Dr. Andrew Jacono’s Facelift Method Anatomy, Data, and Lasting Results

Facial aging is not primarily a skin problem. Over time, fat pads descend, facial ligaments stretch, and bone structure changes, all of which shift the underlying architecture that gives a face its youthful proportions. Treatments that address only the skin’s surface treat the symptom rather than the source. This is the clinical argument behind the extended deep-plane facelift, a technique built on the premise that durable rejuvenation requires working at the structural level.

Dr. Andrew Jacono developed the technique in the early 2000s after recognizing that conventional facelift outcomes were limited by their approach. Standard methods separate skin from deeper tissue layers, tighten only the surface, and produce results that fade in several years while often looking artificial. His method works beneath the SMAS layer, releasing ligaments holding tissue in a descended position and repositioning the full composite structure of skin, muscle, and fat as a single unit.

Research Grounds the Clinical Claims

Dr. Andrew Jacono published the foundational peer-reviewed study on his technique in Aesthetic Surgery Journal in 2011, drawing on outcomes from 153 patients. The data were specific: 3.9% revision rate, approximately 1.9% hematoma rate, and 1.3% temporary facial nerve injury rate, all below typical benchmarks for facelift procedures. Later research validated that deep-plane dissection carries lower facial nerve risk than superficial techniques, since the approach preserves anatomical relationships and blood supply throughout the procedure.

Scale, Refinement, and Knowledge Transfer

Performing approximately 250 extended deep-plane facelifts each year gives Dr. Jacono a case volume that supports continuous refinement. Over 2,000 procedures provided the foundation for his 2021 textbook, The Art and Science of Extended Deep Plane Facelifting, which now serves as a technical reference for surgeons adopting the method. Results from the technique last 12 to 15 years, about twice the duration of standard SMAS facelifts. Fashion designer Marc Jacobs publicly acknowledged Dr. Andrew Jacono as his surgeon in 2021, citing the natural appearance of his results. Fellow plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Nassif chose Dr. Jacono for his own procedure in 2018, a decision that speaks to the technique’s standing among those best positioned to evaluate it. Refer to this article to learn more.

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