r/deepplaneresults

Hey everyone,
I am currently 4 days post-op from a deep plane lower facelift and neck lift, and I am in a state of absolute panic. I really need some reassurance from anyone who has been through this.
Right now, my face looks completely scary—like an alien, a clown, or a smashed pancake. My lips are stretched out into a single, long line, and I look absolutely nothing like myself. On top of the intense swelling and bruising, I can barely open my mouth.
I’ve read so many stories of people saying, "The pain was worth it because I could see glimpses of my results early on." I am seeing zero results that are pleasing. I just look deformed, and I’m genuinely terrified that something went wrong or that I am ruined.
My doctor assures me that everything is fine and this is just normal healing, but my surgery also ran almost 8 hours when it was originally scheduled for 5, which is adding to my anxiety.
Has anyone else looked completely unrecognizable, distorted, or "alien-like" at day 4 and gone on to have a normal, beautiful result? How long did it take for your features (especially your mouth/lips) to look human again?
Thank you so much in advance. I'm really struggling today.

I’m going to explain something most patients never think to ask about, but probably should.

Not all surgical research is created equal. There are journals that will publish almost anything with a fee attached. There are journals with minimal peer review. And then there are journals that function as the actual scientific backbone of a specialty where the editorial board actively gatekeeps quality, where citations from other researchers confirm the work is being used to advance clinical practice, and where being appointed to the board means your peers have vetted your scientific judgment, not just your surgical results.

The Aesthetic Surgery Journal is that last category for aesthetic plastic surgery.

I sit on the editorial board. I was one of the youngest surgeons ever appointed. I’m telling you this not to credential-drop but because I want you to understand what it actually means in practical terms for a patient choosing a surgeon.

It means I’m reading and evaluating research before it becomes standard of care. It means I know what the data actually says not what a marketing team summarized. It means when I tell you something works, or doesn’t work, I’m drawing from the primary source.

Oxford University Press presented 2024-2025 impact data for ASJ today. Articles published in the last two years are already showing strong early citation growth meaning other researchers and surgeons are actively referencing this work in their own studies and clinical decisions. That’s how science moves into operating rooms.

When you’re researching surgeons, here’s a quick framework:

Does the surgeon publish original research or just consume it? Do they publish in peer-reviewed journals with real editorial standards? Are they close enough to the science that they’re shaping it, not just following it?

A surgeon who sits on an editorial board of a major journal isn’t just credentialed. They’re embedded in the mechanism that determines what the field does next.
That’s who you want operating on your face.

r/deepplaneresults

Worried

Why the journal your surgeon publishes in actually matters and what ASJ editorial board membership means for you as a patient