The tri-plane face lift dissection.

This article reviews the author's series of 750 rhytidectomies done over an eight-year period, beginning with the earlier pure Skoog technique with no subcutaneous undermining and evolving into the present technique with widespread undermining except in the lower face. The current technique, which is a tri-plane dissection, is discussed in detail. The upper face dissection is in the subcutaneous plane. The lower face dissection is in the sub-SMAS plane and the neck dissection is in the preplatysmal plane. Ways to avoid post-operative neck deformities are discussed. The conclusion is that whether one undermines the skin of the lower face or not probably makes no difference in the aesthetic results, but this technique would appear to minimize complications, particularly hematoma formation.