (muscle tightening) neck lift procedures performed by Dr. David Harley are used by expert plastic surgeons worldwide to achieve long-lasting, natural results. These techniques are used to release the muscular attachments (known as ligaments), mobilize deeper tissues, and allow them to be lifted more securely, which contributes to extended longevity. The lift addresses the aging of three primary tissues – skin, muscle, and fat – and, in Dr. Harley’s practice, does so using local anesthesia in the safest, least-invasive manner available.

At his world-class practice in Cashiers, NC (conveniently located near Asheville, NC, and Greenville, SC), double-board-certified facial expert Dr. Harley customizes every procedure to your unique preferences and goals, ensuring a highly satisfying outcome.

Before + After Gallery

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What Is a Deep Plane Facelift?

Modern facelift techniques have made it possible to dramatically rewind the clock on facial aging without the dreaded “pulled” or “deer in the headlights” look many patients fear. A deep-plane facelift is a specialized technique that involves releasing deeper ligaments and elevating the muscle and tissue layers as a single unit, without pulling or stretching the skin. This nuanced approach minimizes complication risks and leads to an effortlessly beautiful, contoured result.

Dr. David Harley performs the deep plane facelift exclusively under local anesthesia with oral sedation in the office setting at his Western North Carolina facility. This procedure is currently considered the most technically advanced surgical procedure for facial rejuvenation. With his experience performing many thousands of these procedures and currently performing them daily in his facility, he can offer his patients a reliable procedure with predictable outcomes, reduced downtime, and greater safety. In Dr. Harley’s opinion, the deep plane facelift and deep neck lift procedures are the greatest advancement in lifting procedures he has seen in his over 18 years of practice, offering natural, long-lasting results.

Introduction

Facelift Terminology

An early intervention facelift is a procedure that is performed on a younger patient, usually in her 40s or early 50s. Sometimes patients in these age groups pursue a mini facelift. However, a mini facelift is not well defined in the medical literature. Dr. Harley prefers the term “early intervention facelift.” What is generally sought when a patient seeks a “mini-facelift” is a shorter scar and less downtime. These may be possible in an early intervention facelift for patients in the Asheville, NC, and Greenville, SC, areas, depending on your own individual characteristics and Dr. Harley’s assessment following your consultation.

Additional Surgical Enhancement

Other surgical procedures can be performed to enhance the upper and lower eyelids, the brow, and the lips. Such procedures include blepharoplasty (upper and lower) and brow lift, and lip lift. Depending on the patient’s goals, these procedures may be performed together or separately.

Non-Surgical and Volume Enhancement

In addition to these surgical procedures, a medium-depth TCA chemical peel or CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser treatment may be performed to enhance the result by smoothing fine lines and evening out brownish sun spots. Additionally, volume enhancement with fat grafting may be performed to enhance the youthful appearance of the face.

Surgical Enhancement in Men

Men seeking to improve their jawline and neck have achieved great results with these procedures. Although women still make up the majority of our patients, the number of men interested in these improvements grows annually. We have found that men also benefit significantly from these procedures, while maintaining a natural appearance.

Who Are the Best Candidates For a Deep Plane Facelift?

Candidacy for a deep-plane facelift is determined on a case-by-case basis through a detailed one-on-one consultation. In general, the procedure is suitable for healthy non-smoking patients who are at a stable weight and have realistic expectations for their outcome. If you are frustrated by a sagging jawline and neckline; skin laxity; loss of facial definition; drooping in the midface, lower face, and jowls; the appearance of deep nasolabial folds and sunken or hollow cheeks; and facial wrinkles and lines; and are experiencing a poor self-image due to your appearance, you may make an excellent candidate for this powerful anti-aging solution.

What Are the Benefits of a Deep Plane Facelift?

An extended deep plane facelift is the gold-standard procedure that comes with a wide range of benefits, including:

Erases lines, wrinkles, and folds
Improves facial balance, symmetry, and proportion
Enhances skin elasticity
Comes with minimal trauma to the outermost tissue layer
Sharpens the definition in the jawline
Eliminates jowls
Creates a more attractive, energized appearance
Boosts self-confidence and self-esteem
Offers a lasting, highly natural-looking transformation
Minimal scarring

What’s the First Step?

You will need to start with a private in-person or virtual consultation with Dr. Harley. This one-on-one process will allow the doctor to carefully analyze your facial anatomy, discuss your aesthetic goals, and review all surgical options, including incision placement, anesthesia, and expected outcomes. The consultation and discussion with Dr. Harley helps ensure that your surgical plan is personalized, safe, and aligned with your vision for natural, long-lasting rejuvenation.

For nearly 20 years, the practice of Dr. David Harley has been a destination practice. As a patient, you will be fully supported and fully connected throughout the process and beyond. Your journey will begin with a consultation, whether virtual, via telephone, or in person, followed by a trip to Cashiers, NC, for the procedure. Our concierge-type practice provides white glove service from beginning to end. You will be assisted with any questions you might have regarding travel arrangements and accommodations.

What to Expect from a Deep Plane Facelift?

On the day of your procedure, Dr. Harley and his team will welcome you into their state-of-the-art facility and help you settle into a comfortable surgical suite, answering any last-minute questions and reviewing your individualized care plan. You will then receive oral sedation combined with local anesthesia, which helps keep you asleep and numb throughout your procedure.

The procedure will go by quickly for you, since you will be relaxed and asleep, and you will have no pain. Once the procedure is completed, you will be awakened and a soft elastic dressing will be applied. Your caregiver, hopefully a friend or family member, will transport you to your local accomodations, where you will relax comfortably and rest until your follow-up appointment the following day.

A faded, high-exposure landscape painting in soft white and grey tones, depicting a river, trees, and a distant figure with sheep.

A vertical shot of Dr. Harley in a blue gown and surgical headgear, carefully using a medical instrument during a procedure on a patient's neck area.

Inconspicuous Incisions

Well-hidden
Concealed along the natural curves and boundaries of the ear
Along natural contours
The cartilages of the ear are preserved, as incisions are made between the subunit of the cheek and the ear.
Behind the hairline
The incision moves along the backside of the ear and into the hairline as it travels behind the ear.

Deep Plane Facelift Recovery

Your Guide to Post-Deep Plane Facelift Care

Dr. Harley performs extended deep plane facelift surgery with minimal trauma to the superficial skin layer using only local anesthesia, which allows for a rapid and stress-free healing process. Your recovery timeline may look as follows:

The first few days – In the early stages of recovery, you may notice swelling, bruising, and soreness in the targeted areas. Dr. Harley will provide prescriptions for medications to help optimize your comfort. Sleep with your head elevated, as this helps to reduce swelling. Drains that are used will be removed within 24 to 48 hours

The first several weeks – In this next stage of recovery, you should continue to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise. However, you can safely take gentle walks immediately after surgery to boost circulation, prevent complications, and elevate your sense of well-being. Most patients can resume normal activities within seven days.

The first few months – After around 2-4 weeks, Dr. Harley will likely clear you to resume your exercise regimen gradually. Most swelling and bruising will have dissipated by this time. You should continue to attend all scheduled follow-up appointments. If you are not a local patient, follow-up appointments may take place through texting, phone, or virtual appointments.

Six to twelve months – Further refinement occurs as the beautification process and finalization of healing from facelift surgery nears completion.

How Much Does a Deep Plane Facelift Cost?

Investment cost for full deep plane facelift and deep structural necklift, combined with facial fat grafting and facial skin resurfacing, starts at $45,000. However, depending on the patient’s needs and goals, pricing may vary. If a patient feels that all of the above-mentioned treatments are not needed, the specific needs may be discussed individually with Dr. Harley during the patient consultation. Pricing is customizable once the consultation with Dr. Harley is completed.

Why Choose Dr. Harley?

For over 18 years, Dr. David Harley has delivered exemplary care to those in and beyond Asheville, NC, and Greenville, SC, focusing on integrity, excellence, and safety. He has drawn patients from all over the country and around the world, who choose Dr. Harley for his compassion, artistry, precision, and attention to detail. Dr. Harley’s care and support continue after patients leave the office, as he keeps in touch through phone calls, texts, and emails.

As a surgeon who specializes exclusively in facial and neck procedures performed under local anesthesia, Dr. Harley is an ideal choice for those seeking an extended deep-plane facelift and deep neck contouring procedure. He utilizes today’s most sophisticated and progressive techniques to deliver a beautiful, customized outcome that stands the test of time. Surgery is performed under local anesthesia, offering patients reduced downtime, risks, and discomfort.

Dr. Harley, wearing a black surgical cap and face mask, adjusts a pair of specialized surgical loupes with integrated lighting on his head.

Deep Plane Facelift FAQ’S

Schedule Your Consultation

To get started with a deep-plane facelift, please reach out to Dr. David Harley today to book an informative introductory consultation. Our team, led by double-board-certified cosmetic specialist Dr. Harley, is excited to meet with you and help you get started with a one-of-a-kind treatment plan that accomplishes your goals.

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