Understanding Face Lift Options: What is a High Definition Deep Plane Facelift & TESLA Facelifting?

Facelifting techniques started at the beginning of the 20th century and have been in a state of constant evolution since then. Initially only skin was lifted after being released from the deeper parts of the face including the facial muscles. Sometimes the patient with a skin lift would have wavy lines in it and make it look like the wind was blowing it. This became known as the windswept look and you have probably seen people who look like this after this type of facelift which some still perform. In the early 70's surgery was extended under the muscle like part of the lower face know as the SMAS and a new era began. That was 50 years ago and even today that technique is widely practiced and held out as an advanced technique.

Truth is as surgery goes it remains a good technique but technology can make it even better. In the 90's the term Deep Plane Facelift was introduced in a technique publication. This technique became very popular and was followed by the Composite facelift which is a bit more risky to perform for several reasons. A composite deep plane is different from a composite facelift. In a composite deep plane the skin is attached when the separation of the deep plane is accomplished.

The Composite facelift also includes the lower part of the eye muscle know as the orbicularis oculi, In a modified deep plane the skin is elevated before elevating the deep plane which consists of the muscle like layer known as the SMAS. The SMAS connects to the PLATYSMA in the neck and being under the platysma in the neck constitutes a deep plane Necklift. Deep plane neck lifts also have other procedures under the platysma to thin out a "Heavy Neck". Nothing new has really happened in the facelift technique arena until 2007 when we first introduced Laser Assisted Facelifting or "SMARTLIFTING" as we called it.

Why is Smartlifting important?

We initially were impressed by the combination of facelift surgery and energy devices because it reduced bleeding during the surgery making more precise surgery possible and it shortened the time of the operation. We also noticed that patient's results got better as time went by due to long term skin tightening and a shrink wrap effect from the results of energy under the face lift skin "FLAP". So this was the first High Definition Facelift but the energy device was only used under the skin. About 10 years later we switched from lasers to VASERS an Ultrasound energy device used in Ultrasonic liposuction.

The VASER is a bit larger and is made of stainless steel so it is helpful when separating the layers of the face. Then a big advance was made. We started using the VASER probe under the SMAS and under the PLATYSMA in the neck and the HIGH DEFINITION DEEP PLANE FACE AND NECK LIFT was born. We collectively refer to these energy enhanced face and neck lifts as TESLA FACELIFTS and there are 5 types of TESLA FACELIFTS.

If you are interested in what constitutes each type contact the office or message me. The HD DEEP PLANE technique has transformed our surgery and we have used the deep plane approach for nearly 30 years. It permits a level of face and especially neck contouring better that what we were able to get from surgery alone. So why will a HIGH DEFINITION DEEP PLANE FACE AND NECKLIFT always be better than conventional deep plane techniques. The answer is the energy used in performing the surgery in the layer under the skin and then under the SMAS and the PLATYSMA contract and remodel over time adding definition and skin tightening to the results in addition to the lifting and tightening obtained with the conventional surgical Facelifting techniques which we also perform in this combinational or "Hybrid Procedure".

This concept was studied in laser assisted liposuction techniques and the skin tightening when energy is used in combination with surgery techniques was double that seen from surgery alone. This fact is missed by patients and surgeons alone but after seeing our patients results from TESLA HIGH DEFININITON DEEP PLANE FACE AND NECK LIFTS, we believe it the best option for those interested in significant long lasting improvements in their facial and neck aging.

Call our office for more information or message me. TESLA HIGH DEFINITION DEEP PLANE FACE AND NECK LIFTING has been peer reviewed and has been published and presented internationally in multiple journals articles, textbooks, and monographs.

Dr. Gentile teaches HD DEEP PLANE FACE AND NECKLIFTING at masterclass in Milan Italy November 2022

Recent presentation at Global Aesthetics Conferenceon a TESLA NECKLIFT THE TESLA II using energy devices

Overview or our lab and cadaver based teaching in Verona Italy Nov 2022. Those attending this meeting then proceed to Live surgery in Milan