Home · Procedures · Deep-Plane Facelift in Turkey
Deep-Plane Facelift in Turkey, the process, the healing, and what I wish I’d known
The deep-plane facelift is currently the most heavily marketed lifting technique, and genuinely the most effective for the mid-face. It's also the most demanding: the dissection runs right beside the branches of the facial nerve. The difference between an excellent and a mediocre result lies entirely with the surgeon.
My connection to this surgeon
I was a patient of the specialist I refer you to. I was so convinced by his work that I chose to work with him. On site, his clinic team looks after you, English-speaking, from the airport to the last check-up. He speaks English himself; your consent conversation happens without an interpreter. For legal reasons I give his name only in conversation.
What a deep-plane facelift is
In a classic SMAS lift the connective-tissue layer is tightened while the skin is laid over it separately. In a deep-plane lift the dissection goes deeper: skin and SMAS are released as one unit and moved together, and the retaining ligaments of the face are divided.
The mid-face moves with it, cheeks, nasolabial folds and jawline are lifted together, without tension on the skin. The result looks more natural and lasts longer. The neck is almost always treated too.
Who it suits, and who it doesn’t
Suitable for a markedly dropped mid-face, deep nasolabial folds, jowls and a loose neck, in good health with controlled blood pressure.
Not: with early laxity, where a smaller procedure suffices; with nicotine, the risk here is particularly high; with uncontrolled hypertension or clotting disorders; if you expect to look twenty years younger.
Deep plane or SMAS, the honest comparison
- SMAS lift: the established standard. A good balance of effect and risk, shorter surgery, faster recovery, lasts about eight to ten years. Entirely sufficient for most women.
- Deep-plane lift: stronger in the mid-face and on nasolabial folds, more natural result without skin tension, lasts ten to fifteen years. But longer surgery, longer recovery, higher nerve risk and heavily dependent on the surgeon's experience.
Anyone telling you deep plane is always the better choice is selling you a technique rather than a solution. With early laxity a smaller procedure makes more sense.
What to ask the surgeon
- How many deep-plane lifts do you do a year?
- Why is this technique right for me, and what would argue for a SMAS lift?
- How often have you had temporary nerve weakness, and how long did it last?
- Do you treat the neck as well? If not, why not?
- How long should I plan for recovery?
The right time
- Usually from the mid-forties to mid-sixties, when the mid-face has clearly dropped.
- Blood pressure controlled, haematoma is the commonest early complication.
- Smoke-free for at least four weeks before and after.
- Three weeks with no social commitments and six weeks without exercise arranged.
The process in Turkey
Before you travel
Blood tests, blood pressure controlled, stop smoking at least four weeks, no blood thinners. Get your hair cut beforehand.
Arrival
The day before surgery.
Surgery day
Markings sitting up, detailed consent conversation, general anaesthetic, four to six hours. Drains, head dressing, one to two nights.
Days 1-8
Swelling, bruising, numb cheeks and ears. Drains out early, stitches at seven to ten days. Head elevated, soft food.
Clearance and flight home
Usually after about a week, and only once the surgeon clears you.
Healing week by week
The part clinic websites cover in one sentence, and the most important.
Pronounced swelling and bruising, tightness, numbness. You won't want to look at yourself. That's normal.
Stitches out, bruises turn yellow. First concealment with hair and make-up.
Presentable. The face still feels tight and unfamiliar.
Exercise once cleared. Numbness persists.
The result settles, the expression becomes natural. Sensation gradually returns.
Scars mature, final result.
What nobody likes to say
- Recovery is longer than after a classic facelift, count on three weeks, not two.
- Numbness of cheeks and ears can last six months.
- The nerve branches lie in the operating field. Temporary weakness of one side occurs.
- “Deep plane” has become a marketing term too. Ask how many the surgeon does a year, the number says more than the name.
- With nicotine, skin behind the ear can die. No reputable surgeon operates on smokers without a stop of several weeks.
Risks
General surgical risks: bleeding, infection, delayed wound healing, blood clots (DVT and pulmonary embolism), anaesthetic complications. Procedure-specific and higher than with a SMAS lift: facial nerve branch injury with temporary, rarely permanent weakness; haematoma; skin necrosis especially behind the ear; prolonged numbness; asymmetry; salivary gland injury; visible scars; hair loss at incisions; altered earlobe.
Two risks are particular to going abroad: combining several procedures under one long anaesthetic, and the flight home. Both belong in the surgeon’s consultation, not the quote. In full: Cosmetic surgery abroad.
Aftercare at home
In addition to general aftercare: for the first two weeks no head-down position, no bending, no lifting, blood pressure spikes are the commonest cause of bleeding. Sun protection on the scars for twelve months. Judge the result no earlier than three months. Sudden one-sided swelling, severe pain or facial movement problems need reporting immediately.
What that looks like for women from the UK and Ireland is on the country pages.
What a quote should contain
I give no prices here. Not because I don’t know them, but because any figure without an examination is misleading, and because this site also serves countries where price advertising for cosmetic surgery is restricted. A reputable quote for a deep-plane facelift is itemised by surgeon, anaesthetic, hospital stay, materials and aftercare, and it states what isn’t included. When two quotes differ widely, it’s almost always the surgeon’s experience, the materials, the hospital or the length of stay. I’ll walk you through the clinic’s actual quote line by line.
Common questions
What's the difference from a normal facelift?
In a deep-plane lift, skin and connective tissue are released as one unit and the retaining ligaments divided. The mid-face moves with it, without tension on the skin.
Is deep plane always better?
No. With early laxity a smaller procedure suffices. Whoever always recommends it is selling a method rather than a solution.
How long does it last?
About ten to fifteen years, from a better starting point.
How high is the nerve risk?
Temporary weakness occurs, permanent is rare, but higher than with a SMAS lift. Ask the surgeon for his numbers.
How long in Turkey?
Usually one week. The surgeon clears the flight home.
When am I presentable?
After about three weeks with make-up.
How long is the face numb?
Weeks to six months in cheeks and ears.
Is the neck treated too?
Almost always. Without it the result looks unbalanced.
What does a deep-plane facelift cost in Turkey?
It depends on extent and combination. I give no figures.
Can it be combined with eyelid surgery?
Often yes, but every combination lengthens an already long anaesthetic. The surgeon decides.
Let’s talk it through, without pressure
Twenty minutes, no obligation. We start by working out whether surgery is the right step for you at all, and whether now is the right time.
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This text does not replace a surgeon’s consent conversation. Timings are typical courses, not promises; yours may differ. Ivy Beside deliberately gives no prices and names no surgeons.