Pixie Ear Revision? (photo)

Closure of the skin after facelift under tension will distort anatomic features that are not rigid. The earlobe is one such structure that will be pulled down in bland into the cheek destroying the lobe. The tension free closure will avoid this. When it occurs is easily fixed with a small procedure under local anesthesia.

Thank you for the question.  To do it right a substantial portion of the facelift needs to be done.  The earlobe needs to be detached from your face and rounded out,  then made into a small detached earlobe.  Definitely doable but unfortunately it requires a good part of your facelift to be reworked to get it right.  I have seen and dealt with this more times than I can count.

Many thanks for your question.A pixie ear deformity that has occurred as a result of too much tension on the skin after a facelift is usually relatively straight forward to correct under local anaesthetic in the office. The same incisions will be used and the earlobe tucked upwards, whilst the surrounding skin is freed and re-suspended.It will require the day off work, but if you are office based, then you might be back at work the next day. Stitches would normally be removed within a week of surgery.

Pixie ear deformity usually occurs because of excess tension on the incision and possibly excess skin removal.  If you are happy with your facelift result, then having a simple advancement of the earlobe upward with closing of the skin under it is all that is needed.  Recovery may have some swelling and bruising isolated to that area but shouldn't require time off.If you are unhappy with your facelift, then habit it revised a year later and having the pixie ear fixed at the same time would be a better option.  Of course, your recovery would be similar to your precious facelift.

Thank you for your question. The "pixie" ear deformity can be recognized by its "stuck on" or "pulled" appearance, which is caused by the tension involving the facelift cheek and jawline skin flaps at the earlobe attachment point. In many cases, this deformity may be improved in the office using local anesthesia. In more severe cases, a revision facelift may be advisable. If only one ear is affected, then a procedure may be limited to that ear without affecting the other ear. For the in-office procedure, an incision and sutures are placed near the lower portion of the earlobe. This may be concealed with your hairstyle. Scarring is typically minimal. One may return to work the following day. Consult with an experienced facial plastic surgeon to better understand the options available in your particular case.

This can be repaired in the office or operating room depending on what your goals are and what kind of scars you are willing to accept. Some times a simple office procedure as explained by Dr. Hughes is the way to go first. If you are not happy with this result you can always do a more invasive procedure. Good Luck!

This can be corrected under local anesthesia. If done on a friday, you can return to work on monday and most people would not notice anything.

As others have stated, the pixie ear or satyr ear deformity after facelift results from too much tension on the ear lobe (lobule) during closure. This can be avoided by not trimming the skin excessively and by relieving the tension on the closure with a deeper lift. That said, if this does occur during healing, the best way to correct it (in my practice) is to repeat the incisions around the ear and undermine widely. The lobule is then resuspended at a higher point to the deep connective tissue and the skin is closed underneath it.

This should be a fairly simple procedure (provided that your surgeon is experienced) with little/no down-time.

Hello.

This facelift complication is a result of downward skin tension on the earlobe following facelift surgery.  The problem can be corrected with repositioning of the earlobe upward with possible re-suspension of the skin flap or a smaller procedure that leaves a small scar.  Good luck.