Realistic result of scar from facelift?

I'm a 54-year-old male who could use a facelift. However, I am afraid that the scars in front of the ears will become too obvious. I'm not a smoker and fair skinned. What is a realistic outcome for the scar in front of the ears?

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24 answers to “Realistic result of scar from facelift?”

A: Facelift scar can be hidden in the ear canal and almost invisible with good healing

Brooke R. Seckel, MD

Careful surgical technique by an experienced board certified plastic surgeon should create very well healed scars that are not conspicuos. There is a specific technique for hiding the visible portion of the facelift scar inside the ear canal which can make the visible portion of the facelift scar almost invisible.

A: Scars from a face-lift are inconspicuous

William Portuese, MD

Scars from a face-lift surgery should be inconspicuous when performed properly. It is important that no tension is placed on the skin during the facelift procedure. All tension is placed on the fascia and muscle layers underneath. This will result in a nearly imperceptible scar. Placing undue tension on... more

A: Excellent facelift scar in the hands of a good surgeon

Andrew Miller, MD

The incision should be placed in little wrinkles in front of the ear for a male. The secret to having minimal to no scarring in the long run is in the technique of the surgery.  When a good lift is done the deeper tissues are pulled tightly and skin just comes along with it. This way only the excess skin... more

A: Facelift Scarring

Richard W. Fleming, MD

Both men and women are concerned about the facelift scar in front of the ear. That is why we place the incision within the ear. This is especially important in men, who rarely style their hair so it covers the ear.

A: Facelift scars in men

Maurice M. Khosh, MD

By the your description of your skin type, you should heal well with minimal scar visibility. Incisions in front of the ear can be placed in front of the tragus or behind the tragus (inside the ear canal). The incisions behind the tragus are least visible. However, when such incisions... more

A: Facelift scars

Richard P. Rand, MD

 For a male, it is critical to have inconspicuous scars especially in front of the ears.  This requires excellent artistry on the part of the surgeon, a proper choice of placing the scar entirely in front o the ear or behind the tragus (the middle portion), absolutely no tension on the skin and with... more

A: Facelift scar depends on the technique

Michael A. Bogdan, MD

If a modern variant of the procedure is performed, there is very little tension in front of the ear, so the scar in this position tends to look very good.  Older techniques that place a lot of tension on the skin are prone to widened scars that will be more visible. Best regards, Dr. B 

A: Male Facelift

Farbod Esmailian, MD

A male facelift should take into account several things that are different than women.  There are several parts of the procedure that a surgeon does differently to give men a natural long lasting result.  So I would not be particularily overly concerned. One example is to place the incision that is... more

A: Face lift incision and scarring for men & women

Houtan Chaboki, MD

David, More men are obtaining surgery to reduce the signs of aging. The turkey gobbler neck is very common, especially in men. Men have 3 general options with increasing degree of aesthetic success, as well as recovery time. The first is simple liposuction of the neck, which not only removes fat under the chin... more

A: Ask your doctor to show you some post-operative photographs

Theda C. Kontis, MD

This is an excellent question that often worries men considering facelift surgery. The scar will be placed in your temporal area, in front of your ear (so that hair-bearing tissue will not be brought onto your ear), around your earlobe, then behind your ear. If you are completely bald, this may pose a... more

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