By Dr Scott J Turner, Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) – Bondi Junction, Sydney
One of the most common conversations I have at FacePlus Aesthetics in Bondi Junction, Sydney is this: a patient comes in wanting an extended deep plane facelift — and leaves with a recommendation for something different. Not because the extended deep plane isn’t a good operation. It is. But it’s a specific tool for a specific pattern of facial ageing, and not every face needs that level of surgery.
That’s what this article is for. I want to have that conversation with you early — before you’re sitting across from me — so you’ve got a clearer idea of where you might stand. For background on the technique itself, start with our Extended Deep Plane Facelift Guide.
Been searching “extended deep plane facelift Sydney”? You and about half my new patient enquiries. What follows is how I actually decide who’s a candidate and who isn’t.
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Standard Deep Plane vs Extended — How I Decide
This is where patients get confused, so let me clear it up. A standard deep plane facelift and an extended deep plane facelift aren’t competing techniques — they’re different tools for different problems. I use both regularly. The question is which one fits your anatomy.
Standard deep plane works under the SMAS layer and releases key retaining ligaments to lift your midface and jowls as one composite unit. For patients whose ageing is concentrated in the midface and jawline — without major neck concerns — this is often all that’s needed. I frequently perform it as part of a short scar facelift, which keeps the incisions shorter and the recovery more manageable.
Extended deep plane is what I reach for when the neck needs serious correction too. I’m pushing the dissection further into the midface, fully releasing the zygomatic cutaneous and masseteric retaining ligaments, and combining that with either a formal platysmaplasty or deep neck lift. When someone presents with midface descent, jowling, AND significant neck laxity — platysma banding, submental fat, loose cervical skin — the extended approach is my preference. It lets me address face and neck as a single structural correction rather than cobbling together separate fixes.
For the full technical breakdown, see our Deep Plane Facelift Guide. What matters here is whether your ageing pattern points toward one approach or the other.
Quick Self-Assessment
Think you might be a candidate? Here’s a rough guide.
This procedure might suit you if:
- Your midface has dropped significantly — not just lost volume
- Nasolabial folds have become deep, permanent grooves
- You’ve got jowling combined with cheek descent
- Your neck also needs correction — platysma banding, loose skin, submental fat
- Your facial tissues are on the heavier or thicker side
A standard deep plane or different facelift approach might be smarter if:
- Changes are concentrated in the midface and jowl without major neck involvement
- Your ageing is still relatively mild overall
- Only one area really bothers you
- It’s mainly hollowness, not sagging
- Two to three weeks off work isn’t realistic right now
The Facial Changes I’m Actually Looking For
When I examine you, wrinkles are almost beside the point. What I’m reading is your underlying structure — which ligaments have given way, where the tissue has gone, and whether what you’re seeing is descent or deflation. People mix those up constantly, and the treatment for each is quite different.
Cheeks That’ve Fallen, Not Just Gone Flat
This is probably the number one reason I’d recommend extended deep plane. Your cheeks used to sit high, and now there’s hollowing under your eyes while tissue has slid toward your mouth. Those nose-to-mouth folds deepening every year? That’s midface descent — and the extended approach tackles it structurally by releasing the ligaments responsible and repositioning tissue vertically.
If your midface changes are still subtle, a standard deep plane via short scar facelift or SMAS facelift could get you there with less downtime.
Jowls — But What Else Is Going On?
Jowling on its own? A standard deep plane through a short scar facelift handles that well. Where extended deep plane comes in is when jowls are part of a bigger pattern — midface dropping, jawline blurring, neck going at the same time. Fixing jowls in isolation when everything else is shifting south doesn’t hold up. A composite lift addressing all of it is the better call.
Nasolabial Folds That Filler Can’t Fix Anymore
Everyone has nose-to-mouth lines. But when yours have become deep, fixed grooves that look the same whether you’re laughing or resting — that’s structural. The cheek tissue above has descended and is pushing into that fold. Filler temporarily plumps the groove; the extended deep plane goes after the cause by releasing the ligaments above and shifting tissue to a more anatomically supported position.
Your Neck Needs Work — Not Just Your Face
This is the deciding factor. I covered this above, but it bears repeating: if your midface and jowls are the issue but your neck looks reasonable, standard deep plane — often via short scar — handles it. When I’m also seeing platysma banding, loose cervical skin, and submental fat? That’s when extended deep plane with a neck lift or deep neck lift becomes my preference.
Thicker, Heavier Soft Tissues
If you’ve got thicker skin and denser tissue — common in men — the extended deep plane actually works in your favour. Lighter techniques rely on skin tension, and heavier tissues pull through that over time. This approach builds a sturdier internal framework. It’s a big part of why I recommend it for male facelift patients.
Your Health Matters Just As Much As Your Face
I don’t care how perfect your anatomy looks on examination — if your health can’t support a three-to-five-hour operation under general anaesthesia, I’m not going to operate. Simple as that.
Physical fitness. This is performed in a fully accredited private hospital with specialist anaesthesia support — three to five hours under general. Uncontrolled diabetes, serious heart problems, bleeding disorders — any of these changes the risk equation. I’ll want your complete medical history and possibly clearance from your GP.
No nicotine. At all. Cigarettes, vapes, patches, gum — all of it constricts blood vessels. Your skin flaps depend on blood supply to heal. Compromise that and you’re risking wound breakdowns and flap necrosis. Six weeks before, six weeks after. No negotiation.
Weight stability. Big fluctuations after surgery can undermine your outcome. Get to a stable weight and sit there six months before we book anything.
Mental readiness. Australian law (since July 2023) requires a psychological assessment before cosmetic surgery. I also won’t operate after one consultation — two minimum, always. That cooling-off period isn’t red tape. It’s there so neither of us rushes this.
When I’d Point You Somewhere Else
Telling a patient “this isn’t the right operation” is me doing my job well. Some of my best consultations end with a smaller, smarter procedure.
Mild changes? Extended deep plane is overkill. A standard deep plane through a short scar facelift, or a ponytail facelift would give you meaningful correction with a quicker recovery and less bruising.
Just your neck? A standalone deep neck lift might be all you need. Just your eyes? Then we’re talking upper blepharoplasty or lower blepharoplasty. No sense doing a full facelift when one area is the whole issue.
Hollow but not saggy? Different problem. That’s volume depletion, and facial fat grafting might handle it on its own without any lifting at all.
Can’t take the downtime? Be honest. You’re looking at two to three weeks before you’ll want to be seen in public, and months before everything fully settles. If that doesn’t fit your life right now, wait — or consider something less intensive. Our facelift recovery guide lays it all out.
The Age Question
I get asked about this constantly. “Am I too young? Am I too old?” Truthfully, your date of birth tells me very little. What matters is what your tissues look like right now. I’ve operated on people in their mid-40s who had significant hereditary descent, and people in their early 70s with skin that was still in excellent condition.
Typical range? Around 45 to 70. But I’ve seen exceptions both ways. It’s about your anatomy, your health, and whether the procedure can genuinely deliver what you’re after — not a number on your licence.
What Happens When You Actually Come In
Reading this gives you a starting point. But real candidacy decisions happen face to face. At my Bondi Junction rooms, I’ll assess your tissue descent, skin thickness, platysma condition, and volume patterns. I also watch how your face moves — static photos miss a lot. The consultation is where everything comes together.
I’ll tell you what I think will work. If it’s not extended deep plane, I’ll say that too — and why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Considering Extended Deep Plane Facelift Surgery in Sydney?
If you’re not sure whether this level of surgery makes sense for your face, the next step is straightforward — come in and let me have a look. During your assessment at FacePlus Aesthetics in Bondi Junction, I’ll evaluate tissue descent, ligament integrity, skin quality, and critically — whether your neck needs formal correction. That’s often what determines whether I recommend a standard deep plane through a short scar approach, an extended deep plane with neck lift, an SMAS technique, or something more targeted altogether.
Contact us to arrange your consultation.
