McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Date posted — 12.05.25
Facelift procedures have seen a significant rise in popularity in recent years, thanks to growing awareness, advances in surgical techniques, and increasing demand for subtle, rejuvenating results. The most pivotal change has been the re-popularisation of the deep plane facelift, which has now reached consensus among surgeons as the gold standard method of performing a facelift. However, it is a more complex procedure, and most of us would prefer a quicker, easier fix, such as a mini facelift.
If you’re considering a facelift but are unsure about which treatment will deliver the best results for your needs, you’re not alone. At McKeown Medical, we understand that choosing the right facelift can feel overwhelming. In this article, we’ll break down the differences between a mini facelift and a deep plane facelift, highlight the pros and cons of each, and help guide you toward the best option for your aesthetic goals.
A deep plane facelift is an advanced surgical technique that repositions the deeper layers of facial tissue, not just the skin. This method allows for a more natural, longer-lasting result by lifting the cheeks, jawline, and neck in one comprehensive movement. Unlike traditional facelifts that are performed more superficially, a deep plane facelift avoids the “pulled” look by going deeper into the face and releasing the retaining ligaments to allow the face to be truly repositioned, rather than just stretched around the sides.
A full facelift is essentially a combination of procedures that address different aspects of facial ageing. In addition to the deep plane facelift, a full facelift will usually also include eyelid surgery (or blepharoplasty), brow lift, or lip lift surgery. This is designed to produce the most comprehensive rejuvenation of the entire face and neck.
Benefits:
Recovery:
Patients typically require two to three weeks of downtime, with swelling and bruising gradually subsiding. The full results continue to refine over several months.
A mini facelift is a less invasive version of the traditional facelift. With the mini facelift, there is much less dissection, and the lifting effect relies on placing tension in the tissues around the sides of the face.
Benefits:
Recovery:
Most patients can return to work and social activities within a week or two. However, the improvement is typically more modest and may not address deeper structural issues or neck laxity.
While a mini facelift may seem appealing due to its lower cost and shorter recovery, the lifting effect tends to be short-lived, and because the technique relies on tension being placed on the tissues, it is more likely to look pulled or stretched than the more complex deep plane technique, which focuses on releasing and repositioning the deep tissues of the face.
For patients who desire meaningful, long-term improvement, a mini facelift may not offer the scope needed to achieve their goals.
The ideal facelift technique will depend on the degree of facial ageing, your aesthetic goals, and your individual facial anatomy.
Our team can assess your facial structure and recommend the most suitable treatment plan, whether that’s surgical or non-surgical.
Choosing the right facelift procedure can be life-changing, not just in terms of appearance but also in confidence. At McKeown Medical, our highly qualified and experienced team will work closely with you to ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment tailored to your needs.
With years of expertise and a commitment to natural-looking results, we’re here to help you look and feel your best. Check out our before-and-after gallery to see real patient transformations after their facelift treatment journey.
Ready to find out which facelift is right for you?
At McKeown Medical, we can help get you the results you are looking for. Book a consultation today to discuss our available treatment options and get advice on how to move forward to get the look you want.
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Here’s another gorgeous upper blepharoplasty result from our phenomenal surgeon, @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is 62 years old and came to us for upper eyelid surgery just 2.5 months ago. Russell performed the procedure while she was awake with just a few numbing injections. Here at the clinic we can offer facial surgery with local anaesthetic for those who want to remain awake, or with deep sedation for anyone who’d prefer to sleep throughout (without the downsides of general anaesthetic!)
Thank you to this patient for allowing us to share her fabulous result - her scars are already settling beautifully and will continue to fade over the next 12 months.
What do you think?
Our resident superstar breast surgery expert Dr Kavita was asked to talk about trends in breast surgery on BBC Radio Scotland today. This was Kavita’s first ever live interview and we thought she nailed it!
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And this is why combination treatments always win!
This lovely patient is in her 50s and was noticing all of the classic signs of ageing. She was starting to see some jowls forming, the neck was becoming more saggy and she felt she was looking tired.
At this stage in the ageing process it is not one thing that is responsible for causing the tired expression, its a combination of changes that are working together which is why we need a combination of treatments to target it effectively.
We did some sofwave treatment first to tighten the skin on the face and neck. Sofwave is very effective at tightening the skin, but remember: the skin is only the outer layer of the face, so we supported the treatment with some volume replacement in the deeper layers.
I decided to post her selfie style before and afters as well as her clinical pictures so you can see how it looks in real life, as well as the clinical up-close detail. The patient is over the moon with her results.
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Here is another beautifully balanced deep plane face and neck lift by the skilful @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The deep plane technique, as the name suggests, works at a deeper level, repositioning the underlying structures of the face and neck rather than simply tightening the skin. By addressing the deeper tissues, we can restore more natural proportions, refine the jawline, and create a smoother, more defined contour beneath the chin - especially when the patient moves or bends their neck forward.
To achieve this impressive improvement in the neck, even in flexion, Russell reduced the deep fat (from under the muscle), trimmed and shaped the salivary glands and reconstructed the muscles of the neck to create a rejuvenated result. This is a much more sophisticated procedure compared with a standard face and neck lift.
At just 2 months post-op, her result is already beautifully balanced. The jawline is sharper, the neck more sculpted, and everything sits in harmony with the rest of her features. Scars are settling well and will continue to soften over time.
She may choose to refine things further with laser resurfacing for skin quality and subtle volume restoration in the mid-face, but even at this stage, the transformation speaks for itself.
Thank you to our patient for allowing us to share her journey.
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Thank you to this lovely patient for allowing us to share her beautiful result from the talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is just 2.5 months after upper eyelid surgery, and already looking incredibly fresh and natural. The scars are settling very well and will continue to soften over the coming months.
The incisions are carefully placed within the natural eyelid crease, making them very difficult to see once healed. Excess skin has been removed to open up the eye area, while maintaining a soft, natural appearance.
A small amount of muscle was reduced at the outer part of the eyelid to address hooding, without affecting the central area. This helps preserve a youthful fullness above the eye. There has also been a conservative reduction of the lateral brow fat to further refine the contour. This highly tailored, bespoke approach to surgery is the attention to detail that lies at the heart of our clinic’s approach and philosophy.
As with many patients, her anatomy meant these changes developed earlier than expected. In the right cases, surgery at a younger age can deliver a subtle but very impactful improvement.
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Happy Easter from our excited little bunnies 🐣🐰
Thank you to our lovely patient for allowing us to share these photos.
This is just 4 weeks after her first session (of three) with Juläine and we’re already starting to see a soft return of fullness and improvement in skin quality.
Juläine is not a traditional filler. It works by stimulating your body’s own collagen production, gradually restoring structure, firmness and elasticity from within.
This is just the beginning. As collagen continues to rebuild over the coming weeks and months, results will become more noticeable with improved support, smoother contours and a natural, refreshed appearance.
The patient is delighted with her progress so far. What do you think?
And this is why HA fillers have never gone out of fashion in our practice!
This lovely patient had all the classic signs of volume loss in her face and there is no other non-surgical treatment that can address this quite as quickly, effectively and non-invasively as HA filler. Of course, it needs to be carefully and sensitively applied.
This patient had a total of 10mls of HA as well as some wrinkle relaxing on the upper face. She is delighted with her restoration. What do you think?
Upper eyelid surgery isn’t just for ageing eyes! Some patients naturally have excess upper eyelid skin from a young age due to their anatomy, like this 29-year-old patient who had a congenital upper eyelid fold and recently underwent an upper blepharoplasty with the ever-talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The excess eyelid skin rested directly on her eyelashes, causing irritation and a persistent feeling of heaviness around the eyes which had been bothering her for several years. Upper eyelid surgery can address both functional symptoms and aesthetic concerns, helping patients achieve a lighter, more open eye appearance.
This patient is just 7 weeks after surgery. At this early stage of healing the scars are still maturing and in younger patients this process can take slightly longer. The incision is placed within the natural eyelid crease and as healing progresses the scar typically fades and becomes extremely difficult to see, often blending into the natural eyelid fold.
She`s delighted with the results so far, and we`re grateful to her for allowing us to share her results with you.
What do you think?