Is there such a thing as "bad skin"?

George Beraka, MD answers: Can "bad skin elasticity" cause poor cosmetic surgery results?

I had a face lift and neck lift 7 years ago that did not turn out well either. My neck is lumpy. I have extra skin below my left ear. I had to have revision surgery because the skin on my right ear lobe was pulled down. My surgeon's response was that I have bad skin elasticity. It wasn't his fault. Do some people really have bad skin?


George J. Beraka, MD
13 months ago
By George J. Beraka, MD - Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
There is no question that some patients' skin heals better than others, and produces less noticeable scars. Almost everyone heals very well in the face. There is greater variation in how noticeable a scar from cosmetic surgery will be on the breast or in the abdomen.          
So, if by poor results, you mean thick scars, then it is possible that this is related to the quality of your own skin. Otherwise, I don't really know what bad skin means. I am not sure there is such a thing as bad skin, and this does sound a little bit like "blaming the patient". 
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More answers to “Can "bad skin elasticity" cause poor cosmetic surgery...”

A: Without examining a patient, it is difficult to tell you...

Steven Wallach, MD
14 months ago
By Steven Wallach, MD - Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Without examining a patient, it is difficult to tell you this. In general skin quality can affect the results.  As one ages, the elasticity properties of the skin weaken.  This certainly can affect the long term results.   Other factors that can impact the quality of the tissues are smoking, and sun damage to name a few.  Some patients have inherited skin disorders which also cause their skin to be very lax.

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