Most Portland patients who reach out about a facelift share the same quiet worry: they don’t want to look “done.” They want to look rested and natural, and they want to look like themselves.
Kiya Movassaghi, MD, FACS is a nationally-respected board-certified plastic surgeon and clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at OHSU in Portland. He has practiced in Eugene, Oregon for more than two decades, and he is one of the top surgeons in the Pacific Northwest with the specialized training and years of experience to offer durable and natural-looking facelifts using techniques like the deep plane facelift. For the majority of his facelift patients, he uses a version of this technique, with a plan that is completely customized based on your goals.
While a more surface-level SMAS technique may be appropriate for a narrower group of candidates, most patients get the most natural-looking result with deeper adjustments.
In this post, Dr. Movassaghi explains the two techniques, and how he works with patients to craft the ideal surgical plan to meet their goals.
What the SMAS Layer Is
Every facelift technique (even deep plane) interacts with the same anatomical structure: the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, or SMAS. This is the fibrous, muscular layer sitting just beneath the skin and fat, connecting the muscles of facial expression to the deeper structures of the face. As your face ages, the SMAS layer loses tone and descends along with the skin.
How a Traditional SMAS Facelift Works
A traditional SMAS facelift lifts and tightens this layer, either by folding it onto itself (plication) or trimming and repositioning it, then re-draping the skin over the top. It was the industry standard for decades and can still produce a worthwhile improvement for patients with certain milder signs of aging.
Its limitation is that it works from the surface, tightening the layer in place rather than releasing and repositioning it, which is why results tend to be more modest and shorter-lived than other techniques can achieve.
How a Deep Plane Facelift Differs
A deep plane facelift works on the other side of that same SMAS layer, and it’s the technique Dr. Movassaghi opts for whenever a patient’s anatomy calls for it. Rather than tightening the SMAS from the surface, he releases the key retaining ligaments anchoring the cheeks and jawline to deeper facial structures, then repositions the SMAS, fat, and skin together as one connected unit.
Because the tissues move as a single layer instead of being pulled tight from the top, the lift follows the face’s natural vertical vector rather than stretching skin sideways. That’s a large part of why a well-executed deep plane facelift result avoids the tight, “pulled” look that worries so many patients, and why Dr. Movassaghi utilizes this level of lift for most patients seeking a noteworthy, lasting change.
Where Dr. Movassaghi’s Deep Plane Facelift Goes Further
This deeper release gives Dr. Movassaghi more targeted control over areas a surface-level lift cannot reach as effectively:
- Midface volume and position
- Nasolabial folds
- Jawline definition and the jawline-to-neck transition
- Deep-set jowling driven by ligament laxity, not just excess skin
These are the areas that show facial aging most clearly, and exactly where Dr. Movassaghi’s deep plane technique makes the greatest difference.
SMAS vs. Deep Plane Facelifts: Satisfaction, Longevity, and Recovery
Both techniques are well-established, effective procedures, and which one is right depends on anatomy, degree of aging, and goals.
Satisfaction and Complication Rates
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, pooling outcomes from 21 studies and nearly 2,900 patients, found deep plane facelifts had a patient-reported satisfaction rate of 94.4%, compared with 87.8% for SMAS facelifts.
“My mom used Dr. Movassaghi for a face lift, eyelid lift, and brow lift last year and she looks AMAZING at 60 years old. She absolutely loves her results and loves this office and everyone in it.””
Longevity
On longevity, Dr. Movassaghi has found in his own clinical experience that patients who have the deep plane approach for moderate to advanced aging tend to see their results hold up well over time, particularly through the midface, because the underlying structures have been repositioned rather than simply tightened.
Which Approach Fits Which Patient
- Dr. Movassaghi recommends a version of the deep plane approach for most patients, particularly those with moderate to advanced midface descent, deeper nasolabial folds, or jowling, and for anyone who wants the most complete, longest-lasting correction available.
- A SMAS facelift remains an option for a narrower group: patients with genuinely mild, early aging.
The patterns above are a starting point, but Dr. Movassaghi will evaluate your tissues and help you learn which options can meet your goals during your consultation.
Serving the Greater Portland Area
Finding a surgeon who performs a highly customized, natural-looking deep plane facelift doesn’t mean traveling out of state. Dr. Movassaghi regularly serves patients throughout the Portland metro area, including Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and the wider Willamette Valley.
The first step doesn’t require an in-person visit at all. Dr. Movassaghi offers virtual consultations, so Portland-area patients can discuss their goals and anatomy with him directly before deciding whether to move forward with an in-person evaluation.
Dr. Movassaghi’s Approach: Matching Technique to Your Anatomy
You may be surprised to learn that Dr. Movassaghi’s consultations do not typically focus on the deep plane approach because most facelifts involve adjustments to the deeper retaining ligaments.
Instead, he discusses facelifts based on a three-level facelift system he developed after many years of asking patients to show him in front of a mirror what they want to see lifted and tightened: Patients may pull up the neck skin and jawline, which often means they need only an isolated neck lift (level I). Or, you may want to see comprehensive lifting in the lower-face, cheek, and neck (level III). NewBeauty has featured this individualized approach as part of a broader look at what separates good facelift results from exceptional ones.
Within that system, the deep plane is his default recommendation whenever a patient’s anatomy supports it, and he reserves the more limited SMAS technique for the smaller group of patients whose goals and anatomy match the technique’s potential.
- Read more: New Beauty: Dr. Movassaghi’s 3-Level Facelift Is ‘Redefining the Field of Facial Rejuvenation’
Dr. Movassaghi’s recommendations are grounded in extensive surgical training and experience.
- Board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
- Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons (FACS)
- Past President of The Aesthetic Society, the leading national organization for surgeons focused on cosmetic plastic surgery of the face and body
- Medical and surgical training at Harvard Medical School
- More than 20 years performing facelifts in the Eugene area
Dr. Kiya Movassaghi is a board-certified plastic surgeon with 20+ years of experience. He is nationally respected and has served as President of The Aesthetic Society. With his extensive surgical expertise and an exceptional aesthetic eye, he helps patients achieve stunning, natural-looking results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule a consultation, in person or virtual, with Kiya Movassaghi, MD, FACS at Movassaghi Plastic Surgery & Ziba Medical Spa by calling 541-686-8700 or requesting an appointment online, and learn more about his deep plane facelift approach for Portland-area patients.
