Can a lower (mini) face lift be done with incisions behind the ear instead of in front?

Without seeing you or your photos, it would be difficult to answer your question. In most all cases an incision is required in front of the ear for the lift to actually be effective. However, an experienced facial surgeon can design an incision that is well camouflaged and does not distort the ear or leave a noticeable scar. I included a web link below that will show inconspicuous incisions. Make sure you consult an expert facial plastic surgeon and ask the important questions about their incision design.

The definition of and steps contained in a Mini Lift will vary by physician. At my center, a Mini Lift includes a neck lift and also lifts the SMAS layer -- the muscle beneath the skin on lower face that attaches to the neck's platysma muscle. It is essential to a successful Mini Lift to include the SMAS rather than just lifting skin. A skin-alone lift looks unnatural and won't last long.
The incisions for a neck lift can be placed behind the ears. However, the incisions for a Mini Lift must go in front and behind or inside the ears in order to get the right degree of lift and pull and to remove the excess skin. If you lift your face with your fingers, you should be able to see the logic of this. Though I understand your concern about a “visible” scar, the incisions I use in a Mini Lift are very small and barely noticeable once they heal. I also hide them either inside the ear or in an ear crease. If you're bothered by them, they can be improved with microneedling and lasers. I hope this helps.

The definition of what constitutes a facelift is quite variable. Incisions that are exclusively behind the ear would be limited to addressing aging changes below the line of the job. This is referred to as a neck lift or cervicoplasty

Any type of face lift will require small incisions in front of the ear to remove redundant skin and allow for good visualization of structures that need to be corrected. This incision is placed in preauricular crease and it is less visible then the crease-fold most patients have in this site. I do not think that incision (scar) of this kind should be of much concern.
You should consult a board certified plastic surgeon with good reputation in facial rejuvenation and discuss your options, see patient pre and postoperative photos and/or talk to patient(s) who  recently have similar surgery. Good luck.

A mini lift tends to give mini results, and we rarely ever perform them. A full set of photographs of the face and an in-person examination are usually required to make the determination about what type of facelift to perform. In our practice, we  usually perform a high-SMAS lower face and neck lift which accomplishes tightening loose facial and neck skin, lifting the jowls, tightening loose facial neck muscles, removal of fatty deposits in the neck which also includes a platysma plasty. The incisions are in front and behind the ears, and it's very important to make them minimally detectable by your surgeon.  Look for a surgeon who produces natural results consistently. For more information and many before-and-after examples of face lifting, please see the link and the video below

Hello and thank you for your question. Many patients have similar concerns regarding face lift incisions. For surgery specifically to address only the neck skin, it is possible to limit the incisions so that they are only located behind the ear. Of course, you will need an in-person consultation to evaluate you for these procedures. Preoperative visualization with the Crisalix system may help with your decision. Your treatment plan should be based on a detailed discussion with equal input from both you and your surgeon.    Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation in person with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon. Good luck! 

Best

Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS

Harvard educated plastic surgeon

 Hi, I have performed facelifts for over 30 years and have performed many minimally, invasive type facelifts.  Non smiling photos of your face from the front and side would help in the evaluation.  As described below, if your face has "jowls", these are best treated with some form of proper SMAS facelift.  When dissecting, lifting, trimming the SMAS an incision can't be placed solely behind the ear as this doesn't allow removal of the excess skin in the face.  The minimally, invasive, short-incision SMAS facelift described below is the smallest incision that in my experience and humble opinion allows a proper SMAS technique with adequate space to re-drape the skin.  The incision is curved around the top portion of the ear, goes inside the triages then around the ear lobe and ends about 1 inch along the crease behind the ear.  The front tuft of hair and hairlines are unchanged as are the sideburns in men.
 Following my beauty principles, women look the most feminine, youthful and attractive with heart shaped faces.  Heart shaped faces have cheeks that are full and round in the front.  Cheek augmentation with a dermal filler or using cheek implants for a permanent enhancement will create full, round cheeks that will feminize the entire face.
 If your face has "jowls”, these represent sagging facial tissues and are the main indication for some form of a SMAS facelift.  The underlying SMAS layer, of the face, must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured (not merely folded or suspended with threads or sutures that will not last).  The excess skin is then removed and the facelift incisions closed.
My most popular facelift is the minimally invasive, short incision facelift that has all the benefits of more invasive facelifts (traditional, mid-face, deep plane, cheek lift and subperiosteal facelifts) but with these added benefits:
very small incisions and no incisions extend or are placed within the hair.minimal tissue dissection = less bruising and swelling = rapid recovery ( several days instead of weeks or months with the more invasive type facelifts mentioned)can be performed in 90 minutes or less, with or without general anesthesiano incisions within the hair = no hair lossexcess fat can be removed from the face and neckexcess skin removed from the face and neckcheeks, chin and jaw line can be augmented with dermal fillers (I prefer Restylane Lyft) or facial implantsmost patients fly back home to parts all over the world in as little as 3 days post-opI combine facial shaping with every facelift procedure.  When jowls are present, these should be done in concert and not alone or separately in order to create a naturally, more attractive face.
Hope this helps.

Facelift incisions are in front of the ears while necklift incisions are behind the ears. But an experienced surgeon's facelift scars are hard to see in good light with the hair pulled back and you are trying to see them by 4-5 months postop. 

Incisions behind the ear only allow for skin removal and muscle tightening of the neck but not the face.  A well-designed incision in front of the ear is so easily camouflaged and hidden that it should not be a problem for you if properly done.  Incisions are relatively easy to camouflage in such a way that they are almost undetectable, but the greater challenge is being certain that you get a long lasting and beneficial and natural improvement in your appearance overall.  The secret is not to have minimal incisions in my opinion.  Please enjoy the video above for additional information that you will find helpful.Jon A Perlman M.D., FACSDiplomate, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)ABC-TV Extreme Makeover SurgeonBeverly Hills, CaliforniaIG: jonperlmanmd

Depending on the extent of the "mini facelift" incisions can be made behind the ear as well as in the ear.  A good surgeon will place the scars in an inconspicuous place as possible. Consult with a highly experienced board certified plastic surgeon for an in person evaluation.