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Is the Position of Earlobes Changed After Face and Neck Lift?

asked 1 year ago by July4 in USA
Latest answer by Michael R. Macdonald, MD
Question viewed 1,673 times
Tags: cheeks, earlobe, neck, female, 8 months post-op, numb, position, scar, sore, stretched, uneven

I had a face & neck lift in August 2010. The position of my earlobes has changed. I cannot wear my earrings because my right ear peirce is further away from my face than my left ear. The earrings do not hang right and look odd.

My right earlobe is very stretched and is attached to my neck, it is still sore after 8 months. My left ear is a little stretched. I have very little feeling in my face at the sides of my cheeks and around my earlobes. I have scars completely around my earlobes.

29 answers to Is the Position of Earlobes Changed After Face and Neck Lift?

Earlobe deformity or problem after facelift surgery

Your ears show a mild pixie deformity and will require revision to look right. You also demonstrate a pulled tragus. These problems are typical and common with minilifts, especially branded minilifts. Earring position can be precisely done once the earlobe is reconstructed. Contrary to popular opinion, these problems are NOT easy to fix. They require extra tissue from the face to be mobilized and the tragus and earlobe to be artfully reconstructed. If there is not... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Pixie earlobes after facelifts

Unfortunately, you didn't have the best artwork done on your face as you have a mild pixie ear deformity. It would have been nice to see your preop photos to see what kind of earlobes you had. It is possible to fix this, but if done by an inexperienced surgeon and if you don't have some loose skin to work with, the problem can actually be made worse. Your problem is far more common after branded mini facelifts than properly done full facelifts.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Earlobe position changed after facelift--there IS an easy fix!

With all due respect to my other colleagues posting here, I first encountered this problem over 20 years ago when seeing facelift patients of other plastic surgeons. The soft, mobile earlobe is a really poor place from which to suspend the facial tissues during facelift and necklift procedures. Unfortunately, many facelift surgeons do just that and end up with "pulled" earlobes, widened visible scars in front of the ears, or even regular "hanging" earlobes turned into... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Ear lobe changes after facelift

Ear lobe position can change after a facelift. If re-piercing the lobe does not help with earring symmetry then a small in-office procedure can help reposition them. Ear soreness and numbness after a facelift should gradually resolve during the first year.

Bryan Ambro, MD
Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon

Earlobes should not change, but can

In most facelift techniques, the earlobe remains at the same position it was at prior to surgery. Most Facial Plastic Surgeons will agree that the goal is to get the neck and cheek skin tightened and elevated, but to not leave that tightness pulling down on the ear lobe, thereby changing its position or appearance. However, if that principal is not kept in mind, the earlobe can be drawn into a different position when a patient heals from a facelift. This is commonly referred to as a... more

Manu Gujrati, MD
San Jose Facial Plastic Surgeon

Earlobe postion should not change after Facelift-fused ear lobe is called Pixie Ear

Unfortunately your ear lobe was sutured to far down on the cheek and the curve of the lobule or ear lobe was not properly reconstructed. This happens more often with mini lifts and inexperienced surgeons, and is called Pixie Ear or Spock Ear. It can be repaired but the repair requires an experienced qualified technically good surgeon. Consult a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who is experienced at Facelift.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

"Facelift Ear", "Pixie Ear" - Complication of Facelift Surgery

The ear and the tissue just in front of it should NEVER be used to suspent the raised facial skin. In performing a facelift incision, extreme care must be used NOT to have the encision in fron of the ear lobule, the hanging round portion where earrings are placed. If this is done, the bottom of the ear will be pulled down and forward. Worse yet, if the incision is placed in front of the lobule, the lobule will end up being stitched to the side of the head, as in your case. This is... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Telltale signs of a facelift

Unfortunately, this is a common technical error in facelift surgery. It happens simply because the surgeon brings the incision in front of the ear too far down. As the healing process proceeds, and the inevitable "sag back" of the lifted skin occurs, the ear lobe is drawn downward and the resulting scar ends up at the lowest point and the ear lobe is pulled into a "pixie ear" look. I can be corrected, but, of course the best plan is prevention. If a patient... more

Reginald Rice, MD
Sacramento Facial Plastic Surgeon

Ear lobe changes after facelift

Stretching of the earlobes can occur if the earlobes are not properly supported by the suspensions of a facelift. While I do not have the benefit of seeing the original shape of your ears, the pictures you show and the history your recount are that of a pixie ear. This can be repaired with appropriate suspension, but it can involve a more involved facelift revision. I would be happy to provide you a comprehensive evaluation.

Thomas T. Le, MD
Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bwfacialplasticsurgery.com

Ear lobe change after facelift

The earlobes dont' necessarily change position after facelift surgery, but they can if the healing process pulls them down. There are methods to avoid this at the time of surgery and it is possible to revise but more difficult if there isn't extra skin to use.

Thomas A Lamperti, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Stretched earlobes after facelifts require provention

The earlobe position after a facelift does change in the days, weeks and months following surgery. As swelling decreases, the earlobes can strech towards the neck and result in a Pixie deformity. While it can be fixed with revision surgery, it can also be prevented by repositioning the earlobes slightly higher at the time of surgery to compensate for the decent. 2 days after surgery patients often have "Shrek" ears, that settle into normal position. If... more

David Magilke, MD
Portland Facial Plastic Surgeon

This was a state of the art facial closure for your surgeon.

It is likely that your surgeon is not sympathetic with your concerns. However, your concerns are legitimate. You have what is known as a pixie ear deformity. In fairness to your surgeon, your "pixie ear" deformity is minor. The issue is that while your surgeon did a very nice retrotragal incision that healed nicely, the way the ear lobe was handled was suboptimal. Again, the ear lobe closure is a standard one. However there is an alternative... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Earlobes changed after a facelift

In the best of situations the earlobe is set as before a facelift, unless there has been a decision to do otherwise. Some individuals have a more attached earlobe than others, some quite detached which can be a sign of aging and adjusted by the facelift procedure. All that said, it is not uncommon to hear about a pulled earlobe or 'pixie' ear after a lift. The reason is that the face lift has been closed in such a way that tension is placed on the ear, and with healing and over time... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Is the Position of Earlobes Changed After Face and Neck Lift?

Yes they can but they shouldn't. usually this is the result of closure of the wound along the entire earlobe circumference. The lower face and neck will droop a little post operatively and pulls the attached earlobe with it causing the deformity you see. We leave the lower portion of the earlobes free when we close the wound and have no problem with pixie ear deformity. Revision surgery can correct this if done this way.

Mohsen Tavoussi, MD, DO
Huntington Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon

Stretched earlobe after facelift

You are describing what is known as a pixie ear or satyr ear deformity which occurs when the earlobe is stretched downward with the facelift incision. This can be surgically repaired by releasing the earlobe and reattaching it in a more anatomic position. I would consult with your surgeon to see if this would be right for you.

Kristin Egan, MD
Manhattan Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon

Earlobes after facelift

Your photos look like a pixie ear deformity. This is probably due to inadequate attachment of the skin flap during your surgery to the ear base. This prevents the earlobe from hanging free. This may be surgically corrected with release of the the tissues and reattaching the facelift flap higher to free the lobe. Donald Nunn MD Plastic Surgeon.

Donald Nunn, MD, DDS
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Pixie Ears

Hi, This is called a Pixie ear and it happens when skin around the ear over trimmed. The tension of the skin pulls down the earlobe. If you still have laxity in you facial and neck skin, you can improve this with a revision facelift. Best, Dr.S.

Oleh Slupchynskyj, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facechange.org

Face Lift and earlobe position

The incisions for a Face Lift go around the contours of the ear including the earlobe. Depending on the amount of skin removed and how it is removed, specifically around the earlobes, dictate their new position. If too much skin is removed in front of the earlobes, they can be puilled forward onto the face...or downward towards the neck. Care and attention should be paid to placing the earlobes in a neutral position when trimming skin in this area.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Earlobes pulled forward are a complication of facelift.

Hi. This is a difficult problem to correct, but a revision facelift can attempt to reposition your ears along a more normal, more vertical axis.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

The position of your scars following your facelift procedure is quite typical.

The position of your scars following your facelift procedure is quite typical. However, because of their location, these scars as they mature can certainly change the position of your earlobes. This is often anticipated in advance of facelift surgery. The asymmetry that you are noticing can easily be corrected with a minor surgical touch-up procedure.

Michael R. Macdonald, MD
Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drmmacdonald.com

Earlobes Changed After Face and Neck Lift

Yes, you do have an earlobe deformity (pixie ear deformity) on the right. This can be corrected with a minor revision under local anesthesia

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Earlobe Changes after Facelift

You have developed a pixie-ear deformity. This can be fixed with a small procedure using local anesthesia. However, this was completely avoidable at the time of your surgery by planning incisions to keep the earlobe intact. Sometimes earlobes misbehave as they heal and later small revisions are necessary, but a pixie-ear should be prevented easily.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift

Earlobes can change after a facelift. See a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and have your face evaluated for the need of an enhancement of original surgery.

Vivek Bansal, MD
Danville Plastic Surgeon

Facelift - Is the Position of Earlobes Changed After Face and Neck Lift?

Not necessarily, but this appears to be the case for you. You have what is termed "Pixie Ears," since they resemble - obviously - the ears of a pixie. This can be the appearance even for people who haven't had surgery so that could be part of the explanation, too. If, however, this is not what you looked like before, then it is most likely a result of the facelift and, specifically, excess tension and/or suboptimal positioning of the ears during and after the... more

Alan Engler, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Ear lobe shape after a facelift

It appears that the degree of asymmetry you have between the befores and afters in regards to your ear lobe could be revised in the office with a minor procedure under local anesthesia. Differences in earlobes can happen, but it is not common and can usually be fixed.

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

lvcosmeticsurgery.com

Earlobes after a facelift

Earlobes should have little or no change after a facelift, though this is possibe as the healing process can be unpredictable. This underscores the importance of choosing the right artist/doctor for your procedure. Interestingly, many people are born with attached earlobes, this is very common. If you are not happy with your earlobe position, this can often be improved with a small procedure. Without seeing your before pictures it is difficult to assess how different your... more

Richard Castellano, MD
Tampa Facial Plastic Surgeon

Earlobes different after facelift

A "pixie ear" deformity is an unfortunate but improvable outcome after a facelift. It is caused by resuspending the skin too close to the earlobe, causing a pull as you heal. This can usually be corrected with a small procedure, but a face-to-face examination with a board certified plastic surgeon is the next best step. Good luck.

William A. Wallace, MD, FACS
Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon

Can be corrected with ear augmentation

This problem can be correct with an ear lobe revision augmentation surgery. You should go back to the primary surgeon first and see what he/she can offer. see video

Babak Azizzadeh, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Earlobe correction is possible now

Your change in earlobe position is correctable by secondary revision surgery. This condition is often called a "pixie ear" and is best corrected after about 6 months or more post op. See your surgeon about this; most are happy to repair this for minimal or no cost.