By Dr. Scott J Turner, Specialist Plastic Surgeon | Published: 29/05/2025
When you’re thinking about a facelift, you might hear terms like “deep plane facelift” and “vertical restore facelift.” Both are advanced ways to help with facial ageing, but they work differently. Understanding what makes them unique can help you choose the right option for your goals. Dr Scott J Turner, a specialist plastic surgeon practicing in Sydney, Australia, explains these modern surgical techniques in simple terms.
How Facelift Surgery Has Changed Over Time
Facelift surgery has come a long way from the early days when surgeons simply pulled the skin tight. Today’s methods focus on the deeper fascial layers under your skin that actually cause facial ageing. This new approach gives you more natural results that last longer and look like your refreshed self – not like you’ve had surgery.
Modern facelift techniques understand that facial ageing happens because of several things working together: your skin gets looser, you lose volume in your face, muscles get weaker, and gravity pulls everything downward. To fix all these problems properly, Dr Turner needs to work on the deeper structures of your face, not just the surface.
Deep Plane Facelift: Working on the Foundation
How It Works
A deep plane facelift is like renovating the foundation of a house instead of just painting the walls. The surgeon works underneath a fascial layer called the SMAS (think of it as a support system for your face). Unlike older facelifts that mainly tightened skin, this method keeps your skin and support fascial layer connected while lifting them together, as a composite flap.
The key to this surgery is releasing certain retaining ligaments, or “anchor points,” in your face. As you age, these anchor points hold your facial tissues down, creating jowls and deep lines. When the surgeon releases these anchors, they can lift your face without pulling your skin too tight, which prevents that “stretched” look some people worry about.
What Areas It Targets
A deep plane facelift targets:
- Cheeks and mid-face: Brings back volume and lifts sagging areas
- Jawline: Gets rid of jowls and makes your jaw look sharp again
- Deep lines: Reduces those lines that run from your nose to your mouth
- Neck: Tightens loose skin and smooths muscle bands
Deep plane facelift results can be long-lasting, with studies suggesting durability of 10-15 years in many cases. The longevity is attributed to the technique’s focus on repositioning deeper, more stable tissues that are less prone to re-stretching over time. Individual results will vary based on factors such as age, skin quality, lifestyle, and healing response.
Vertical Restore Facelift: The Complete Makeover
The Big Picture Approach
A vertical restore facelift is like getting a complete home renovation instead of just fixing one room. This method looks at your whole face as one connected system and lifts everything in an upward direction to fight gravity – the main cause of facial ageing.
Instead of working on just the midface, jawline and neck, this approach addresses your entire face from your forehead down to your neck in one surgery. It recognizes that facial ageing affects everything at once, so the solution should be comprehensive too.
What It Covers
The vertical restore method works on your entire face:
Forehead and Eyes: Reduces heaviness around your eyes
Cheeks: Brings back volume and smooths deep lines
Jawline: Eliminates jowls and sharpens your jaw
Neck: Addresses loose skin, excess volume and platysmal bands in the neck
Facial Volume: Addresses lost volume in areas like cheeks, temples, or lips
Upper Lip: Addresses age-related lip elongation and restores youthful proportions
This way, everything works together to give you a completely refreshed look instead of just improving isolated areas.
Understanding the Relationship Between These Techniques
Vertical Restore Facelift and Deep Plane Techniques: A Close Relationship
The vertical restore facelift is a modern surgical approach that incorporates techniques used in deep plane facelifts, although the exact methodology can vary among surgeons. Both aim to provide more natural and long-lasting results by addressing the deeper structural layers of the face, rather than just tightening the skin.
Key Aspects Both Techniques Have in Common:
Focus on Deeper Tissues: Unlike traditional facelifts that primarily pull the skin, both vertical restore and deep plane techniques involve repositioning the SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System)—the layer of muscle and connective tissue beneath the skin—as well as the overlying fat pads.
Vertical Lift Vector: As the name “Vertical Restore” suggests, this approach emphasises lifting facial tissues in a more upward, vertical direction. This is designed to counteract the downward pull of gravity and restore tissues to a more youthful position, particularly in the mid-face and jowl area. Deep plane facelifts also often utilise a vertical or oblique (angled upwards) vector for tissue repositioning.
Comprehensive Rejuvenation: By addressing the foundational structures, these advanced facelift techniques aim for more harmonious and comprehensive rejuvenation of the face, including the cheeks, nasolabial folds, jawline, and neck.
Natural-Looking Results: The goal is to avoid a “pulled” or “windswept” appearance, instead creating a refreshed and revitalised look that appears natural.
What Makes Them Different
How Much They Cover
Deep Plane Facelift: Focuses on mid-face and lower face, often combined with a deep neck lift. It’s excellent for specific problems like jowls and deep lines, but might not address issues in your upper face.
Vertical Restore: A more comprehensive rejuvenation procedure combining the benefits of a deep plane facelift, with deep neck lift and also brow lift, blepharoplasty, upper lip lift and facial fat transfer.
Direction of the Lift
Deep Plane: Can lift in different directions depending on what you need, though modern techniques often lift the deep layers in a more vertical direction.
Vertical Restore: Specifically lifts everything straight up to directly fight gravity’s downward pull, recreating the upward curves of a youthful face.
How to Choose the Right Option
Picking between these techniques depends on several personal factors:
- Your facial ageing pattern: Which areas bother you most and how severe the problems are
- Your goals: Do you want targeted improvement or a complete makeover?
- Your face structure: Everyone’s anatomy is different
- Your schedule: How much recovery time can you manage?
- Your long-term plans: How long do you want the results to last?
As a specialist plastic surgeon, Dr Scott J Turner evaluates each person’s unique facial anatomy and aesthetic objectives to recommend the most appropriate surgical approach. This personalised assessment ensures optimal outcomes that align with individual goals while maintaining natural facial expressions and proportions.
Dr Turner’s Expertise in Sydney
Both deep plane and vertical restore facelifts are advanced surgeries that require years of specialized training and experience. Success depends heavily on your surgeon’s skill, understanding of facial anatomy, and ability to customize the approach for your specific needs.
Dr Turner’s practice focuses on thorough consultations, teaching patients about their options, and careful surgical technique. During consultation, Dr Turner carefully examines your face to understand how it has aged, discusses your goals to ensure realistic expectations, and explains the recommended procedures in simple terms. Whether you’re considering a focused deep plane approach or a comprehensive vertical restore technique, you’ll get detailed evaluation and expert guidance throughout your journey.
Long-term Results and Non Surgical Treatments
Both deep plane and vertical restore techniques give excellent long-lasting results when performed by experienced surgeons. These comprehensive procedures mean you can enjoy significant improvements for 10-15 years or more. However, ageing continues, and some patients choose additional treatments to keep looking their best.
Things to Consider for Long-term Results:
- Non-surgical treatments to keep skin looking good
- Minor adjustments to improve symmetry (in rare cases, revision facelift procedures may be needed)
- Lifestyle choices that affect how long results last
- Regular check-ups to monitor your progress
Making Your Decision
Understanding the differences between vertical restore and deep plane facelift surgery helps you make informed decisions about your facial rejuvenation goals. While both are advanced approaches to facial ageing, they offer different advantages: the deep plane facelift provides targeted correction of specific facial ageing patterns, while the vertical restore approach offers comprehensive facial rejuvenation through coordinated, upward-oriented tissue repositioning.
The right choice depends on your individual anatomy, goals, and preferences. Dr Turner’s expertise in both techniques ensures you receive honest advice based on what’s best for your specific situation. His commitment to surgical excellence and patient education helps achieve optimal results regardless of which approach is chosen.
For complete information about advanced facelift techniques and to schedule a consultation with Dr Turner, patients are encouraged to explore the resources available through his Sydney practice.
About Dr Scott J Turner
Dr Scott J Turner is a specialist plastic surgeon practicing in Sydney, Australia, with clinics in both Manly and Double Bay. His expertise in advanced facial rejuvenation techniques, including deep plane and vertical restore facelifts, has made him a leading practitioner in facial plastic surgery. Dr Turner’s commitment to patient education, surgical excellence, and natural-looking results ensures optimal outcomes for patients seeking facial rejuvenation.
Contact Information
- Dr Scott J Turner – Sydney Plastic Surgeon
- Manly Clinic – Northern Beaches
- Double Bay Clinic – Eastern Suburbs
- Contact Us
This information is provided for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical consultation. Individual results may vary, and all surgical procedures carry inherent risks that should be discussed thoroughly during consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon.
