The Complete Facelift Guide
The Custom Facelift
Your Face Is Not a Template
That is the difference between a facelift that looks “done” and one that simply looks like you, years earlier. Addressing every region in harmony is the art of the facelift. The deep plane technique is the science that makes it possible. Dr. Gregory Lynam builds each procedure at the meeting point of the two.
Facelift Case Studies
Real Patients of Dr. Lynam
Facelift · Front View
Facelift + Brow & Eyelids · Front View
Individual results vary.
First, How Your Face Is Aging
Two faces the same age can need very different plans, because faces age in two very different directions.
The accumulation pattern. Some faces grow heavier with time. Fat accumulates, features soften and thicken, the jawline blurs, the neck fills in. Here the custom plan is about removing and repositioning, refining the neck, redefining the jawline, letting the underlying structure show again.
The depletion pattern. Other faces deflate. Volume is lost, cheeks flatten, the midface hollows, skin outpaces the support beneath it and begins to sag and fold. Here the plan is about restoring and re-draping, lifting and repositioning the deeper layers, and often restoring lost volume, so the face looks rested rather than pulled.
Most faces are a mix, and each region can lean its own way. The neck is a clear example: a full, heavy neck (excess fat and fullness) and a loose, lax neck (slack skin and platysmal banding) are different problems that call for different solutions.
The first job of a great facelift consult is not choosing an operation. It’s reading your face and naming what’s actually happening.
The Regions of the Face, Addressed in Unison
Neck
The frame for the whole result. Full vs lax neck; deep plane addresses the platysma and deeper structures, not just the skin.
Jowls & Lower Face
Where the jawline is won or lost. Repositioning the deeper layer restores a clean, defined jaw.
Midface & Cheeks
Descent and deflation. Lifting the midface, and restoring volume where needed, is what makes a result read as rested, not tight.
Brow & Forehead
Frames the eyes. A heavy brow can undo good work below it. See our brow lift page.
Eyes
Upper and lower eyelids. The eyes are almost always part of a full-face plan; a lifted face around tired eyes looks unfinished. See eyelid surgery.
Skin
A facelift repositions structure; it does not fix skin quality. Texture, tone, and fine lines are addressed with CO2 skin resurfacing as the finishing layer.
Why Deep Plane
By releasing those ligaments and repositioning the deeper layer and skin as one unit, the lift sits on structure rather than surface. That single difference is what separates it from the facelifts most people picture.
Longer-lasting. The support layer holds where skin alone would not.
More complete. It reaches the midface and neck that skin-only lifts can’t.
Deep plane is more demanding of the surgeon, which is exactly why the surgeon matters.
Your Custom Plan
Built Around Your Face
Because every face is different, Dr. Lynam designs each procedure around you: which regions to address, which techniques, and in what combination.
A plan may pair the facelift with a neck lift, brow lift, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), and CO2 laser resurfacing, staged for a single harmonious result. Every surgery is performed at the accredited Stony Point Surgery Center, so your care stays in one place, start to finish.
How Much Does a Deep Plane Facelift Cost
In Richmond, Virginia?
There isn’t one price, because there isn’t one procedure. Cost depends on which regions your plan addresses, which techniques are used, and whether the facelift is combined with a neck lift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, or laser resurfacing. Quoting a single number before reading your face would be guessing.
You’ll receive a specific, itemized quote at your consultation, once you and Dr. Lynam have decided on your plan. It covers the surgeon’s fee, the accredited surgery center, and anesthesia, so there are no surprises.
Financing is available through PatientFi, CareCredit, and Cherry, with monthly payment options for qualified applicants.
Is a Deep Plane Facelift Right for You?
Good candidates are generally healthy, have realistic goals, and are bothered by sagging in the midface, jowls, or neck that non-surgical treatments can no longer address. If you're not there yet, non-surgical options can buy time.
As with any surgical procedure, a facelift carries risks and requires recovery time. Dr. Lynam will review both with you in detail before you decide on anything.
The honest first step is a conversation. In a consultation, Dr. Lynam reads your face region by region, names what's happening, and shows you what a custom plan would, and would not, change.
Facelift Videos
A Facelift Patient's Story
Another Patient's Facelift Experience
Should You Tell Others You Had Plastic Surgery?
Inside Richmond Surgical Arts
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a deep plane facelift different from a traditional facelift?
Will I look pulled or unnatural?
Can it be combined with a neck lift, eyes, or laser?
How much does a facelift cost in Richmond?
Your Face, Read Honestly
One consultation. A region-by-region read of your face, a plan built for it, and straight answers about what surgery would and would not change.
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