Deep Plane Lift: Dr. Jordan Rihani's Signature Facelift That Lifts the Deep SMAS Layer for Natural Results

You catch your reflection in a store window or on a video call, and the face looking back seems more tired and older than you feel inside. Your jawline has softened, jowls have formed where there used to be definition, and your neck has a looseness that shows up in every photo.

You’re not alone. Many people feel this gap between how they look and how they feel. The fear that holds most people back is just as real. You have seen pulled, “done” faces, and trading an older look for an obviously operated one feels like a bad deal.

A deep plane facelift works differently. Instead of pulling the skin backward, it lifts the deeper support layer, and your facial tissues rise from within. The goal is facial rejuvenation that looks refreshed, not altered.

Dr. Jordan Rihani, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon with more than 15 years of experience, puts his philosophy plainly: “Aging [should be] a beautiful process, not a problem.” His practice calls the goal “Feel You Again“: looking refreshed while still looking like yourself

No specific result can be promised, and this guide covers how the procedure works, whom it suits, what recovery looks like, what it costs, and how to choose the right surgeon. When you’re ready to talk through your own face, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Rihani.

• A deep plane lift repositions the SMAS (the deeper support layer beneath the skin) instead of tightening the skin alone.
• Releasing the retaining ligaments allows a tensionless skin closure, which helps results look refreshed rather than pulled or windblown.
• Results may last 10 to 15 years, compared with the typical 7 to 10 years for traditional lifts, though individual results vary.
• Dr. Rihani’s Graduated Approach matches the plan to each face, and in his words, deep plane is “not necessarily” better than a SMAS lift for everyone.
• The Facial Plastic Surgery Institute’s (FPSI) surgical quotes are all-inclusive (surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, and facility) and delivered the same day as your consultation.
• A standalone deep plane facelift typically starts in the low $30,000s, while a more comprehensive plan that includes procedures such as eyelid surgery or a brow lift generally costs $40,000 to $75,000, depending on the procedures included and the complexity of the surgery.

FPSI explains that “traditional facelift procedures… may move skin only or use sutures to tighten the SMAS,” while a deep plane facelift “moves the sagging fat pads by lifting them and repositioning them to their natural positions.”

The procedure follows four steps.

Step one: The deep ligaments are released. Dr. Rihani releases the zygomatic, masseteric, mandibular, and cervical retaining ligaments, the deep attachments that run from underlying structures up into the deeper layer and skin.

In the practice’s words, “By performing a full release of these, Dr. Rihani is able to get the most lift from these tissues.”

Step two: The deeper layer and fat pads lift as one unit. Once the deeper attachments are free, the skin and the deeper layer move together, and the midface fat pads return to where they used to sit. This redistribution adds cheek volume back to areas that have lost it.

Step three: Jowl volume moves upward. Over time, volume leaves the back of the jaw and collects in front as jowls. FPSI describes the correction directly: “By repositioning these jowls, the volume is redistributed upward to create a sharp, smooth jawline.“

Step four: The incisions close with minimal skin tension. Because the deeper tissues carry the lift, the skin only needs to be redraped, not stretched. This tensionless closure helps the deep plane technique avoid the tight, pulled, or windblown look that skin-tension methods can create.

The surgery takes place in an operating room using sterile technique. An anesthesiologist delivers anesthesia with continuous monitoring, which leaves Dr. Rihani free to focus on the operation itself.

A deep plane lift corrects sagging, jowling, and loss of definition in the lower face and neck by lifting the deeper structures beneath the skin rather than tightening the surface. When the jowls are lifted back into place, volume moves upward along the jaw and a sharp, smooth jawline returns where heaviness used to be.

Loose, sagging skin on the lower face and neck lifts together with the deeper support layer. Because that layer carries the weight, the skin is redraped with minimal tension, which helps it look natural rather than stretched.

FPSI’s procedure page shares the practice’s general observations about how much different areas improve. It singles out “the area around the mouth, known as the smile lines,” and states: “We generally say that these improve by around 80%, marionette lines improve by 70%, and nasolabial folds improve by 30%.“

• The area around the mouth: about 80% improvement, in the practice’s general experience
• Marionette lines (the creases running down from the corners of the mouth): about 70% improvement as the lower face lifts
• Nasolabial folds (the creases running from the nose to the mouth): about 30% improvement

These figures reflect the practice’s general clinical observations, not guaranteed results. The 30% figure for nasolabial folds means a partial correction: if your folds are deep, expect them to soften rather than disappear.

Dr. Rihani notes that patients typically see improvement in the neck, lower cheek, midface, and outer brow. Results vary by patient anatomy, healing, and the scope of the procedure, and no specific outcome is guaranteed.

As FPSI’s page explains, in plastic surgery, a “facelift” refers to the cheek component of the lift and a “neck lift” refers to the neck component, and most of Dr. Rihani’s surgeries use both.

Dr. Rihani releases the zygomatic, masseteric, mandibular, and cervical ligaments. The cervical release extends the lift below the jaw. According to FPSI’s procedure page, “Dr. Rihani performs a deep plane face and neck lift, usually in combination with an outer brow lift for his facelift techniques.“

A deep plane face and neck lift treats several concerns at once:

• Neck laxity (loose, sagging neck skin)
• Jowling and loss of definition along the jaw
• A double chin or excess fat under the chin
• Excess skin on the lower face and neck
• A blurred jawline

The goal is a sharp, natural jawline and neckline created by moving the deeper structures back into place, not by tightening the surface.

One patient in the practice’s before-and-after gallery shows how this works as part of a combined plan. The practice describes her case in its own words: “This lovely patient came to us to address the heaviness of her upper eyelids as well as neck laxity and jowling. We wanted to address some of the asymmetry of the upper eyelids as well as restore her beautiful, natural neckline and jawline through a deep plane face and neck lift.“

Her eyelid work was a separate, combined procedure, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), performed alongside the face and neck lift.

Outcomes depend on each patient’s anatomy, healing, and the procedure’s scope. No pictured result is typical or guaranteed. To see more deep plane face and neck lift results, visit the gallery.

His preference comes from how well the deep plane technique treats the nasolabial folds. His candor makes a bigger point: the technique’s name matters less than the surgeon’s experience performing it.

A demanding operation done by someone who rarely performs it may not deliver what the technique promises. Dr. Rihani adds that before-and-after photos are among the most important factors when choosing your surgeon.

Aspect	SMAS Facelift	Deep Plane Facelift
What gets lifted	Sutures tighten or fold the SMAS without releasing all of the ligaments	The zygomatic, masseteric, mandibular, and cervical retaining ligaments are released, and the fat pads reposition to their natural locations
Skin tension at closure	The lift relies on stitches holding the tightened layer	A tensionless closure on the skin, because the deeper tissues carry the lift
How long results may last	7 to 10 years for traditional lifts	10 to 15 years

When you compare surgeons, ask how often they perform the specific technique, what their training background is, and whether they operate exclusively on the face.

A SMAS facelift is a traditional facelift that tightens the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the support layer beneath the skin, usually with stitches. The SMAS layer is a sheet of muscle and connective tissue beneath the skin and fat of the face, and it provides structural support to the facial features.

A common form is SMAS plication, which FPSI describes as a “folding of tissues under skin.” The surgeon folds the SMAS layer over itself and stitches it to tighten it, without fully releasing the deeper retaining ligaments that anchor the facial tissues.

A deep plane lift releases those deeper attachments, which allows the facial tissues to move as a unit. Dr. Rihani explains the difference: traditional lifts “may move skin only or use sutures to tighten the SMAS,” while a deep plane facelift moves the sagging fat pads back to their natural positions.

The SMAS facelift is an established, legitimate surgical technique, not a lesser procedure. FPSI notes it “can provide a nice, effective lift for some patients,” and how well it works depends on the surgeon’s skill and on your anatomy.

As FSPI puts it: “Marketing buzzwords and ‘innovative techniques’ in facelifting can sometimes be misleading and confusing.” That is why you should ask any surgeon exactly which method they use and why it suits your face.

A mini facelift differs from a deep plane lift because “mini facelift” is a marketing term, not a surgical technique. As the practice’s procedure page puts it, “A mini facelift is not actually a facelift ‘technique.‘”

The practice treats the term as a descriptor of scar length and downtime, and advises that if a surgeon offers a mini facelift, “you should ask them exactly what they mean by this marketing term and what technique they are actually using.“

A deep plane lift is a specific procedure with a defined mechanism. It releases the four deep ligaments and lifts the deeper support layer, which lets it address jowls, the neck, and the nasolabial folds from within.

Here is how other common labels compare:

• Mini facelift: Usually implies shorter incisions and less downtime. Because it describes the scar and recovery rather than a technique, the lift itself can vary widely.
• Ponytail facelift: FPSI describes this as a deep plane lift performed while minimizing incisions or incision length. It suits a limited number of patients who need little or no skin removed, and because most patients need some skin removal, it may not last as long as a full deep plane lift. Ask the surgeon which underlying technique it involves.
• Liquid facelift: Fillers (such as hyaluronic acid) that add volume to the face. FPSI notes this is “not a true facelift,” and its results typically last 9 to 12 months. Fillers can conceal some signs of aging, but they cannot lift or reposition the deeper tissues or sagging jowls.

A mini or limited-incision procedure may be appropriate if you have early, mild changes. The right option depends on your anatomy, how advanced your facial aging is, and your goals, which is the basis of Dr. Rihani’s Graduated Approach. No option guarantees a particular outcome.

Based on the indications listed on FPSI’s procedure page, common signs include:

• Skin laxity (loose skin that has lost its elasticity) in the lower face and neck
• Excess fat under the chin (a double chin)
• Sagging of the neck and lower face tissues, including the jowls
• A genetic tendency toward loose skin or wrinkles around the lower face and neck
• Sagging of the upper cheek and outer brow, which Dr. Rihani also addresses as part of his deep plane facelift

Surgery is not right for everyone, and overall health comes first. Every patient having an elective operation must be in good health, and the same FPSI page lists uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and heart disease as contraindications.

People who smoke or use nicotine products, or who take anticoagulants, immunomodulators, or other medications that raise the risk of adverse outcomes, may not be candidates.

If any of these apply to you, the practice recommends working with your primary care physician to optimize your health before your consultation.

Dr. Rihani stresses that no single operation fits every face: “To think there is one simple solution for such a complex area as the face, would simply be not true… I do not try to force one solution onto every patient,” he says on the practice’s About page.

Dr. Rihani decides candidacy at your consultation, based on how advanced your aging is, your goals, and your anatomy. Some patients are better suited to a different cosmetic procedure, such as a brow lift, blepharoplasty, or fat transfer. Results vary based on anatomy, healing, and the procedure’s scope.

Releasing the zygomatic, masseteric, mandibular, and cervical ligaments lets the SMAS carry the lift instead of skin tension. Skin stretches over time, while a lift anchored in the deeper facial structures tends to hold its position longer.

Long-lasting does not mean permanent. Your face keeps aging after surgery, but from a better starting point. As Dr. Rihani explains, “A facelift is a permanent solution to an ongoing process.”

In other words, the aging continues, but you will generally look better than you did before, and some patients choose a second procedure after roughly 10 to 15 years.

How long your results last depends on your anatomy, skin quality, lifestyle, healing, and the scope of your surgery. No timeframe can be guaranteed. At your consultation, Dr. Rihani can set realistic expectations for your face.

FPSI notes that most patients can be out in public or back to work around the two-week mark, while the full, gradual improvement continues over roughly two months.

Your timeline will depend on your anatomy and the scope of your surgery, but most patients follow a predictable pattern:

• Days 1 to 3: You wear a neck and face wrap overnight, with two small drains in place. The dressing and drains come off the next day, and you can shower and wash your hair then. Swelling increases over the first three days before it starts to improve, and it is common to feel some discouragement during this stage.
• Days 7 to 10: Swelling and appearance usually improve quickly. Some bruising may remain, but many patients can already see definition along the jaw, and the neck looks better than it did before surgery.
• Weeks 2 to 3: The practice generally says about 80% of the swelling is gone by week two. Bruising fades gradually, and a minority of patients still have some bruising at three to four weeks. Cool compresses in the evening can help if your face and neck feel tight. Driving is typically cleared at the two-week mark.
• Weeks 4 to 6: You return to your routines and start to feel like yourself again. Walking and lower-body exercise are fine. Avoid strenuous activities that cause sweating, a raised heart rate, or pressure on the face for at least six weeks. Golf and tennis usually wait until about eight weeks.

You won’t go through this alone. The facelift package includes 16 hours with a private Recovery Concierge nurse, and you can add more time or services. The practice’s typical follow-up schedule is one day, one week, two weeks, one month, three months, six months, nine months, and one year after surgery.

As one patient review on Vitals put it: “[Dr. Rihani] called every week to check on me and never lost patience with my anxiety.“

Recovery from a deep plane facelift is not typically very painful, but it does bring swelling, bruising, and tightness that ease over time. The discomfort is temporary, and the intensity and duration differ from patient to patient.

Swelling builds over roughly the first three days, then gradually subsides. Some patients notice new bruising two to three days after surgery as they become more active. Cool compresses in the evening can help if your face and neck feel tight during weeks two and three.

To protect the healing deeper tissues, avoid strenuous activity that causes sweating, raises your heart rate, or puts pressure on your face for at least six weeks. Alcohol acts as a blood thinner and can increase bleeding and bruising, and the practice recommends avoiding it for several weeks while you heal.

The facelift package includes 16 hours with a private Recovery Concierge nurse, and you can add more time or services. Many patients worry about managing the first days at home, and having a professional with you takes much of that weight off.

Patient Kara E. described that personal attention: “He even checked on me personally the evening after my procedure, which meant so much. Throughout recovery, he anticipated my questions and addressed concerns before I even had to ask.“

Because the deeper tissues carry the lift, the skin at the incision edges is not stretched, which helps the scars stay discreet as they heal. According to the practice, “All incisions are concealed along natural creases.” The length of the incisions varies with how much skin needs to be removed.

Releasing those ligaments lets the deeper layer do the lifting instead of the skin. The same page describes the result as a “tensionless closure on the skin.” Scars under tension tend to widen, while scars closed without tension have a better chance of healing as fine lines.

Dr. Rihani closes the incisions with meticulous small sutures to get the best closure possible. The practice notes that scars are typically red and lumpy for the first two months after surgery, then begin to flatten and fade.

Scar healing varies from patient to patient. With careful placement and technique, scars are designed to be discreet and well concealed, though no incision is invisible.

FPSI’s procedure page notes that complications are similar for all surgical procedures, including:

• Swelling and bruising: Expected with every facelift. Swelling builds over about the first three days, then gradually settles.
• Temporary numbness: Numbness of the surgical area is a recognized side effect.
• Bleeding and hematoma: A hematoma is a collection of blood under the skin. A Cleveland Clinic review in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum identifies it as the most common facelift complication requiring a return to the operating room and one that must be treated promptly.
• Infection: The same Sinclair et al. review reports that surgical site infection after facelift surgery is uncommon.
• Facial nerve injury: Temporary facial weakness is a recognized risk. The practice describes the risk as extremely low, and a 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery examined nerve injury after facelift surgery across 67 publications.
• Scarring: Incisions are hidden along natural creases, but the final appearance depends on your skin and healing pattern.

Deep plane surgery works beneath the SMAS, close to important facial structures, which means the surgeon’s training and case volume matter. Dr. Rihani is candid about this: “if a surgeon does not routinely perform deep plane facelifts, then the technique may be more challenging.”

At FPSI, surgery takes place in an operating room with an anesthesiologist monitoring you continuously. Before surgery, the team reviews your health history and communicates with your primary physician to confirm you are safe to undergo anesthesia.

Patients notice this honesty. As one Yelp reviewer wrote: “Dr. Rihani is open and honest about what can be achieved, how it is done, and what the recovery time will be.“

Common pairings include:

• Neck lift: Most of Dr. Rihani’s surgeries already include face and neck components that refine the neckline and excess skin beneath the jaw.
• Blepharoplasty: Addresses heavy, hooded upper eyelids and lower-eyelid bags.
• Brow lift: Raises a low or heavy brow, restoring balance to the upper face. Dr. Rihani usually combines his deep plane face and neck lift with an outer brow lift.
• Fat transfer: Uses your own fat to restore volume lost with age. Dr. Rihani performs fat transfer in many of his facelifts, using donor fat, usually from the abdomen or thighs.
• Lip lift: Shortens the space between the nose and the upper lip for a more youthful lip shape.

Bundling also has a financial benefit. Because anesthesia and facility fees are typically paid once, combining procedures may lower the overall cost compared with separate operations.

A full plan that pairs a deep plane lift with complementary procedures typically ranges from $40,000 to $75,000, depending on scope and case complexity.

Dr. Rihani chooses pairings through his Graduated Approach: he weighs each concern by severity and builds the plan around your face, not a preset package. Results vary with each patient.

FPSI handles pricing differently. As FPSI’s cost guide states, “Our surgical quotes are all-inclusive and cover the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, and facility costs.” You know exactly what you are spending up front. You receive that quote the same day as your consultation.

Plan	Typical Range	What It Reflects
Deep plane facelift (typical range)	$25,000 to $50,000	Often the surgical fee alone at many practices, with anesthesia and OR fees billed separately
Standalone deep plane lift with Dr. Rihani	Low $30,000s	All-inclusive quote covering the surgeon, anesthesia, and facility
Full plan with eyelid surgery, brow lift, or fat transfer	$40,000 to $75,000	Added procedures, longer operating time, and greater case complexity

Because the practice adjusts its fees about every six months, treat these as ranges. Your consultation will give you the current figure for your own plan.

Your price reflects the surgeon’s expertise, specialty focus, and case complexity, not location or overhead. Releasing four sets of deep ligaments and repositioning the deeper support layer takes detailed anatomical knowledge and refined surgical skill.

Add-ons such as blepharoplasty, a brow lift, or fat transfer increase operating time and bring a plan into the $40,000 to $75,000 range.

Visibility is not the same as skill.

As the practice observes in its cost guide, “some surgeons with a large social media presence may charge $250,000 to $400,000 for similar procedures,” and in those cases a significant portion of the cost may reflect visibility and branding rather than meaningful differences in surgical fundamentals or outcomes.

A deep plane face lift is worth it for many patients with jowls and neck laxity, because it repositions the SMAS instead of masking the sagging. Whether it is worth it for you depends on your goals, anatomy, and budget, and results vary with healing and procedure scope.

Injectables treat different problems. Fillers add volume, and BOTOX® relaxes muscles, but neither lifts sagging deeper tissue or restores a defined jawline.

According to FPSI’s cost guide, spending “$300 to $600 on BOTOX® every three to six months” can “add up to $6,000 to $24,000 over 10 years.” A deep plane lift corrects the structural descent that injectables cannot, with results that “may last” 10 to 15 years.

The practice notes that improved neck and jawline definition gives patients a more youthful appearance, which some believe makes them look 10 to 15 years younger, though that is an impression some patients report, not a promise. The same cost guide adds that “many patients also report feeling more comfortable socially, professionally, and in everyday life.”

If you spend money on injectables every year without addressing deeper sagging, a deep plane lift may offer better long-term value.

Dr. Rihani explains: “A deep plane facelift may be better than a SMAS lift in my hands, but if a surgeon does not routinely perform deep plane facelifts, then the technique may be more challenging.“

The same page recommends checking that any surgeon maintains the proper certifications, has good patient reviews, and performs a high volume of facelifts each year.

Specialization matters too. As FPSI puts it, “Dr. Rihani and his team of professionals perform facial cosmetic surgery exclusively.” A surgeon who focuses only on the face builds consistency and refinement that is hard to match when attention is divided across the body.

Dr. Rihani’s credentials:

• Double board certification: Dr. Jordan Rihani, MD, FACS, is certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) and the American Board of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery (ABOHNS).
• Fellowship training: He trained under Drs. E. Gaylon McCollough and Fred Fedok at the McCollough Plastic Surgery Institute in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
• Education: He earned his medical degree from the NYU School of Medicine and completed his residency in Head and Neck Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
• Academic role: He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
• Research: He published peer-reviewed work in J Neurol Surg B Skull Base in 2015.
• Experience and recognition: He has more than 15 years of experience and has been named a Top Doctor every year since opening his practice in 2015, with recognition from outlets including 360West Magazine and Fort Worth Magazine.

Questions to ask any surgeon you are considering:

• Which facelift technique do you use, and why?
• How often do you perform deep plane facelifts each year?
• Which board certified you?
• Can I see before-and-after photos of patients in my age range?
• Does your quote include anesthesia and facility fees?
• What technique does your “mini facelift” actually involve?

Patients most often say that their deep plane lift results look natural and refreshed, not pulled or overdone. That theme runs through the practice’s reviews across several platforms.

On RealSelf, where Dr. Rihani held a 5.0 rating as of October 2026, one facelift patient wrote: “I asked for a natural look and got just that: a younger, softer me.”

On Birdeye, the Fort Worth location held 5.0 stars based on 83 reviews, and the Southlake location held 4.9 stars based on 170 reviews as of October 2026. One review shown there says Dr. Rihani’s “attention to detail is unmatched,” describing results that were “soft and natural.”

Patients also describe the care around surgery. Becky T. wrote: “I absolutely had an incredible experience with Dr. Rihani and his staff! From my consultation through my surgery and with my aftercare, I have been treated with nothing less than 5-star treatment. They are thorough, caring and made me feel comfortable at every visit.“

Individual results vary with anatomy, healing, and the scope of the procedure.

Facelift consultations are available in Fort Worth, Southlake, and Dallas, TX.

• Fort Worth office: 800 8th Ave #400, Fort Worth, TX 76104, (817) 529-3232
• Southlake office: 171 W Southlake Blvd, Suite 100, Southlake, TX 76092, (817) 328-8380

If you live out of town or are not ready for an in-office visit, you can book a virtual consultation. Your consultation is a conversation, not a sales pitch.

Dr. Rihani will listen to your concerns about sagging skin, laxity, or other signs of facial aging, examine your anatomy, and explain whether a deep plane lift fits your goals or whether another approach would serve you better. That is the Graduated Approach: the plan follows your face, not the other way around.

On the same day, you receive an all-inclusive quote covering the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, and facility costs. You know exactly what you are spending before you decide.

If you’re ready to talk about your options, call the office nearest you to schedule your consultation. Let’s find your solution together.