--- title: "Does a Deep Plane Facelift Lift the Midface?" url: https://drturner.com.au/blogs/does-deep-plane-facelift-lift-midface/ date: 2026-05-11 modified: 2026-07-26 author: "Dr Scott J Turner" description: "Dr Scott J Turner | Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) Key Takeaways A deep plane facelift can reposition the midface in suitable patients, but the effect depends on how far the..." categories: - "Facelift" image: https://drturner.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/blogplaceholder-img.svg word_count: 1931 --- # Does a Deep Plane Facelift Lift the Midface? *[Dr Scott J Turner](https://drturner.com.au/dr-scott-turner-sydney-plastic-surgeon/) | Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS)* > **Key Takeaways** A deep plane facelift can reposition the midface in suitable patients, but the effect depends on how far the release extends. Working beneath the SMAS and releasing the zygomatic retaining ligaments is what frees descended cheek tissue to move; a limited release achieves considerably less than an extended one. The technique repositions tissue that has descended. It does not replace volume that has been lost, treat the eyelid itself, or change skin quality, and telling those apart is what determines whether it is the right operation. A deep plane facelift can address the midface in suitable patients, with a condition attached that matters: it depends on whether the operation includes an extended deep plane release into the cheek. The midface effect doesn't come from simply entering the deep plane. It comes from working beneath the SMAS layer, releasing selected retaining ligaments, and mobilising the cheek tissues as part of a deeper composite unit. Technique, not label. For procedure detail on technique, suitability, recovery, risks and cost, see [deep plane facelift](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/face/deep-plane-facelift/), with the [Brisbane deep plane facelift](https://drturner.com.au/locations/brisbane/deep-plane-facelift/) page covering Queensland consultations. This article explains the mechanism: how an extended technique reaches the midface, why the zygomatic retaining ligaments matter, and how this differs from a traditional SMAS facelift. The distinction worth holding from the outset: not every procedure called "deep plane" releases the midface to the same extent. ## Quick Answer Yes, in suitable patients, particularly when the operation is performed as an extended deep plane release. The technique works beneath the SMAS layer and may release the zygomatic retaining ligaments that anchor descended cheek tissue, which lets the cheek and deeper soft tissue be repositioned together. The amount of change varies with anatomy, degree of descent, skin quality and surgical planning. This is midface repositioning rather than guaranteed cheek lifting for every patient, and a limited release will not achieve what an extended one does. ## What Is the Midface? The midface is the central cheek region between the lower eyelid and the upper jaw. It takes in the cheek and malar area, the lid-cheek transition where the lower eyelid meets the cheek, and the tissue beside the nasolabial fold. When this region changes, it can read as cheek descent, heaviness beside the nose, or a deeper, more visible lid-cheek transition. It is a distinct zone from the jowls and jawline below it and from the eyelids above, which is exactly why the question of whether a facelift reaches it comes up so often. ## Why the Midface Descends Midface change rarely has a single cause. Cheek tissues descend. Retaining ligaments tether that tissue to deeper structures. Facial fat compartments shift position or lose volume. Skin quality changes. These factors combine, and they don't all respond to the same treatment. A deep plane facelift mainly addresses the descent component, meaning tissue that has moved downward and can be repositioned, rather than volume that has been lost or skin quality that has changed. Where descended cheek tissue contributes to a deepening fold beside the nose, the [nasolabial folds article](https://drturner.com.au/blogs/does-deep-plane-facelift-improve-nasolabial-folds/) covers what surgery can and cannot do there specifically. ## How an Extended Release Reaches the Midface In an extended deep plane facelift, the surgeon works in the plane beneath the SMAS and releases selected retaining ligaments, the structures that restrict movement of descended cheek tissue. The zygomatic retaining ligaments matter most here, because they anchor the cheek tissues to deeper structures near the cheekbone, so freeing them is what allows the cheek to move. Once released, the cheek and the deeper soft tissue move together as a composite unit, repositioned as one. The skin then redrapes over the repositioned structure beneath, which makes the result less dependent on skin tension than a technique relying on surface pull. The qualifier again: a limited deep plane release may not mobilise the midface to the same degree. The amount of ligament release and sub-SMAS dissection determines the midface effect, not the label on the operation. ## The Zygomatic Retaining Ligaments These deserve their own mention, because they are central to the whole mechanism. They tether the cheek tissues near the cheekbone. As the face ages, the tissue drifts downward while the ligament keeps anchoring, and that tension is part of why descended cheeks don't simply lift with surface tightening. The anchor has to be addressed, not just the surface. Released as part of an extended technique, the deeper cheek tissues can be mobilised more freely than when the ligaments are left intact. Release doesn't guarantee a specific visible result, and how much movement it allows depends on the individual. But these ligaments are the reason an extended release reaches the midface where a more superficial technique may not. ## Deep Plane vs SMAS for the Midface A traditional [SMAS facelift](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/face/smas-facelift/) works on the SMAS layer itself, tightening, folding or repositioning it, which has real value. What it doesn't usually do is release the deeper retaining ligaments the way an extended deep plane facelift does, and that can limit how much the deeper cheek tissue is mobilised. High SMAS techniques may influence the midface in selected patients by working higher on the layer, but the central distinction holds: extended deep plane surgery works beneath the SMAS and may release the ligaments restricting cheek movement, while a SMAS technique works on the layer above them. Same region, different depth, and the depth is the point. A deep plane approach may be more appropriate where significant cheek descent is present, though that is a judgement made at assessment rather than a rule. Neither technique is universally better, and the [deep plane vs SMAS comparison](https://drturner.com.au/blogs/difference-between-deep-plane-and-traditional-facelifts/) sets out the full side-by-side. ## Deep Plane Facelift vs Dedicated Midface Lift A dedicated midface lift focuses mainly on the cheek and lid-cheek junction in isolation, sometimes performed endoscopically in selected patients with isolated midface descent and minimal lower-face or neck involvement. A deep plane facelift differs in scope: it addresses the midface in continuity with the lower face, jowls, jawline and often the upper neck, treating them as one connected pattern rather than a single zone. To be clear about what this article covers: it is about how an extended deep plane facelift can affect the midface when cheek descent occurs as part of broader facial descent. Where descent is isolated to the midface, the conversation is a different one. ## Descent Versus Volume Loss Descent and volume loss are different problems, and confusing them leads to the wrong operation. A deep plane facelift repositions descended tissue. It does not replace volume that has been lost. If a cheek looks flat because volume has gone rather than because tissue has dropped, repositioning won't address it, and [facial fat transfer](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/face/facial-fat-transfer/) may be the relevant discussion instead. Many patients have a degree of both, which is part of what assessment sorts out. ## What About Under-Eye Hollows? A deep plane facelift may improve the lid-cheek transition in some patients, because repositioning descended cheek tissue can soften the step between eyelid and cheek. What it does not do is treat the eyelid itself. Lower eyelid bags, true tear-trough volume loss, skin texture, pigmentation and excess eyelid skin are separate concerns, addressed by [lower blepharoplasty](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/eyes/lower-blepharoplasty/) or by volume procedures, not by a facelift. If your main concern sits in the eyelid rather than the cheek, that is a different assessment. ## Who May Be Considered Patients most likely to be considered are those with visible cheek descent, broader midface and lower-face laxity, jowls, and nasolabial fold prominence related partly to descended cheek tissue, alongside reasonable skin quality. Less likely to benefit from the midface component: those whose main issue is volume loss rather than descent, those whose concern is eyelid anatomy, those with thin or significantly sun-damaged skin, those with fixed nasolabial anatomy where the [fold itself](https://drturner.com.au/blogs/does-deep-plane-facelift-improve-nasolabial-folds/) is unlikely to change much, and those with isolated midface descent without lower-face involvement, where a deep plane facelift may be more than the concern requires. Suitability still depends on anatomy, medical history, skin quality, the degree of volume loss and the overall surgical plan. ## Is It Right for Your Midface? A deep plane facelift may be considered when midface descent forms part of a broader pattern involving the cheeks, jowls, jawline or neck, and when it is anatomically appropriate to assess those areas together rather than in isolation. If the main concern is isolated volume loss, eyelid anatomy or skin quality, another procedure is likely more appropriate. The deep plane facelift page covers candidacy and planning, and where the concern spans several areas, the [facelift surgery](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/face/facelift/) hub and the [Vertical Restore Facelift](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/face/vertical-facelift/) set out the broader options. ## The Consultation Pathway Cosmetic surgery in Australia requires a referral, preferably from your usual GP or another independent practitioner; a minimum of two pre-operative consultations, with at least one in person with the operating surgeon; a cooling-off period of at least seven days after informed consent; and psychological screening for suitability. All facelift surgery carries risks including bleeding, infection, haematoma, asymmetry, scar issues, altered sensation, temporary or rarely permanent nerve weakness, and the possibility of revision. Results vary between individuals. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Does a deep plane facelift lift the midface?** It may reposition the midface in suitable patients, particularly when performed as an extended deep plane release. The procedure works beneath the SMAS layer and may release retaining ligaments that restrict movement of descended cheek tissue. The amount of change varies with anatomy, degree of descent and surgical plan, and a limited release achieves less than an extended one. **Is a deep plane facelift the same as a midface lift?** No. A dedicated midface lift focuses on the cheek and lid-cheek junction in isolation, sometimes performed endoscopically for isolated midface descent. A deep plane facelift addresses the midface in continuity with the lower face, jowls, jawline and often the upper neck. They overlap in the cheek region but differ in scope, and which is appropriate depends on whether the descent is isolated or part of a broader pattern. **Can a SMAS facelift lift the midface?** Some SMAS techniques may influence the midface in selected patients, especially high SMAS approaches working higher on the layer. Traditional SMAS techniques usually work on the layer itself and may not release the deeper retaining ligaments in the same way as an extended deep plane facelift, which can limit how much deeper cheek tissue is mobilised. The appropriate technique depends on individual assessment. **Does a deep plane facelift fix under-eye hollows?** It may improve the lid-cheek transition in some patients by repositioning descended cheek tissue, but it does not directly treat lower eyelid bags, true tear-trough volume loss, eyelid skin excess, pigmentation or skin texture. Those are addressed by lower blepharoplasty or, for volume, by facial fat transfer. If the main concern is the eyelid itself, that is a separate assessment. **What is the role of the zygomatic retaining ligaments?** They tether the cheek tissues to deeper structures near the cheekbone. In an extended deep plane facelift, releasing them allows the deeper cheek tissue to be mobilised and repositioned more freely than when they are left intact. They are a key reason an extended technique can reach the midface, though release does not guarantee a specific result for every patient. --- Midface descent, or something else? Assessment is what tells them apart, and the answer determines whether a deep plane approach is the right operation. Dr Scott Turner consults in Sydney and Brisbane. For clinic information and the consultation pathway, visit the [Sydney clinic](https://drturner.com.au/locations/sydney-clinic/) or [Brisbane clinic](https://drturner.com.au/locations/brisbane/), or [contact the practice](https://drturner.com.au/contact-us/) to arrange a consultation.