Facelift Surgery Scars Doctor Answers, Tips
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Facelift Surgery Scars

Will I have visible scars from a face lift?

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39 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon
+4

Anytime that the skin is cut, there is a scar which is...

Anytime that the skin is cut, there is a scar which is formed. Surgeons trained in facelift and cosmetic surgery techniques are trained to minimize the scars. One important technique is to place the incision in areas which are hidden and in areas where they may look like natural wrinkles. Other techniques rely on minimizing the amount of tension on the wound to prevent widened and elevated scars. There is also a risk of 'hypertrophic scars' and 'keloids' anytime the skin is cut. This risk is... more
+3

Facelift incisions generally heal very well

It is impossible to say with 100% certainty that your incisions will heal perfectly. Incision healing is dependent on several factors, including surgical technique, prevention of infection, reduction of tension, patient nutrition, not smoking (before or after surgery), genetics, etc. For the most part, however, facelift incisions heal very well. The incision starts in front of and within your ear and then curves behind the earlobe and extends along the crease behind your ear. For the... more
+3

The incisions for a face-lift are well hidden under the...

The incisions for a face-lift are well hidden under the chin, in front and behind the ears. In time, hairs grow right through the scar, concealing it almost entirely. The incision is actually placed paralleling the hair shafts and bulbs so that bald areas do not exist in most cases. There is little to no tension placed on the skin to allow proper healing and prevent wide scars from forming. Sutures are removed four days after the procedure to prevent “rail-road tracking” along... more

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+3

Facelift scarring

The goal of any cosmetic procedure is making the negatives out weighed by the positives. Any time the skin it cut, there is potential for a scar. A board-certified plastic surgeon, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, is trained in techniques to minimize visible signs of surgery. Most facelift procedures have scars that fade away and hide over time. The scars are often hiden in natural skin creases and hair, to conceal the nature of the surgery. There is always a risk the... more
+2

Facelift scars should not be easily visible, if at all

It is not possible to make a facelift incision without creating a scar. However, facelift incisions should be designed to make very hairdresser proud. That is, the hairdresser should be the only one who spots them. In most cases, the incision is minimally visible in front of the ear. In back of the ear, we design the incision such that it does not or minimally alters the hairline and allows the hair to be worn back. The accompanying video may help with understanding facelift techniques. more
+2

Scarless Facelift

There's no such thing as a Facelift where the scars are completely invisible. If you look up closely you'll see them but they are typically placed in very, very inconspicuous areas. Because I do deep plane techniques in facelift, I've seen it first hand. With the deeper structures suspended securely, the tension is placed under the skin and it just sits up against the other skin edge. The scars heal so well that some of my patients have said that they didn't even realize they had scars... more
+2

Will I have visible scars from a face lift?

I THINK what you meant to ask was "Will I have NOTICEABLE scars from a face lift?" Every incision results in a scar and every scar is permanent AND visible to close examination. The question is can a Facelift be done and for the scar to be almost unnoticeable? The answer is - YES. All the pulling in a Facelift must be done by deep stitching NOT the superficial skin stitches closing the incision. IF the Facelift incision is placed along the margin of the hair and along the border... more
+2

Facelift Scars: It's all about placment and tension

The two basic issues that affect the way Facelift scars heal are incision placement and skin tension. From a healing standpoint, the face has an excellent blood supply which directly correlates with excellent wound healing. Therefore, as long as incisions are placed in locations corresponding to natural skin folds or anatomic junctions, the scars that ensue should lie within these locations. This holds true if and only if the tension in the procedure is placed on the deeper tissues (SMAS)... more
+2

Facelift scars not noticeable

While it is impossible not to have any scar with surgery, a well executed facelift will leave inconspicuous scars such that others will have a hard time noticing even with close examination. A good facelift is designed with the incisions in the temporal and posauricular (behind the ear) hair bearing scalp. The incision does travel in front of the ear, but should be designed to fall within natural curves and skin creases. In women, we like to plan the incision behind the tragus. In addition... more
+2

Scars after facelifts are always visible but usually not noticed

Scars after a facelift are always visible but typically not noticed. The scars are generally inconspicuous and fairly well hidden. But even under the best of conditions with ideal scars, if a person were examined closely the scars can always be found. This is one reason why hair stylists can always tell if their client has had a facelift. They know where to look for the scars and will find them if they are present. Fortunately, most people are not going to examine you as closely and... more
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