Deep Plane Facelift at 62: Three-Week Patient Photos

Patient Overview

• Patient: Erin

• Age: 63

• Gender: Female

• Procedures: Deep plane facelift, neck lift (with submandibular gland reduction)

• After photos taken at: 3 weeks post-op (patient-taken photos)

• Origin: Canada

• Location: Istanbul, Turkey

Patient-Taken Photos: What Recovery Actually Looks Like

There is a difference between clinical photographs taken under controlled studio lighting and the photos a patient takes at home, in natural light, with their own phone. Erin's three-week images fall into the second category — and that is precisely what makes them valuable. These are not curated or retouched. They show what a deep plane facelift looks like in the real conditions of daily life, three weeks after surgery, as captured by the patient herself. For anyone researching facelift recovery and wondering what to realistically expect during the early postoperative period, this kind of transparency is far more informative than polished before and after galleries alone.

Facelift Surgery at 62: What Changes and What Stays the Same

Erin, a 62-year-old patient from Canada, presented with the facial ageing changes that accumulate over the sixth decade — jowling along the jawline, loss of midface definition, neck laxity, and the general descent of soft tissue that gradually reshapes the lower two-thirds of the face. At this age, the changes are more established than in a patient in her forties or early fifties, which means the degree of correction achievable is often more dramatic. However, the fundamental principle remains identical regardless of age: the goal is to restore the patient's own facial architecture, not to create a new one.

Dr. Cem Berkay Sinaci, a fellow of the European Board of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (FEBOPRAS) and member of ISAPS and ASPS, planned a deep plane facelift with neck lift, tailored to the specific structural needs of Erin's anatomy. Having refined his approach through fellowship training with world-renowned plastic surgeon Raul Gonzalez in Brazil and cadaver dissection courses in Bangkok, Dr. Sinaci applies the same deep plane philosophy across all age groups while adapting the technical execution to the tissue quality and degree of descent present in each individual patient.

The Deep Plane Approach in More Mature Tissue

The deep plane technique carries particular advantages for patients in their sixties. Because it works beneath the SMAS layer, repositioning the deeper muscular and fascial structures rather than relying on skin tension, the result is not dependent on the skin's ability to hold the lift. This matters because skin elasticity has diminished meaningfully by 62. A superficial technique that pulls the skin tighter would be fighting against tissue that will gradually stretch again, leading to a result that deteriorates relatively quickly. The deep plane approach bypasses this limitation entirely — the structural repositioning is held by the deeper, more robust SMAS layer, and the skin simply redrapes over the corrected foundation without tension.

For Erin, this meant that the jowl tissue could be elevated back above the mandibular border, the midface volume could be restored to its youthful position over the cheekbones, and the entire lower face could be rejuvenated with a result that will prove durable over the coming years.

Neck Lift with Submandibular Gland Reduction

Erin's neck required more than standard platysmal tightening and skin redraping. Her anatomy included enlarged submandibular glands — the salivary glands that sit beneath the mandible on either side. When these glands are prominent, they create a persistent fullness in the upper neck that can mimic the appearance of submental fat or platysmal laxity. A standard neck lift that addresses only the platysma and subcutaneous fat will not correct this fullness because the source lies deeper, beneath the muscle layer.

Submandibular gland reduction is a targeted addition to the neck lift that involves carefully reducing the volume of these glands to eliminate the bulge they create. It is not performed in every neck lift — only when the glands are contributing to the neck contour problem. Identifying this preoperatively and incorporating it into the surgical plan is what separates a result that looks good from one that looks exceptional. In Erin's case, the gland reduction contributed to the crisp, clean jawline-to-neck transition visible even at three weeks, well before the final result has fully matured.

What Three Weeks After a Deep Plane Facelift Looks Like

At three weeks, a deep plane facelift is firmly in mid-recovery. The most visible bruising has resolved. The acute swelling that characterised the first ten days has largely subsided, revealing the underlying structural changes. However, the result is not yet final. Residual swelling — sometimes described as a subtle firmness or fullness that is more apparent to the patient than to observers — persists particularly along the jawline, in front of the ears, and in the neck.

Erin's patient-taken photos at this stage show the jawline already significantly more defined than preoperatively, the jowls corrected, and the neck contour dramatically improved. These structural changes are permanent and will only become more refined as the remaining swelling resolves. Over the next two to four months, the tissues will soften, any mild asymmetry between the two sides will equalise, and the scars — hidden within the hairline and around the natural contours of the ear — will continue to fade.

Most patients at three weeks feel comfortable in social situations, particularly with light makeup if desired. Some residual tightness in the neck and lower face is normal and reflects the deeper tissue healing rather than any surface tension. This sensation gradually diminishes over weeks four through eight.

Canadian Patients Choosing Facelift Surgery in Istanbul

Erin's decision to travel from Canada to Istanbul for her facelift reflects a well-researched choice that an increasing number of North American patients are making. The considerations are both practical and qualitative. Turkey has established itself as a leading global destination for facial rejuvenation surgery, with Istanbul offering a concentration of board-certified surgeons performing high volumes of deep plane facelifts in accredited facilities. For Canadian patients specifically, the combination of internationally trained expertise, facilities certified by the Turkish Ministry of Health for health tourism, and a postoperative recovery experience in a world-class city creates a compelling proposition.

The critical variable, as always, is the surgeon's specific experience with the deep plane technique and with the particular challenges presented by each patient's anatomy. Erin's case — involving gland reduction alongside the standard facelift and neck lift components — illustrates why choosing a surgeon with comprehensive facial surgery training matters. Not every facelift requires gland reduction, but when it does, the surgeon must have the experience to identify the need preoperatively and the skill to execute it safely during the procedure.

The Months Ahead

Erin's three-week result is a promising preview of what will continue to refine. Between now and three months, the remaining swelling will resolve and the tissues will settle into their final position. Between three and six months, the scars will mature from their current early healing state to fine, inconspicuous lines. By twelve months, the result will be fully established — a natural, age-appropriate rejuvenation that looks like the patient simply turned back the clock rather than underwent surgery.