In his view, a good facelift is not recognised by the fact that a face looks visibly altered, but by the fact that it appears more relaxed, fresher and clearer – without losing its personality.
What does ‘Deep Plane’ mean?
The term ‘deep plane’ does not refer to a single standardised surgical procedure, but rather to a surgical concept.
Whilst traditional facelift techniques often work at a more superficial level, the dissection involved in a deep plane facelift takes place in the deeper anatomical layers of the face. In this procedure, specific ligamentous support structures are selectively released in order to mobilise and reposition sagging tissue units more naturally as a functional unit.
The aim is not to tighten the skin, but to harmoniously return deeper tissue layers to their original position.
It is precisely this approach that often results in a softer, more natural appearance, with less of a ‘pulled’ look than with older procedures that focused purely on tension.
Why the face ages
It is not just excess skin that causes the face to age.
Over time, deep fat compartments, supporting structures, layers of muscle and connective tissue, volume ratios and, ultimately, the underlying bone structure of the face undergo changes.
The so-called retaining ligaments – the ligamentous structures that support the face – play a key role in this.
These delicate anatomical connections stabilise the cheeks, midface and jawline, effectively preventing the tissue from sagging uncontrollably.
As we age, these structures lose their firmness. At the same time, there are changes in volume and tissue quality.
This leads to typical signs of ageing such as:
- sunken cheeks
- Loss of jawline definition
- deeper nasolabial folds
- marionette lines
- more defined facial contours
- and softer contours in the midface.
It is precisely the treatment of these deeper structures that is one of the key principles of modern deep-plane surgery.
Why not every face should be treated the same
On social media today, one often gets the impression that modern deep-plane surgery essentially involves releasing as many ligamentous structures as possible.
From Dr Richter’s point of view, the reality is far more nuanced.
In younger patients, these supporting ligaments are often still strong, taut and mechanically very stable. In such cases, targeted release of specific structures can be beneficial in order to mobilise tissue more naturally and achieve more significant repositioning.
In older people, however, the supporting structures are often already significantly loosened or functionally weakened.
This means:
Not every face automatically requires aggressive ligamentous dissection.
It is precisely here that Dr Richter sees one of the most important differences between standardised technical approaches and truly individualised facial surgery.
For him, experience does not mean operating as deeply or as aggressively as possible.
Experience means recognising:
- which structures actually create tension
- which tissues are already sufficiently mobile
- and where further preparation would cause unnecessary trauma.
The principle behind the deep plane facelift
In a deep plane facelift, deeper tissue connections are specifically targeted and – where anatomically appropriate – certain ligamentous structures are released.
This allows:
- cheek
- Midface
- SMAS
- and deeper fat compartments can be repositioned as a functional unit.
Unlike older techniques, the improvement is achieved less through skin tension and more through natural tissue repositioning.
This often places significantly less strain on the skin.
This can:
- maintain better blood circulation in the skin
- improve scar healing
- and help avoid the typical taut ‘facelift look’ associated with older techniques.
Extensive experience with deep-plane techniques
Dr Richter has been using deep-plane techniques continuously and successfully since 2002.
Over many years and thousands of procedures, he was able to closely monitor the development of these techniques and their long-term outcomes.
Above all, this experience has shown him one thing:
The Deep Plane facelift is an excellent technique – but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every face.
It is precisely for this reason that he does not view modern facial surgery as a competition between individual surgical techniques.
Not every patient needs:
- more traction
- more preparation
- or more aggression.
What is crucial, rather, is striking the right balance between mobilisation, rest, stability and natural tissue repositioning.
Why mini-lifts and simplified designs are often problematic
In his view, simplified mini-lifts – or so-called ‘budget lifts’ – often fail to take into account the complex anatomy of the face.
Often, the procedure involves only superficial tightening – without a proper assessment of ligament tension, without taking volume loss into account, and without addressing the midface.
The problem here is not the minor operation itself.
The problem is often that the wrong level and technique are chosen.
A face does not necessarily require a stronger pull.
It requires an anatomically correct solution.
Deep Plane isn’t the solution to every problem
Even a deep plane facelift has its limitations.
Very deep nasolabial folds, for example, cannot always be fully improved by tissue repositioning alone. This is because ageing is caused not only by sagging tissue, but also by:
- Volume loss
- Skin ageing
- Changes in the lip and mouth area
- Bone loss
- and changes in skin quality.
Some faces therefore require the following additional care:
- Volume building
- renewable processes
- Skin improvement
- Midface stabilisation
- or combined approaches.
It is precisely this nuanced combination of different measures that often determines whether a result looks natural in the long term.
Erweiterte Deep-Plane-Technik und Preservation-Deep-Plane-Technik
Over the past few years, numerous further developments have been reported.
The extended deep plane technique involves greater involvement of additional mid-face or neck structures. This can be particularly beneficial in cases of significant tissue laxity or severe facial contouring.
Preservation Deep Plane techniques, on the other hand, place greater emphasis on preserving natural tissue planes and minimising trauma as much as possible.
Dr Richter considers these developments to be highly interesting, but at the same time emphasises that such techniques require a very precise understanding of anatomy.
It is not the modernity of a term that determines the quality of a result, but the surgeon’s experience in its individual application.
The face as a functional and aesthetic unit
In Dr Richter’s view, a good facelift never targets just one specific area.
That is why he always analyses:
- Eyelids and eyebrows
- Midface
- Neckline
- Skin quality
- Volume loss
- Lips and mouth area
- as well as the jawline and chin.
It is precisely this sense of naturalness that is often achieved through a combination of small, complementary measures:
- Lipofilling
- renewable processes
- Skin improvement
- Midface stabilisation
- Neck treatments
- or eyelid and eyebrow surgery.
It is not maximum change that creates harmony – but the right balance.
Skin quality and regeneration
A modern facelift is no substitute for good skin quality.
That is why Dr Richter is increasingly combining surgical procedures with regenerative approaches such as:
- Microfat
- Nanofat
- autologous fat transfer procedure
- and natural skin improvement.
These procedures can:
- improve skin texture
- Promote regeneration
- Improve tissue quality
- and make the results look more natural.
It is precisely in this area that Dr Wiedner complements the joint approach, placing particular emphasis on skin quality, preparatory regeneration and post-operative tissue stabilisation.
His personal approach
Dr Richter does not view modern facelift surgery as a passing fad or a competition between different techniques.
For him, it’s all about:
- Understanding anatomy
- to respect natural vectors
- Assessing risks realistically
- and to foster long-term harmony.
For him, experience also means knowing when a deep plane facelift is appropriate – and when other approaches offer a better solution.
His aim is never to achieve the most dramatic change possible.
His aim is:
- naturalness
- A calm expression
- smooth contours
- long-term stability
- and a result that doesn’t look artificial.
For him, the most challenging aspect of modern facial surgery is not the most dramatic transformation, but rather a face that looks fresher, more harmonious and more rested – without losing its personality.