{"id":74996,"date":"2026-09-26T09:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T07:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/?p=74996"},"modified":"2026-09-26T09:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T07:42:11","slug":"deep-plane-facelift-vs-smas-plication-is-the-most-popular-technique-really-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/lifting-deep-plane-vs-plicature-du-smas-la-technique-la-plus-tendance-est-elle-vraiment-la-meilleure\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep Plane Facelift vs. SMAS Plicature: Is the Most Popular Technique Really the Best?"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/medical-exam-of-woman-in-clinic-setting-2026-03-19-21-57-56-utc-copie.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-74998\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/medical-exam-of-woman-in-clinic-setting-2026-03-19-21-57-56-utc-copie.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/medical-exam-of-woman-in-clinic-setting-2026-03-19-21-57-56-utc-copie-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/medical-exam-of-woman-in-clinic-setting-2026-03-19-21-57-56-utc-copie-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/medical-exam-of-woman-in-clinic-setting-2026-03-19-21-57-56-utc-copie-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/medical-exam-of-woman-in-clinic-setting-2026-03-19-21-57-56-utc-copie-600x400.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On social media, the verdict seems unanimous: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sylvaindavid.com\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.sylvaindavid.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Deep Plane Facelift <\/a>is said to be the \u00abnext-generation\u00bb technique, superior in every way to the older SMAS plication technique. But what do scientific studies actually say when the two techniques are compared based on objective criteria?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udccc&nbsp;<strong>See also:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/courteney-cox-as-monica-in-friends-when-injections-make-you-look-older-instead-of-younger\/\">Courteney Cox, Monica from *Friends*: When Injections Make You Look Older Instead of Younger<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is anatomically established<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"447\" height=\"497\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/planos-copia-c9da8288.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75013\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/planos-copia-c9da8288.jpeg 447w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/planos-copia-c9da8288-270x300.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/planos-copia-c9da8288-11x12.jpeg 11w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 447px) 100vw, 447px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Deep Plane technique allows for deeper mobilization of the midface tissues by completely releasing the retaining ligaments. This anatomical advantage is widely recognized and documented in the surgical literature. That is not the real question, however; the real question is whether this additional mobilization actually translates into better outcomes for the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Ddl-tlCq81h\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Ddl-tlCq81h\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">See this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Ddl-tlCq81h\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Dr. Sylvain David \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 (@drsylvaindavidfr)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Comparative Studies Show<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1001\/archfaci.6.1.8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A preliminary study<\/a>, published in the early 2000s, had several experienced surgeons conduct a blinded evaluation of before-and-after photos of patients, half of whom had undergone Deep Plane surgery and half of whom had undergone SMAS plication. The result: not only did the Deep Plane technique not perform better, but overall, SMAS plicature procedures received higher ratings among patients under 70 years of age. The Deep Plane technique showed only a slight advantage among patients over 70 years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/00006534-199809010-00041\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> a more recent prospective study<\/a>, which included 70 patients\u2014all of whom were operated on by the same surgeon who used both techniques interchangeably\u2014found no significant difference between the two approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/jnls\/plasreconsurg\/fulltext\/10.1097\/prs.0000000000012526~demystifying-deep-layer-face-lift-techniques-a-systematic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a recent article co-authored by James Stuzin and Rod Rohrich <\/a> Two of the world's most renowned facial surgeons conclude that Deep Plane techniques, which extend the dissection beyond the retaining ligaments, have not demonstrated any significant improvement in the midface region or longer-lasting results over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"637\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/332235_1_En_33_Fig15_HTML.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75014\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/332235_1_En_33_Fig15_HTML.jpg 685w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/332235_1_En_33_Fig15_HTML-300x279.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/332235_1_En_33_Fig15_HTML-13x12.jpg 13w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/332235_1_En_33_Fig15_HTML-600x558.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Really Makes the Difference<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having practiced both techniques, I am convinced that it is not the name of the technique that determines the result, but the way it is executed. What really matters is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"747\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/facelift.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75015\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/facelift.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/facelift-300x280.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/facelift-768x717.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/facelift-13x12.webp 13w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/facelift-600x560.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tailoring Surgery<\/strong>&nbsp;based on each patient's anatomy, rather than following a standard protocol<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Adjust the extent of the detachment<\/strong>&nbsp;as needed, without excess<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Choosing the Right Growth Drivers<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Properly Reposition Facial Fat<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Process the temporal region<\/strong>&nbsp;when necessary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/traction.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75016\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/traction.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/traction-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/traction-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/traction-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/traction-600x400.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is these customization elements\u2014far more than the choice between Deep Plane and SMAS plication\u2014that have a real impact on the final result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Deep Plane technique has real anatomical merit, particularly in older patients. But presenting it as a universally superior technique is an oversimplification that the scientific literature does not support. The most important factor in choosing a surgeon is not the technique they promote, but their ability to tailor their approach to each individual\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The Best Techniques for a Face LIFT (and Those to Avoid): Deep Plane, Injections, LED\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e8BgOLne6W8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On social media, the consensus seems unanimous: the Deep Plane facelift is said to be the \u00abnext-generation\u00bb technique, superior in every way to the older SMAS plication method. But what do scientific studies actually say when the two techniques are compared based on objective criteria? \ud83d\udccc See also: Courteney Cox,\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":74997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualites"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1,"label":"Actualites"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/medical-exam-of-woman-in-clinic-setting-2026-03-19-21-57-56-utc-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Sylvain David","author_link":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/author\/beautydecoded\/"},"comment_info":8,"category_info":[{"term_id":1,"name":"Actualites","slug":"actualites","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":346,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":346,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Actualites","category_nicename":"actualites","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74996"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75018,"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74996\/revisions\/75018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beautydecoded.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}