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Best Deep Plane Facelift Surgeons in the USA (2026)

As of August 2026, DeepPlane's registry lists 705 active facelift surgeons in the United States. The ranking below shows the top 25: verified identities first, then the public DeepPlane Score (0-100) built from board certification, federal NPI identity, academic record and patient signals. Six of the 25 currently hold DeepPlane's Verified tier — the rest are registry listings compiled from public credential sources. No surgeon can pay to appear or to move up.

Choosing in the US market is a different exercise than choosing abroad. There is no national procedure-volume registry for facelifts, so a surgeon's annual deep plane count only surfaces if you ask for it in consultation. What the US does give you is radical identity transparency: every licensed clinician has a public NPI record, and every board certification can be checked against the certifying board in minutes. This page does that legwork registry-wide and shows its working.

Deep plane technique itself — releasing the facial retaining ligaments and repositioning the composite flap rather than tightening the SMAS under tension — traces to Hamra's 1990 description and its modern extended variants, and US surgeons authored much of that literature. Several surgeons on this list publish actively on the technique.

Who Are the Best Deep Plane Facelift Surgeons in the USA?

25 surgeons shown of 705 listed in the registry. Verified surgeons are always listed first — order within each verification band comes from the public DeepPlane Score. No surgeon can pay for placement.

15

Dr. Allan Wulc

Plymouth Meeting, the USA

American Board of Cosmetic SurgeryNPI-verified identityFellowship-trained
4.9★ (247 Google reviews)View full profile

Browse the complete roster on the USA surgeon directory.

How This List Is Built

  • Verified first, always. Surgeons whose identity and credentials DeepPlane has verified (Medical Advisor, then Verified tier) are listed before unverified registry listings — that ordering is editorial policy, not a score outcome.
  • Transparent order within each band. The public DeepPlane Score (verification & identity, credentials, academic record, patient signals, transparency — 0-100) sets the order inside each verification band, computed live from registry data.
  • No paid placement, no prices. No surgeon can pay to appear or to move up, and this page carries no price claims — cost questions belong on the sourced cost guide.

Key Takeaway: In the US, identity is checkable and volume is not: confirm a surgeon's NPI record and board certification in minutes, then use the consultation to establish deep plane case volume — the one number no directory can hand you. Verified surgeons always rank first here, and nobody can pay for a spot.

What to Check in a US Deep Plane Consultation

  1. Make them define “deep plane”. The term is marketed loosely. A true deep plane lift releases the facial retaining ligaments and repositions the composite flap; if the answer describes pulling the SMAS tight under skin tension, it is a different operation.
  2. Ask for annual deep plane volume. The US has no public procedure-volume registry, so the consultation is the only place this number surfaces. Surgeons doing the operation weekly will answer without hesitation.
  3. See unretouched results at 90+ days. Early photos hide swelling-flattered contours. Ask specifically for before-and-afters of patients with your anatomy and age band.
  4. Verify identity and certification yourself. Look the surgeon up in the federal NPPES registry and on the certifying board's own site — both are free and take minutes.
  5. Ask who runs anesthesia and where. A physician anesthesiologist or CRNA in an accredited facility (AAAASF, AAAHC or Joint Commission) is the standard answer.
  6. Get the revision policy in writing. Reputable US practices state their revision window and terms before you book, not after.

US Board Certification, Decoded

Three boards account for nearly every credential on this page, and they are not interchangeable labels — they describe different training routes into facelift surgery:

ABPS — American Board of Plastic Surgery

The ABMS member board for plastic surgery of the whole body. Diplomates complete a full plastic surgery residency; facelift training depth varies by program, which is exactly why the volume question above matters.

ABOHNS — American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

The ABMS member board for surgery of the head and neck. Many of the highest-volume US deep plane surgeons come through this route, then subspecialize in facial plastic surgery via fellowship.

ABFPRS — American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

A subspecialty board focused entirely on the face. Candidates must already hold ABOHNS (or equivalent) certification, then pass a two-day exam and peer review of operative experience. On this list it is the single most common credential.

One honest caveat: no US board certifies “deep plane facelift” as a procedure. Certification proves supervised surgical training and examination — procedure mastery is demonstrated in case volume and results, which is why this page pairs credentials with patient signals instead of treating a certificate as the finish line.

The NPI Identity Check

Unique to the US market: every licensed clinician has a National Provider Identifier in the federal NPPES registry, publicly searchable at npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov. DeepPlane cross-references US registry profiles against NPPES — 24 of the 25 surgeons on this page carry an NPI-verified identity, shown as a badge on each card. It is an identity check, not a skill rating: it confirms who the surgeon is, so the rest of your research starts from a verified name.

Deep plane surgery in the US clusters heavily in a handful of metros. Browse the city rosters directly: New York, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Austin — or compare internationally with the UK ranking and the Australia ranking.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

  1. 01
    Hamra ST. The deep-plane rhytidectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1990;86(1):53-61(opens in new tab)(Journal Article)Accessed: 2026-03-21DOI: 10.1097/00006534-199007000-00008
  2. 02
    Jacono AA, Bryant LM. Extended Deep Plane Facelift: Incorporating Facial Retaining Ligament Release and Composite Flap Shifts to Maximize Midface, Jawline and Neck Rejuvenation. Clin Plast Surg. 2018;45(4):527-554(opens in new tab)(Journal Article)Accessed: 2026-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.cps.2018.06.007
  3. 03
    Khoury S, Almubarak Z, Khan H, Boldt G, Villemure-Poliquin N, Nichols AC. The Deep Plane versus SMAS Facelift: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2025;49(21):5895-5903(opens in new tab)(Research Study)Accessed: 2026-08-05DOI: 10.1007/s00266-025-05118-x
  4. 04
    American Society of Plastic Surgeons - Facelift Statistics 2024(opens in new tab)(Organization)Accessed: 2026-03-21
  5. 05
    NPPES NPI Registry — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(opens in new tab)(Government Source)Accessed: 2026-08-06
  6. 06
    American Board of Medical Specialties — Certification Matters physician verification(opens in new tab)(Organization)Accessed: 2026-08-06
  7. 07
    American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery — About Certification(opens in new tab)(Organization)Accessed: 2026-08-06

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Related Topics

USA Surgeon DirectoryBest Surgeons: UKBest Surgeons: AustraliaDeep Plane Facelift Cost GuideWhat Is a Deep Plane Facelift?Free Consultation
Medical Review
YD

Dr. Yakup Duman

Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery Specialist

— MD— Board Certified— Plastic Surgery Specialist

Board-certified Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery specialist with 13+ years of experience. Specializes in deep plane facelift at Merkez Prime Hospital, Istanbul. Medical Reviewer for DEEPPLANE™.

Turkish Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Association

Full Profile →Review Process →
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Medically reviewed and provided for general education only — this is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a qualified physician about your individual case. Deep plane facelift outcomes, risks, and costs vary by patient; always seek a licensed surgeon's guidance before making any treatment decision.

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