Is a Deep Plane Lower Facelift potentially more dangerous without the use of drains?

The simple answer is that it doesn't really matter. Either a drain or glue can help to keep a hematoma from forming after a facelift. It doesn't matter if it is deep plane or not - the above techniques are for blood that accumulates in the subcutaneous plane. If properly performed there will be a very low risk of hematoma with either the drain or glue technique. Most important is finding a qualified, experienced facelift surgeon to do your procedure.

Great question! Most surgeons choose to use or not use drains based on their training. As far as I can tell, it's about half and half. Some use drains and some do not. I trained without the use of drains and have never used a drain on a facelift, including SMAS facelift, mini facelift and deep plane facelift. I use fibrin glue and a standard facelift dressing on every case. I have a high volume facelift practice and do a large amount of deep plane facelift and SMAS facelift. In my experience, this approach works well and I've not personally experienced any issues without the drains or with use of fibrin glue. Occasionally, we see a small seroma (fluid collection under the skin) on the first postop day. This is easily treated with aspiration with a small needle. Keep in mind this is one surgeons experience and opinion. I hope it's helpful to you. Thank you again for your great question.
Kind regards,
Dr. Harmych

Any of the things you mentioned are used by some surgeons and not by others. I don’t use drains but there is nothing wrong with using them. I do t see the need for fibrin glue. Drains or no drains should be low on your list of priorities for selecting a surgeon.

In our practice for over 25 years, we have used drains after a facelift procedure. They work much better than pressure bandages. There's no danger using drains. They help prevent a hematoma, seroma, and significantly reduce the amount of bruising and swelling after a facelift procedure. Depending upon the person, the drains are usually removed the next day