Facelift & Neck Lift

The essence of a good facelift is therefore:

restoring sagging volume to its original position, without adding extra volume.

That is exactly what a deep-plane facelift makes possible. By working beneath the SMAS layer, the natural suspension points can be released and the tissue can be moved upward and backward as a single unit. This improves the jawline, neck, and cheek contours in an anatomically correct way.

The goal is not to remove every fine line, but to restore harmony and balance to the face. A few age-appropriate wrinkles are not bothersome at all.

A so-called mini-lift is usually a skin-only lift: the skin is loosened, pulled tight, and excess skin is removed. That sounds appealing—less invasive, faster recovery—but the effect is often limited and temporary.

Because the skin is elastic, it gradually stretches again over time. Moreover, a skin-only lift does not address the true sagging, which can make the result look tight, unnatural, or distorted. To achieve a visible effect, a lot of tension often has to be placed on the skin, which increases the risk of wider scars and wound-healing problems.

Deep-plane facelift: the most advanced technique for a safe and natural-looking result that you can truly enjoy for a long time

With a deep-plane facelift, the fixed SMAS zone in front of the ear is bypassed in the subcutaneous plane, and the fascial layer is opened at the level of the sagging zone. From there, the tissue beneath the SMAS can be further released and repositioned as a whole.

This has several advantages:

the true problem area can be reached
the effect is stronger and more natural
the result is long-lasting (often 10–15 years)
the volume moves with the lift, instead of being flattened

At Gooimeer Clinics, we almost always treat the face and neck in combination. A facelift without addressing the neck rarely gives a harmonious result. A deep neck lift is therefore a standard part of our deep-plane facelift.

Dr. Wouter van der Pot and Dr. Kalam Ahmed have continued to refine their deep-plane facelift and neck lift technique over the past 15 years. Through intensive international training, ongoing education, and extensive operative experience, they strive for a result that is safe, natural, and durable.

The starting point is always the same: you should not look “operated on,” but like yourself again—relaxed and in balance.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia. You stay in the clinic for one night for observation. The next morning, the pressure dressing is removed and you go home with a supportive facial garment, antibiotics, and pain relief.

Recovery differs per person, but in general:

after 3–4 weeks you are socially presentable again
after ±12 weeks you are largely recovered
we only assess the final result after about one year, when the scars have fully matured as well

The procedure is generally not extremely painful, but it can be uncomfortable during the first few days due to swelling and a stiff neck.

Every operation carries risks, including a facelift. Fortunately, serious complications are exceptionally rare with an experienced facelift surgeon.

Possible complications include:

Bleeding (hematoma), usually within the first 24 hours
Infection, rare and usually treatable
Neuropraxia: temporary loss of function or weakness of a facial nerve. This may sound scary, but it is generally not a major issue; the main nerve branches lie deep and are essentially never a problem. There are two smaller branches that lie more superficially and can be bruised more easily during surgery because they run over a small “edge” of tissue; one runs along the jawline to the lower lip, and the other (much rarer) runs over the cheekbone margin toward the forehead. In about 1 in 30 patients, you may see that, for example, one side of the lower lip moves slightly differently than the other side. This is not a problem; it ALWAYS resolves spontaneously, in most cases within a few weeks and at most within 6 weeks.

During the consultation, we discuss these risks in depth and with complete openness.

Wrinkles are folds in the skin that arise from repeated movement. They can often be treated well with Botox or fillers. But you cannot solve tissue sagging that way. That is why the term liquid facelift is misleading: injectables cannot perform a true lift.

In fact, trying to camouflage sagging by adding more and more volume often leads to an unnatural appearance. The volume has usually not disappeared, but has descended. If you add volume higher up without repositioning it, you eventually create a distorted look in which someone no longer recognizes themselves.