Ponytail vs traditional Deep Plane?

After 35 years in practice I can assure you that’s all wordplay that means nothing. If I had a dollar for every cute name somebody gives to their “special” facelift I could retire. Remember the lifestyle lift? Went out of business. Find a good reputable plastic surgeon known for doing good facelifts. Then let the surgeon give you recommendations.

The ponytail facelift gets its name from the incision location and length. Keep in mind surgeons can call a procedure by whatever name they wish. No matter what the surgeon might call a procedure, you (the patient) need to be sure of the technique and amount of dissection that is being performed. Surgeons that perform many facelift procedures and get consistent excellent results often use deep plane facelift technique (dissecting within the "deep plane", underneath the SMAS layer) even on so called mini facelift procedures and ponytail facelift procedures. You are right that deep plane may be the gold standard. Although, depending on the degree of aging, you may not need a "traditional" deep plane facelift. Sometimes a less invasive approach is most appropriate. A good surgeon will educate you during the consult and help choose the correct procedure to achieve your desired results.