A deep plane facelift is one of the most advanced and comprehensive facial rejuvenation surgeries available today. While it dramatically improves the midface, lower face, and jawline, many patients choose to combine it with other facial procedures for even more harmonious and complete results. By addressing multiple areas of the face simultaneously, you can achieve a more balanced and youthful appearance—all while consolidating downtime and recovery.
Here are the most commonly combined procedures and how they complement a deep plane facelift:
1. Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
Target Areas: Upper and lower eyelids
A facelift doesn’t directly improve aging around the eyes—such as drooping upper eyelids, under-eye bags, or hooded skin. That’s why blepharoplasty is a popular add-on procedure.
Benefits of Combining:
- Brightens the eyes and restores a more alert, rested appearance.
- Smooths under-eye puffiness or hollowness while the facelift addresses sagging below the cheeks.
- Results in an overall rejuvenated face, not just a younger lower face with aged eyes.
2. Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty)
Target Areas: Neck bands, loose skin, excess fat under the chin
While a deep plane facelift improves the jawline, a neck lift more directly targets sagging or banding in the neck. Combining the two ensures a seamless transition from face to neck—crucial for a natural, youthful look.
Benefits of Combining:
- Eliminates the dreaded “turkey neck” or prominent platysmal bands.
- Tightens underlying neck muscles and removes excess skin.
- Creates a clean, defined neck and jawline contour that enhances the facelift.
3. Fat Grafting (Fat Transfer)
Target Areas: Cheeks, temples, under eyes, lips, and nasolabial folds
As we age, we don’t just sag—we lose facial volume, especially in the midface and temples. A deep plane facelift lifts and repositions tissue, but fat grafting restores the youthful fullness that fillers aim to mimic.
Benefits of Combining:
- Uses your own fat (usually from the abdomen or thighs) to restore facial volume naturally.
- Enhances cheekbones, fills hollows, and improves contour in delicate areas.
- Offers long-lasting results compared to synthetic fillers.
4. Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)
Target Areas: Sagging brows, forehead lines, frown lines
The upper face is not addressed by a facelift, and sagging brows can contribute to a tired or angry expression. A brow lift raises drooping brows and smooths forehead wrinkles.
Benefits of Combining:
- Opens the eye area and enhances upper facial symmetry.
- Lifts the brows to their youthful position without an overdone look.
- Complements blepharoplasty and facelift for full-face harmony.
5. Skin Resurfacing (Laser or Chemical Peels)
Target Areas: Fine lines, texture, pigmentation, sun damage
A deep plane facelift lifts and reshapes, but it doesn’t improve skin quality. Laser resurfacing, CO2 lasers, or chemical peels are often done in conjunction to refresh and refine the skin’s surface.
Benefits of Combining:
- Reduces fine lines, especially around the mouth and eyes.
- Treats sun spots, age spots, and uneven pigmentation.
- Improves skin tone, texture, and radiance for a youthful glow.
6. Chin Liposuction or Chin Implant
Target Areas: Double chin, weak chin profile
Even after a facelift, excess fat beneath the chin or a receding chin can impact your facial balance. Liposuction or a chin implant can improve facial harmony and enhance jawline definition.
Benefits of Combining:
- Refines the chin-neck angle for a more sculpted look.
- Strengthens a weak chin to balance facial proportions.
- Complements facelift contours for a polished, elegant profile.
Why Combine Procedures?
Combining complementary facial procedures offers several key advantages:
- Comprehensive Results: Treats multiple signs of aging in one surgical plan for a natural, uniform rejuvenation.
- One Recovery Period: Rather than undergoing multiple surgeries and recoveries, you consolidate healing time into one.
- Cost-Effective: Bundling procedures often reduces overall costs compared to staging them separately.
- Improved Aesthetic Outcome: When your surgeon designs your facelift with additional enhancements in mind, the final result appears more harmonious and youthful.
Conclusion
A deep plane facelift is powerful on its own—but when combined with other facial procedures like eyelid surgery, fat grafting, or skin resurfacing, it creates truly transformative, head-to-toe facial rejuvenation. The key to success is choosing a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in comprehensive aesthetic planning and tailors your procedure to your unique anatomy and goals.
