Beverly Hills Facelift Surgery

A facelift should look like nothing happened — except that you appear rested, balanced, and years younger. That result depends far less on the name of a technique than on a surgeon’s command of facial anatomy and the depth at which the lift is performed. The deeper, structural approach is what separates a natural, lasting rejuvenation from a tight or short-lived one.

Dr. Ben Talei is a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon who has published extensively on deep plane face and neck lifting in the field’s leading peer-reviewed journals and teaches the technique to surgeons internationally. He completed his residency in head and neck surgery at Columbia University, Cornell University, and New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he served as chief resident under renowned facial plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Pearlman, followed by two separate fellowships in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Today he serves as an International Professor of facial plastic surgery, and his work on the anatomy and mechanics of the deep plane has helped define how the procedure is performed. You can read more about Dr. Talei.

A Facelift Grounded in Published Anatomy

Most facelift marketing relies on adjectives. Dr. Talei’s approach is documented in the surgical literature. His paper on the detailed anatomy of the deep plane of the face and neck helped standardize how the field describes these tissue layers, and his vectorial analysis of deep plane face and neck lifting examined the precise direction of lift that produces natural repositioning rather than a pulled appearance. His research on refinements to the extended deep plane technique focuses on improving safety and outcomes in exactly the layer where aging occurs. For patients, this means the technique used on your face is not improvised — it is studied, measured, and taught.

“The name of a lift means very little. What matters is whether the surgeon releases and repositions the deep structures correctly. Get the anatomy right, and the result looks like you, only younger.” — Dr. Ben Talei

What Is the AuraLyft Deep Plane Facelift?

The AuraLyft is Dr. Talei’s signature deep plane facelift, performed using his SMART lift technique — Superior Movement and Repositioning Throughout lift, a modified and extended deep plane approach. Rather than tightening surface skin, it releases the retaining ligaments beneath the SMAS (the superficial musculoaponeurotic system) and repositions the deeper tissues along a vertical vector, lifting the midface and cheeks, softening the folds around the nose and mouth, and refining the jawline and neck in a single, integrated movement. The skin is then redraped over the newly supported foundation without tension.

This deep plane approach is what allows the lift to do more than treat the neck and jaw. Because it elevates and restores midface volume from within, many patients achieve the fullness that other surgeons attempt to recreate with fat grafting. Incisions are placed within hidden, minimal-access lines that preserve the natural hairline and sideburn, and the procedure can often be performed comfortably under local anesthesia as an awake, painless facelift.

Facelift Techniques Tailored to the Individual

No single lift suits every face or every stage of aging. Dr. Talei selects and modifies among several approaches based on anatomy, goals, and recovery needs:

Revision Facelift: A deep plane technique allows previous facelift results to be safely corrected or refreshed, including for patients with prior surgery, scarring, radiation, or cancer-related procedures of the face.
Mini-Lift and Weekend Lift: Smaller hidden incisions rejuvenate the face and neck with minimal downtime, often under local anesthesia, for patients who cannot step away from daily life.
The 40s Facelift: Younger patients frequently need a more significant midface lift than expected, which the deep plane technique provides while keeping the result understated.
Weight-Loss Facelift: After major weight loss, the face and neck lose their underlying support, and a tailored lift restores volume, shape, and a defined neckline.
Facelift for Acne and Scarring: Modified deep plane techniques combined with fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing address deep scarring that standard lifts cannot improve.
Endoscopic Cheek and Midface Lift: For younger patients with isolated cheek descent, incisions hidden in the hairline restore midface position with very natural results.

For patients not ready for surgery, non-surgical volume restoration with injectable fillers or fat transfer can refresh the face with no incisions and no downtime, and these options are discussed openly during consultation.

How to Tell a Good Facelift From a Bad One

Dr. Talei encourages every prospective patient to study surgeons’ before-and-after galleries critically rather than trusting a technique’s name. When reviewing results, consider:

Are the lighting and neck position identical in the before and after photos, or do they flatter the result?
Are the incisions around the ear hidden, or is there visible scarring?
Has the natural hairline and sideburn been preserved rather than cut away?
Is the jawline genuinely refined, with no residual banding or drooping in the neck?
Does the patient simply look refreshed, or do they look like they had surgery?

A dedicated face and neck gallery lets you apply these questions to Dr. Talei’s own results.

What to Expect From Your Facelift

Care begins with a thorough consultation in which Dr. Talei evaluates your anatomy, listens to your goals, and recommends only the procedures that will achieve them. Many lifts are performed awake under local anesthesia, with no general anesthetic required, and the amount of anesthetic used is no greater than in a conventional facelift.

Because incisions are hidden and the deep plane technique relies on repositioning rather than skin tension, recovery tends to be efficient and the results are designed to last. Most patients find that friends and family notice only that they look rested and refreshed, without being able to say why.

Frequently Asked Questions About Facelift Surgery

What makes a deep plane facelift different? A deep plane facelift releases and repositions the deeper structural layer of the face rather than pulling the skin, which produces more natural, longer-lasting results and avoids a tight, operated appearance.
Can a facelift really be done awake? Yes. Most patients are candidates for an awake facelift performed under local anesthesia, and the technique is well suited even to anxious patients, with general anesthesia reserved for more extensive combined procedures.
Will my hairline or scars be visible? Incisions are placed within hidden, minimal-access lines that preserve the natural hairline and sideburn and are designed to heal discreetly around and behind the ear.
Am I too young for a facelift? Many patients in their 30s and 40s benefit from a deep plane lift, and younger faces often require more midface elevation than expected to look natural.
How long do results last? Because the lift addresses the deep structural layer rather than surface skin, results are built for durability, though the face continues to age naturally over time.
Can a facelift be combined with other procedures? Yes. Facelifts are frequently paired with eyelid surgery, a brow lift, lip enhancement, or skin resurfacing for comprehensive, balanced rejuvenation.

Why Patients Choose Dr. Talei for Facelift Surgery

A Published Authority: Dr. Talei’s deep plane face and neck research appears in the field’s leading peer-reviewed journals and is taught to surgeons worldwide.
Deep Plane Specialization: The practice is devoted exclusively to the face, with the deep plane technique at the center of its surgical approach.
Natural, Tailored Results: Each lift is customized to the patient’s anatomy and stage of aging rather than applied as a single fixed procedure.
Comfort-Focused Care: Many lifts are performed awake under local anesthesia, with an emphasis on a calm, painless recovery.
Revision Expertise: Dr. Talei is a specialist in correcting and refreshing previous facelift results that other surgeons consider high-risk.

“My goal is never to change who you are. It is to restore the face you recognize — balanced, rested, and entirely natural.” — Dr. Ben Talei

Schedule Your Facelift Consultation in Beverly Hills

A facelift is one of the most personal decisions in facial surgery, and it rewards the experience of a surgeon who has studied, published on, and refined the deep plane technique. At the Beverly Hills Center for Plastic & Laser Surgery, patients throughout Los Angeles work directly with Dr. Ben Talei to determine whether a deep plane facelift can achieve the natural, lasting rejuvenation they are looking for. To take the first step, request a consultation with Dr. Talei.