Deep Plane Lift - would I have hair loss at the incision site?

Dear 15Di5a9n4a this is an important question, thank you!

Some temporary hair shedding near the incision line can occur after surgery, especially around the temples or behind the ears, but permanent hair loss is uncommon when the incisions are designed carefully. Modern facelift techniques place the incisions along natural hairlines and tension is distributed evenly to protect hair follicles. If any thinning does occur, it usually resolves over a few months as the area heals.

As for the duration, a deep plane facelift generally takes around 4 to 6 hours, depending on whether additional procedures are done at the same time (such as a neck lift or eyelid surgery). The recovery period varies, but most patients feel comfortable returning to social activities within 2 to 3 weeks.

Be sure to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced in deep plane techniques — meticulous planning and gentle tissue handling make a big difference in healing and hair preservation.

Thank you for the question. The answer is No, assuming you see a Surgeon who is experienced and specializes in aging face surgery. During your consultation, you should ask to see photos of at least 20 results. Ask to see specific close up photos of incisions and hairlines after surgery. The reason: a meticulously performed facelift should have little or no tension on the incision at hairlines or any of the skin closure sites. Patients can experience a temporary "shock hair loss" or Telogen Effluvium, which rebounds in about 3 months. This can be stress related in the perioperative phase, but is not the norm.

Good questions!
The incision I typically use goes in front of the ear and the temporal hairline and loops under the ear and along the hairline of the neck. Hair loss is not common with this incision in my experience. The procedure itself takes around 4 hours, though can often take longer for revision surgery or in patients that have scar tissue from other procedures.
Hope this helps and best of luck!Kyle Kimura, MD

You may get some hair loss temporarily near the incision from "shock" loss but it should grow back. I would discuss this specifically with your surgeon at your consultation as there are methods to help with this. For how many hours, it depends on if you are doing other procedures as well as how much "work" needs to be done.

Baldness patches and hair loss are systematically sourced in over tension at the skin during facelift (forehead, face, neck) closure, either deep plane (the golden standard nowadays) or superficial subcutaneous facelifts.

With a meticulous surgeon who won't intent to rejuvenate you by pulling your skin (only removing the surplus and relaxing the creases) hairloss won't happen.