Deep Plane Facelift in Murrieta

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a facelift?
  A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is an operation that lifts and tightens sagging facial tissues. It addresses jowls, deep creases, loose skin along the jawline, and neck laxity by repositioning the deeper tissue layers and removing excess skin.
• What is the difference between a deep plane facelift and a SMAS facelift?
  Both work on the SMAS, the supporting layer of muscle and connective tissue beneath the skin, and SMAS techniques vary. Plication and imbrication tighten that layer with sutures, or by trimming and overlapping it, while the skin is lifted separately; an extended SMAS lift raises the layer itself. In a deep plane facelift, the surgeon works beneath the SMAS, releases the ligaments that hold the cheek and jowl in place, and lifts the deeper tissue and skin together. Long-term studies comparing the techniques are still limited. Dr. Banthia performs the deep plane facelift.
• How is a facelift different from a neck lift?
  A neck lift treats the area below the jawline: loose neck skin, fullness under the chin and the vertical cords of the platysma muscle. A facelift also lifts the cheeks and jowls. When the jowls have formed and the cheeks have descended, a neck lift alone leaves those changes in place, and the two are usually performed together. Dr. Banthia decides which one a face needs at the examination.
• Can other procedures be done during a facelift?
  Yes. A brow lift, fat grafting and laser resurfacing are often combined with a facelift, because the brow, the volume of the cheeks and the surface of the skin usually age alongside the jawline. Combining them can mean a single operation, and recovery depends on what is included. Dr. Banthia recommends each only when the examination shows the face needs it.
• Where are the facelift incisions, and will the scars show?
  The incision typically runs in the hairline at the temple, along the natural contour in front of the ear, around the earlobe and behind the ear into the hairline. A short incision under the chin may be added for work on the neck. In men, incisions are typically planned around the sideburn and the beard line. The scars are permanent, but they are placed where hair and the folds of the ear help hide them, and they usually fade over several months as they mature.
• Is there a right age for a facelift?
  There is no fixed age. Candidacy depends on how far the cheeks, jowls and neck have descended, on skin quality and on overall health. When the laxity sits mainly below the jaw, a neck lift is often the better fit, and when the cheeks and jowls have descended as well, a facelift is usually the more complete answer. Dr. Banthia sets the plan after examining the face.
• Does a facelift hurt?
  Facelift surgery is performed under general anesthesia or intravenous sedation, so you do not feel pain during the operation. Most patients experience tightness, mild discomfort, and swelling afterward. Prescribed pain medication can manage the discomfort, which typically improves significantly during the first week.
• Is facelift surgery safe?
  Serious complications are uncommon. Facelift is among the cosmetic operations most often performed in the US, about 78,000 of them in 2025. Dr. Banthia is board-certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. Before a date is set, a pre-operative evaluation reviews your health history, medications and smoking, and he goes over the risks that apply to your face at the consultation.
• How long do facelift results last?
  Facelift results are long-lasting and typically maintain noticeable improvement for 5 to 10 years or more. The face continues to age naturally, but most patients report looking younger than they would have without the procedure. Some choose a secondary facelift years later.
• How long is recovery from a facelift?
  Most patients return to non-strenuous activities within about 2 weeks. Bruising and swelling typically peak around day 2 to 3 and gradually subside over 2 to 3 weeks. Strenuous exercise is avoided for 4 to 6 weeks, and the final result becomes apparent as residual swelling resolves over 3 to 6 months.
• Who should not get a facelift?
  Facelift surgery may not be appropriate for someone who actively smokes, has uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension, takes blood thinners without medical clearance, or has a condition that impairs wound healing. A thorough pre-operative evaluation determines whether the operation is suitable for the individual.
• Who actually performs the facelift?
  Dr. Vishal Banthia performs the facelift. He is board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, trained at Stanford and UCSF, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. The surgeon who assesses the face at the consultation also plans and performs the operation. The assessment is not handed to someone else afterward.
• Where does the surgery take place?
  There are two offices, Murrieta on Date Street and Carlsbad, and both run by appointment. Where a patient is seen and where the operation takes place are settled with the surgical plan. Timing, transportation home, and who needs to be with the patient are addressed at the same time. The page does not give one fixed arrangement because these details are not the same for every patient.
• What non-surgical options are there for a sagging jawline?
  Radiofrequency and ultrasound tightening, thread lifts, fillers and neuromodulator injections all treat the face without surgery. They act on the skin, on volume or on muscle activity, while a facelift repositions the deeper layer that has descended. At the consultation, Dr. Banthia distinguishes lost tone from lost position, and recommending against surgery is a normal outcome of that visit.