Lower face/ neck lift scars

The short answer is you will have a scar going from the back of the ear into the hair. If it is kept very high no one will see this even with your hair up. Remember if you make too many compromises you will not get a good facelift or neck lift.

Dear
Everyday;



That's a good question. The answer is best
given if we knew how much lax tissue there is. If there is a lot of loose skin, it may not be possible to remove all of
it through the limited incisions around the ear. That's the reason for the incisions around
the ear and in the hairline, to have a portal by which excess skin of the neck
and lower face is swept back, and then trimming the excess, like taking a hem
that a tailor would do.



For
many people, the main objective is to sculpt the neck jawline, and sometimes
that can be done through a hidden horizontal incision under the chin.That's called neck lifting or neck
sculpture. It's a good procedure
provided the skin is highly elastic and will immediately “snap back” after the
sagging muscle and fat in the neck is removed.Now, if you have a really heavy jowls, particularly if you are
overweight, the above will not be an adequate procedure because one has to have
broad exposure to the lower face and jawline plus the neck in order to do an
adequate sculpture.It all depends on
your candidacy, that is, if it's the right procedure for you.The more before-surgery consultations you go to, the more you’ll
learn about your procedure. Prepare a list of questions beforehand and take
notes as the surgeon talks. In the best practices, no interruptions should take
place. And,
you should be spending more time with the surgeon than with the office
administrative staff. You should not feel rushed or that you are on a
consultation conveyer belt. Take a friend or relative along as two
brains are always better than one in gaining information and understanding. If
you hear a medical term you don’t understand, ask the surgeon to explain it in
plain English. Ask yourself two key questions: “Is this surgeon teaching or
selling?” And,
can I put my life and my face into this particular doctor’s hands? Can I
trust him?” The homework
time you spend will be worth it. You want to do cosmetic facial surgery right – the first time. The
most critical element of the process is surgeon selection. Ideally, you want a
board-certified surgeon, in either plastic surgery or head
& neck
surgery, fellowship trained, who is highly focused
on the procedure(s) you want, who performs them at
least weekly and who has been in practice for a minimum of ten
years.



Websites are the
key to understanding a surgeon's practice. You should see at least dozens
of before and after pictures, showing the changes in the procedure
you want.The most helpful
sites have a variety of graphics, including photos of how you might look one or
five or ten days after surgery. Look for detailed explanations of
all procedures. The site should answer nearly every question you have. Generally, the top
practices
have the thickest, richest and most informative websites. Dedicated doctors spend
much time building an educational website for your benefit.Another super-important element of the best consultations:
Computer Imaging. Here’s how it works: photos are taken
of you as you are and uploaded onto a special computer system
that shows your present appearance changed into an anticipated
after-surgery picture. (The technology is also known as Computer Morphing.).
Imaging is an incomparable learning tool because it provides a forum for doctor-patient
agreement on the after-surgery result
that would satisfy you and is a result the doctor can deliver. After
all, cosmetic surgery is 100% visual. It is about appearance, but without
visuals, everything is left to the imagination.
To anticipate a successful outcome, there must
be a meeting of the minds between surgeon and patient. Why waste your time on a
consultation in which the surgeon can’t demonstrate what he envisions as
the final outcome? Would you buy a painting without seeing it? In my opinion, a consultation
without computer imaging is nearly worthless.Best Wishes,Robert Kotler, M.D. F.A.C.S.