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Deep Plane Facelift for Nasolabial Folds: Deep plane facelift effectively treats nasolabial folds by releasing the zygomatic ligaments and lifting descended midface tissues. This addresses the root cause of deep nasolabial folds rather than just filling the crease.

— DEEPPLANE™ Expert Panel

Deep Plane Facelift for Nasolabial Folds: Quick Facts

Effectiveness
Good improvement
Technique
Mid-face lifting
Results
Softens deep folds
Deep Plane: Time to Second Facelift (returning patients)
10.9 years on average (Levin & Frankel 2026)
Alternative
Fillers temporary
Satisfaction
High for this concern

Sursa: Peer-Reviewed Medical Literature

Nasolabial fold correction with deep plane facelift showing pre-correction depth and repositioned malar fat pad after surgery

Nasolabial fold: before (left) vs deep plane correction (right) with tissue repositioning

Deep Plane Facelift for Nasolabial Folds

A deep plane facelift is meant to soften nasolabial folds, not erase them: it frees the SMAS layer and lifts it with the skin and cheek fat as one flap (Hamra, PMID 2359803), and later descriptions add release of the retaining ligaments that anchor the cheek (Jacono and Bryant, PMID 30268241). We found no study that measures how much a fold softens, or compares the operation with fillers, so the size of the change is for your surgeon to show. What DEEPPLANE™ holds as data: 5.440 published before-and-after pairs from 760 surgeons in 58 countries, 30 of them photographed twelve months or more after surgery.

Nasolabial folds corrected via deep plane midface elevation — before and after close-up of mouth area

Răspuns Rapid

Can a deep plane facelift reduce nasolabial folds?

Yes — a deep plane facelift softens nasolabial folds by lifting the descended midface fat pad back toward its youthful position, though it does not erase them; a soft fold is a normal feature even in young faces. Unlike fillers, which add volume, it repositions existing tissue; how long the softening lasts has not been measured in a study we can cite.

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Can a deep plane facelift reduce nasolabial folds?

Yes — a deep plane facelift softens nasolabial folds, though it does not erase them. The mechanism: releasing the zygomatic ligament allows the descended malar fat pad to be repositioned superiorly, filling the fold from behind rather than pulling skin over it. We hold no study that compares fold softening between a deep plane and an SMAS facelift. Fillers add temporary volume but do not reposition the fat pad.

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Key Takeaway: Deep plane facelift softens nasolabial folds by lifting the descended malar fat pad. Dermal fillers, by contrast, are temporary.

The Importance of This Topic

A deep plane facelift corrects nasolabial folds by releasing the zygomatic ligaments and repositioning the malar fat pad, which is the root cause of these deep creases. Fillers are temporary; how long a surgical correction lasts has not been measured in a study we can cite.

  • Deep nasolabial folds indicate midface descent, not just skin laxity
  • Deep plane releases zygomatic ligaments to reposition cheek tissue
  • Fillers add volume; deep plane repositions existing tissue

The deep plane technique is used to correct deep nasolabial folds because it addresses the root cause — descended cheek fat pads — rather than just adding volume with fillers[2]. By releasing the zygomatic ligaments and vertically repositioning the malar fat pad, the deep plane technique lifts the tissue that creates the fold[1,3].

Deep plane facelift corrects nasolabial folds by releasing the zygomatic ligaments and repositioning the descended malar fat pad back to its youthful position over the cheekbone[3]. This addresses the root structural cause of deepened smile lines, while fillers mask the crease temporarily.

Are Fillers or Deep Plane Better for Nasolabial Folds?

Dermal Fillers

ApproachAdds volume to mask fold
Duration6-18 months
Cost over 10 years$10,000-$30,000
Root cause fixNo
Structural Fix

Deep Plane Facelift

ApproachRepositions malar fat pad
DurationLong-lasting
Cost over 10 years$35,000–$75,000 (one-time)
Root cause fixYes
$35K-75K
Cost Range
4-6 hrs
Surgery Time
10.9 yrs
Avg. time to a second facelift, returning patients (Levin & Frankel 2026)
2-3 wks
Recovery

How Does Deep Plane Facelift Correct Nasolabial Folds?

Nasolabial folds — commonly called smile lines or laugh lines — are the creases that run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth. While present to some degree in all adults, these folds deepen significantly with age as the malar fat pad descends and the zygomatic ligaments weaken. Deep plane facelift is the most effective surgical treatment for nasolabial folds because it directly addresses this underlying tissue descent rather than simply filling or tightening the surface.

How the Deep Plane Technique Corrects Nasolabial Folds

During a deep plane facelift, the surgeon dissects beneath the SMAS layer and releases McGregor's patch — the dense zygomatic cutaneous ligament that anchors the cheek tissue to the underlying bone. This release is the critical step that allows the descended malar fat pad to be elevated back to its anatomically correct position over the zygomatic eminence. As the cheek volume is restored to the midface, the excess tissue that was bunching above the nasolabial crease is redistributed, softening the fold from above rather than filling it from below.

The deep plane approach is particularly effective because the malar fat pad remains attached to the SMAS flap throughout the procedure. This means the fat pad is lifted as a vascularized unit with its blood supply intact, ensuring the tissue survives the repositioning and maintains volume long-term. Deep plane facelift softens nasolabial fold depth by repositioning the fat pad; no study we can cite measures the reduction in percent or how long it holds. The technique also improves jowls simultaneously, and most patients find recovery takes 2–3 weeks with natural-looking results.

Deep Plane vs. Fillers for Nasolabial Folds

Hyaluronic acid fillers (Hyaluronic acid filler Vollure, Hyaluronic acid filler Lyft) are the most common non-surgical treatment for nasolabial folds. They work by adding volume directly into or beneath the crease, temporarily smoothing the fold for 6-18 months. While effective for mild folds, fillers have significant limitations for moderate to severe nasolabial folds: repeated injections can lead to filler migration, a "pillow face" appearance, and cumulative costs that add up over the years. More importantly, fillers do not address the underlying fat pad descent — the malar fat pad continues to sag, requiring increasingly larger volumes of filler to maintain correction.

Deep plane facelift provides a one-time structural correction that addresses the cause rather than the symptom. For patients with significant midface descent and deep nasolabial folds, surgical correction addresses the fat pad descent, though we hold no study that compares the results with fillers. Fat grafting can be performed simultaneously for patients who have also lost cheek volume, providing both repositioning and volumization in a single procedure.

Nasolabial Fold Treatment Facts

Deep plane facelift for nasolabial folds softens fold depth by repositioning the descended malar fat pad; the size of the reduction has not been measured in a study we can cite
Nasolabial fold correction lasts an unmeasured time after deep plane repositioning; dermal fillers are temporary
Zygomatic ligament release is the key step for correcting nasolabial folds in deep plane facelift technique
Dermal fillers for nasolabial folds cost $1,000-$2,000 per session and require repeat treatment every 6-18 months
Deep plane addresses nasolabial folds at their source by lifting the descended cheek tissue that creates the fold
Patient satisfaction for fold correction was pooled at 94.4% for deep plane facelifts overall (Khoury et al. 2025), not measured for folds

Frequently Asked Questions

What is deep plane facelift for nasolabial folds?
Deep plane facelift effectively reduces nasolabial folds by releasing the zygomatic ligaments and repositioning the descended malar fat pad and deep facial tissue layers. Unlike dermal fillers that temporarily mask the crease, or superficial techniques that only tighten skin, the deep plane approach lifts the underlying structures that cause the fold. This addresses the root cause of nasolabial deepening, providing natural-looking correction that is long-lasting.
Can deep plane facelift completely eliminate nasolabial folds?
Deep plane facelift significantly reduces nasolabial fold depth but does not completely eliminate them, nor should it. Nasolabial folds are a natural anatomic feature present even in young faces — they are the boundary between the cheek and upper lip. The goal of surgery is to restore the fold to its youthful depth by lifting the descended malar fat pad back to its original position. The fold is softened rather than erased, for a refreshed appearance rather than an unnaturally flat midface; how much it softens has not been measured in a study we can cite.
Is deep plane facelift better than fillers for nasolabial folds?
Deep plane facelift and fillers address nasolabial folds through fundamentally different mechanisms. Fillers (typically hyaluronic acid such as Hyaluronic acid filler or Hyaluronic acid filler) add volume to the crease itself, temporarily masking the fold for 6-18 months. Deep plane facelift lifts the descended cheek tissue that creates the fold; how long the correction lasts has not been measured in a study we can cite. For patients with significant midface descent, fillers alone can create a pillow-faced appearance without addressing the underlying problem. However, fillers remain appropriate for mild folds or as a complement to surgical correction.
What anatomy causes nasolabial folds to deepen with age?
Nasolabial folds deepen due to three primary anatomic changes: descent of the malar (cheek) fat pad as the zygomatic ligaments weaken, loss of bony volume in the maxilla and piriform aperture (the skeleton literally shrinks), and thinning of the dermis with reduced collagen and elastin. The malar fat pad, which sits over the cheekbone in youth, slides downward and medially with gravity, piling up above the nasolabial crease. This fat pad descent is the single largest contributor to fold deepening and is precisely what the deep plane technique corrects.
How long until nasolabial fold improvement is visible after deep plane facelift?
Initial improvement in nasolabial fold depth is visible immediately after surgery, even through the swelling. However, the midface area tends to swell more than other facial zones because the malar fat pad is being repositioned. Significant swelling subsides by 3-4 weeks. The full result — including complete resolution of deeper tissue edema — becomes apparent at 3-6 months. Patients should expect the nasolabial region to be the last area to fully settle.
Are fillers or facelift better for nasolabial folds?
For mild nasolabial folds in patients under 45, dermal fillers ($1,000-$2,000 per session, lasting 6-18 months) are often sufficient. For moderate to deep folds in patients over 45, deep plane facelift addresses the root cause — descended cheek fat pads — rather than adding volume, and the correction is long-lasting, though aging continues. A cost comparison shows fillers cost $10,000-$20,000 over 10 years with diminishing returns, while a single deep plane facelift ($35,000–$300,000 in the US, typically $35,000–$75,000) repositions the tissue once.
Can nasolabial folds come back after deep plane facelift?
Nasolabial folds gradually return over the years as the natural aging process continues after deep plane facelift. The correction is structural, because the cheek fat pad is repositioned rather than filled, but aging continues from the new baseline. How much improvement remains at a given year has not been measured in a study we can cite.

Medical References

  1. 01
    Hamra ST. The deep-plane rhytidectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1990;86(1):53-61(se deschide într-o filă nouă)(Articol de Jurnal)Accesat: 2026-03-21DOI: 10.1097/00006534-199007000-00008
  2. 02
    Guyuron B, et al. Factors contributing to the facial aging of identical twins. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2009;123(4):1321-1331(se deschide într-o filă nouă)(Studiu de Cercetare)Accesat: 2026-03-21DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e31819c4d42
  3. 03
    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(se deschide într-o filă nouă)(Articol de Jurnal)Accesat: 2026-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.cps.2018.06.007
  4. 04
    Levin M, Frankel A. Thirty Years of Deep Plane Facelifts: Characterizing Outcomes and Longevity. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2026;28(5):482-487(se deschide într-o filă nouă)(Articol de Jurnal)Accesat: 2026-09-23DOI: 10.1177/26893614261422044
Citează această paginăCC-BY 4.0
DEEPPLANE™ Echipa editorială (2026). Deep Plane Facelift for Nasolabial Folds. DEEPPLANE™. Preluat de la https://deepplane.com/what-is-deep-plane-facelift/nasolabial-folds

Conținut licențiat CC-BY 4.0. Liber de partajat cu atribuire către DEEPPLANE™.

More Resources

→ Marionette Lines→ Jowl Treatment→ Natural-Looking Results→ How Long Do Results Last?
→ Recovery Guide→ Before & After Results→ View Surgeon Profiles

Common Misconceptions

Myth: Fillers are the best treatment for nasolabial folds

Fact: While fillers provide temporary improvement, deep plane facelift addresses the underlying tissue descent for lasting correction.

Myth: Nasolabial folds cannot be significantly improved

Fact: Deep plane technique can dramatically improve nasolabial folds by lifting the descended cheek tissue that creates them.

Myth: Treating nasolabial folds looks unnatural

Fact: Proper deep plane technique restores natural facial contours. Unnatural results come from over-filling or improper technique.

Essential Considerations

An experienced deep plane surgeon is the safest route for you

Each patient's result is unique based on their facial anatomy

Most patients return to daily activities within 2-3 weeks

Adherence to recovery guidelines shapes your outcome

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