Procedure Time 1 - 2 Hours
Recovery Time 28 - 36 Days
Why Is It An Important to Understand the Facelift Incision Design?
One of the most important questions a patient should ask their doctor in the preoperative consultation is "how do they make their facelift incision?". The reason this is important to you, the patient, is that almost every doctor's incision is done differently. If you don't ask most won't tell you. Also the incision is the one thing you see after surgery and it's permanent. You want it to look good, be well camouflaged and be natural. It is the incision design and placement that can make you look like you had a facelift, so you want to avoid the sequelae of being operated.
Before and After Photos
The design of the facelift incision is critical to achieving a natural aesthetic result and avoiding the unnatural "facelift look." This operated appearance is often characterized by:
- Stretched, pulled skin with increased tension on the suture line, which can lead to thickened scarring
- Hair loss at the temples, sideburns, and behind the ear
- Improper incision placement that alters the natural anatomy of the face
A well-planned incision design can help create a more natural look, as opposed to the "done look." To achieve this, the goals of the incision design include:
- Preventing hair loss in the temporal, sideburn, forehead, and postauricular-mastoid areas
- Eliminating visible scarring
- Preserving the natural anatomy of the ear, including preventing the loss of the tragus, maintaining the preauricular sulcus, and avoiding the anteriorization of the earlobe (a condition known as pixie ear deformity).
Incision Placement Explained
In our incision design, we focus on preserving the temporal sideburn hair. Losing this hair or shifting the hairline above the ear can create an unnatural appearance, increasing the distance between the eye and hairline, resulting in a round, "moon-shaped" face that doesn't look right. There are two approaches to the preauricular area (in front of the ear): pre-tragal and post-tragal. By utilizing the natural preauricular lines that everyone has, we preserve the anatomy of the ear without distortion. If a post-tragal incision is used, it can distort the ear, leading to flattening of the tragus, loss of the preauricular sulcus, and pulling of the ear forward toward the jawline.
Behind the ear, the incision is placed in the natural fold, extending to the top of the ear and turning parallel to the hairline. This eliminates visible scars behind the ear and prevents hair loss in the back. By adhering to these anatomic guidelines, this incision design works well for everyone, whether you have short hair, long hair that's pulled up, or even for male patients.
Always ask to see examples of incision placement during your consultation and ask any questions you have. Remember, you are your best advocate, and being informed is your best tool.
