The most common complaint about facelift results is not that they look bad it’s that they don’t last. Skin-based techniques settle and descend as gravity continues to act on tissue that was never truly repositioned. Dr. Andrew Jacono‘s extended deep-plane facelift addresses durability at the source by moving the structures responsible for facial support, not just the skin stretched over them.
Where Conventional Techniques Fall Short
Standard SMAS facelifts tighten the superficial musculoaponeurotic system from above, creating surface tension that mimics a lifted appearance. Over time, as the underlying fat pads continue to descend and facial ligaments further relax, that tension dissipates. The result is a gradual return to an aged look, typically within six to eight years. Dr. Jacono’s method works from beneath the SMAS layer, releasing the ligaments anchoring descended tissue and repositioning midface, jawline, and neck structures vertically into their prior anatomical positions. Skin, muscle, and fat move together, restoring volume and structure rather than manufacturing tension.
Published outcome data from Dr. Andrew Jacono’s 2011 Aesthetic Surgery Journal study covering 153 patients showed complication rates consistently below industry averages: 3.9% revisions, approximately 1.9% hematomas, and 1.3% temporary facial nerve injuries. Subsequent research confirmed that deep-plane techniques carry a lower nerve injury risk than surface-level approaches, because the anatomy protecting nerve pathways remains intact during dissection.
A 12-to-15-Year Timeline
Dr. Jacono’s published results show outcomes lasting 12 to 15 years approximately double the durability of standard SMAS approaches. Incisions are about one-third as long as those required for conventional facelifts and are placed where hair or natural anatomy conceals them. Patients can wear their hair up without any visible evidence of the procedure.
Dr. Andrew Jacono conducts roughly 250 of these procedures per year and has published a 2021 medical textbook synthesizing more than 2,000 cases. Dr. Andrew Jacono technique has drawn recognition from within the surgical profession: Dr. Paul Nassif underwent the procedure with him in 2018, and fashion designer Marc Jacobs publicly credited Dr. Jacono’s work in 2021. International training programs have since spread the method to surgeons worldwide. Refer to this article for related information.
More about Dr. Andrew Jacono on https://x.com/DrJacono