{"id":241174,"date":"2026-01-19T18:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T18:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/241174\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T18:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T18:15:07","slug":"kris-jenner-deep-plane-facelift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/241174\/","title":{"rendered":"Kris Jenner & Deep Plane Facelift"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWhen 70-year-old Kris Jenner<\/a> unveiled her fresh 40-year-old face last spring, she didn\u2019t just catapult her New York-based plastic surgeon, Steven Levine, to stardom. The momager also almost single-handedly ignited a worldwide facelift frenzy that has helped normalize the chatter around cosmetic surgery. Did-she (or he)-or-didn\u2019t-she threads pop up after nearly every celebrity appearance, from Bradley Cooper, who recently addressed rumors on SmartLess, to such ageless paragons as Julia Roberts, Fran Drescher and Minnie Driver and even more youthful stars like Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence at the Golden Globes.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith Jenner, however, there\u2019s been debate around the exact type of facelift performed by Levine. He is known for a hybrid approach of SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System) and deep plane. But what\u2019s certain is that deep plane now reigns as the overwhelming favorite of the two dominant facial-rejuvenation techniques, especially in and around Beverly Hills.<\/p>\n

\n\tFellow board-certified plastic surgeons Ritu Chopra and Marc Mani break down the differences between the two approaches. \u201cThe SMAS is the thin but strong layer just beneath the skin,\u201d Chopra tells THR. \u201cA SMAS facelift lifts and tightens this layer by folding or plicating it, improving jowls and lower-face laxity, but provides a more surface-level correction.\u201d Among its selling points is that it\u2019s a quicker surgery with a shorter recovery, but Chopra specifies that it doesn\u2019t address the midface, and the results don\u2019t last as long as a deep plane facelift. Adds Mani: \u201cBecause a significant amount of skin is also separated from the underlying tissue, blood supply can be cut off, and this is what you want to preserve for proper healing and to avoid complications.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDeep plane goes, well, deeper. \u201cIt requires more work, but the results are more natural because we\u2019re lifting from the deeper structural layers, not just the skin,\u201d says Mani. \u201cWe go beneath the SMAS and release the ligaments \u2014 bands of connective tissue that anchor the skin to the underlying bone or deeper tissues \u2014 which is the hallmark of the procedure. By bringing up all the layers of the face back where they used to be and with less tension, we restore lost volume and youthful contours to the cheeks, jawline and neck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFor many surgeons, the advantages of deep plane are hard to argue with. \u201cHaving performed both, I love the deep plane and will not be going back to the SMAS,\u201d says renowned facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Babak Azizzadeh. There\u2019s a difference in longevity, too. \u201cOn average, SMAS [effects last] eight to 10 years\u00a0and deep plane 10 to 15 years,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs demand for facial overhauls soars in Hollywood and elsewhere, surgeons have raised their fees dramatically. Not long ago, typical prices ranged from $50,000 to $75,000. Mani says he now charges up to $250,000 for full-face rejuvenation. In justifying the exorbitant rate, Mani emphasizes the difficulty of the procedure: \u201cFacelifts are a right-brain surgery, and you\u2019re thinking with your hands,\u201d he says. \u201cThis is hard to teach as it\u2019s inherent, it\u2019s in your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHeaps of other costs are baked into the price. \u201cThere\u2019s the prestigious Beverly Hills office space, the staff and surgery center, various insurances, the latest and greatest tools and technology, and higher-level incision protocols,\u201d says Alana Ungvari, co-founder of LA Beauty Connect, a plastic surgery<\/a> consultancy and concierge company. \u201cThese are all investments,\u00a0and a facelift is not a one-and-done appointment \u2014 you\u2019ll have a year\u2019s worth of follow-up appointments, which are all included.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHigher prices don\u2019t automatically mean better work. Says Julie Obst, co-founder of LA Beauty Connect: \u201cSome of our clients pay upward of $150,000, and some pay between $35,000 and $60,000, and we can\u2019t say one facelift is necessarily better than the other.\u201d In other words, don\u2019t be discouraged by eye-popping fees.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs with any luxury purchase, many fixate on the label and bragging rights of facial restoration. \u201cIt\u2019s like paying for a Birkin bag,\u201d adds Obst. \u201cSome people want to be able to say, \u2018I went to so-and-so.\u2019 \u201d Several surgeons have even adorned their deep plane techniques with catchy names \u2014 because nothing says expensive and exclusive like a facelift with its own trademarked brand.<\/p>\n

\n\t***<\/p>\n

\t\tHollywood\u2019s Deep Plane Da Vincis\t<\/p>\n

\n\tMeet the celebrity-approved plastic\u202fsurgery artistes at the forefront of facelift revolution.<\/p>\n

\n\tDr. Babak Azizzadeh<\/a>
Double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and president-elect, American Academy of Facial Plastic + Reconstructive Surgery
Years in practice 23
Deep plane brand name None. (\u201cThis isn\u2019t a cookie-cutter surgery.\u201d)\u00a0
Price Between $120,000 and $180,000 depending on the complexity. Azizzadeh also specializes in highly intricate facial nerve procedures.
Consultation fee $500
Facelifts performed per month Eight
Expert advice \u201cThere is no right age to have a facelift. Timing, approach and your recovery journey are all personal decisions to be made by you and your surgeon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDr. Ritu Chopra<\/a>
Board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Years in practice 15-plus\u00a0
Deep plane brand name DEFINE Deep Plane Facelift Price Between $75,000 and $125,000, \u201cdepending on anatomy, and if they had a facelift, threads, Sculptra or filler in the past.\u201d\u00a0
Consultation fee $500
Facelifts performed per month 12 to 15
Expert advice \u201cTake it with a grain of salt when doctors say they have a year waiting list; it\u2019s not usually the\u00a0case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDr. Marc Mani<\/a>
Board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Years in practice 25-plus
Deep plane brand name TCF\u202fLift (open procedure), Scarless Lift (endoscopic procedure)
Price Up to $250,000, including his MIST procedure
Consultation fee $1,000
Facelifts performed per month Eight to 10
Expert advice \u201cPatients should ask a lot of questions, and no surgeon should mind that. If a doctor doesn\u2019t like questions, it\u2019s a red flag.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDr. Hedyeh Ziai<\/a>
Board-certified facial plastic surgeon
Years in Practice Two and a half\u00a0
Deep plane brand name AuraLyft (coined by maestro Dr. Ben Talei, under whom she trained)
Price $35,000 to $45,000
Consultation fee $175
Facelifts performed per month Five to seven
Expert advice \u201cDo a deep dive into the surgeon\u2019s before and afters and keep in mind your friend\u2019s surgeon may not be the right fit for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDr. Allen Foulad<\/a>
Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon\u00a0
Years in practice Eight
Deep plane brand name None
Price From $60,000 \u2014 \u201cwith the final cost depending on complexity and adjunct procedures.\u201d
Consultation fee $300
Facelifts performed per month 12
Expert advice \u201cIt\u2019s unusual for me to operate on someone under 45. I politely decline if there isn\u2019t enough laxity to justify the surgery.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tThis story appeared in the Jan. 15 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n