Facelift (La Jolla Lift®)

Dr. Roy David performs the La Jolla Lift® — his proprietary extended deep-plane facelift technique — at his Sorrento Mesa practice in San Diego. The full procedure addresses gravitational descent of the lower face, jowls, and neck, while the mini La Jolla Lift® uses twilight sedation with no general anaesthesia and takes approximately 120 minutes, targeting patients with earlier-stage facial laxity. Both techniques reposition the underlying SMAS layer to restore a natural, rested appearance without a windswept look. The procedure was featured on the TV show The Doctors.

The La Jolla Lift® is Dr. Roy David's signature facelift approach, developed over more than two decades of exclusive practice in facial plastic surgery at his San Diego clinic. The technique is rooted in extended deep-plane principles, meaning the dissection and lift occur at the level of the SMAS — the fibromuscular layer beneath the subcutaneous fat — rather than at the skin surface alone. By releasing and repositioning this deeper layer, the procedure addresses the anatomical cause of facial ageing rather than redistributing tension onto the skin, which produces a more natural-looking result with less visible scarring and more durable correction than traditional skin-only lifts. The full La Jolla Lift® is performed under general anaesthesia at an AAAASF-accredited surgical facility, with a board-certified anaesthesiologist present throughout. Incisions are placed within the hairline, along the natural curvature of the ear, and in the postauricular sulcus, following skin tension lines to minimise visible scar formation. The SMAS is elevated along a vector that restores vertical height to the midface and jowl area, and the neck platysma can be addressed simultaneously through a small submental incision to correct banding and submental fullness. Excess skin is redraped conservatively after tissue repositioning, with no tension at the closure. A neck lift is commonly incorporated as part of the same procedure. The mini La Jolla Lift® is designed for patients at an earlier stage of facial ageing who do not yet require the full extent of deep-plane dissection. It is performed under twilight sedation — eliminating the need for general anaesthesia — in approximately 120 minutes, with a shorter incision that concentrates the correction on the lower face and upper neck. Recovery is correspondingly faster, making it an attractive option for patients who want meaningful facial rejuvenation with reduced downtime. Both procedure variants are featured on the sandiegoface.com website alongside extensive before-and-after documentation. The all-inclusive pricing model — covering surgeon fee, anaesthesiologist, accredited facility, and twelve months of follow-up — provides transparent cost clarity uncommon in US plastic surgery. Dr. David has been recognised as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor by San Diego Magazine and maintains an active RealSelf profile with extensive patient Q&A.