Deep Plane Facelift

Deep plane facelift performed by fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kayva Crawford at Torrey Pines Plastic Surgery in Del Mar, San Diego. The deep plane technique dissects beneath the SMAS layer to release facial retaining ligaments, repositioning the mid-face and lower face at a deeper structural level than skin-tension or standard SMAS facelifts. Results are more durable and more natural-looking. Most patients return to social life within two to three weeks. Consultation required for pricing.

The facelift programme at Torrey Pines Plastic Surgery in Del Mar is led by Dr. Kayva Crawford, whose fellowship training at Oregon Health and Science University under a past president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery positions her among the most rigorously trained facial surgeons on the West Coast. Dr. Crawford's preferred approach is the deep plane facelift — a technique that goes substantially deeper than the conventional SMAS facelift. While a standard SMAS facelift plicates or imbricitates the superficial muscular aponeurotic system without releasing the retaining ligaments of the face, the deep plane dissects beneath the SMAS in the sub-SMAS plane and releases the zygomatic, masseteric, and mandibular retaining ligaments that tether the mid-face and lower face in their descended position. This release allows the composite flap — comprising skin, subcutaneous fat, and SMAS as a single vascularised unit — to be repositioned in a superior and slightly posterior vector that re-establishes mid-face volume, effuses the nasolabial fold, and restores the cervicomental angle without the telltale lateral pull and distortion that characterises skin-tension facelifts. The vascular integrity of the composite flap (maintained through the sub-SMAS blood supply) also reduces the risk of skin necrosis in smokers and patients with thin skin, and supports more reliable healing. Dr. Crawford also offers the standard SMAS facelift for patients with less advanced facial ageing who do not require the full ligamentous release, and the mini facelift for patients with early jowling and good skin quality who are not yet candidates for a full facelift. The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia at an accredited surgical facility. The recovery trajectory involves initial bruising and swelling that fade over the first two to three weeks, with most patients presentable for social occasions by the end of the second week and returning to professional settings by week three to four. Scar maturation continues over six to twelve months. Final results emerge progressively as residual swelling resolves, typically by three months, with refinement continuing to one year. San Diego market rates for deep plane facelift from fellowship-trained facial surgeons of this calibre typically range from $18,000 to $24,000 all-inclusive. Consultation with Dr. Crawford is required for individual assessment and a personalised quote.