Lower face/ neck lift scars

Thanks for posting your question as it is a common one.  Incisions always are a cause of anxiety in the patient seeking face / neck rejuvenation.  I don't think its possible to improve the lower face AND neck with just one incision behind the ear. It is possible to adequately improve the lower face AND neck with incisions in front AND behind the ears and under the chin. Specifically, one does not always need to have the incision "in the space between the ear and the hairline."  However, whether this is appropriate for you would depend on how much aging you have and how much improvement you want to see.  The facelift and neck lift incisions can be individually tailored to suit your needs but in general a shorter incision does usually means lesser results. An experienced surgeon will be able to place and conceal the incisions very well. Please consult with a board certified surgeon with experience in facial rejuvenation to go over in person you options.

Our office specializes in limited incision and mini necklifts and facelifts for patients. These can be complemented by Ultherapy to enhance results further. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian Los Angeles

There are limited incision procedures that can help your problem. However, when you do them you will achieve limited results. Whether that is a good compromise depends on you and you need a lengthy discussion with your surgeon re: the pros and cons. In most instances properly placed and performed incisions heal well and you can return to any hairstyle.

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.

It may be possible, but whether it is appropriate and potentially effective for you would depend on your individual anatomy and desired outcome. It is important to realize that following the advice from a
surgeon on this or any other website who proposes to tell you exactly what to
do without seeing photos and more importantly without examining you, physically feeling the
tissue, assessing your desired outcome, taking a full medical history, and
discussing the pros and cons of each operative procedure would not be in your
best interest. I would suggest you find a plastic surgeon certified by the
American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society
for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust and are comfortable with.
You should discuss your concerns with that surgeon in person.
Facial rejuvenation needs to be
individualized. What would be an ideal approach for one patient is not
necessarily the same for someone else. Based on the examination and discussion
at the consultation, you should have a better understanding of the various
options that can achieve the best cosmetic result for you.

Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California

A properly performed lower face and neck lift should leave minimally detectable incisions and scars. In our practice, the post auricular incision is S shaped, in order to keep  hairline even, so patients can put their  hair up in a ponytail. The lower face neck lift also involves the incisions in front of the ear and behind the tragus. For main examples, please see the link and the video below

Dear everyday, There are procedures that have more limited hairline incisions however it would be dependent on your needs whether this would be a beneficial procedure to you or not. The hairline incision you discuss if done properly should allow the patient to wear their hair up without any noticeable incisions. I perform a lot of face lift procedures and hiding this incision is taken into consideration in the placement of the incisions as well as the closing of the procedure. In Southern California like Texas my patients want to wear their hair up. I performed this procedure on my wife last month and she wears her hair up daily with no concerns. Past patients will often show  consulting patients their incisions so that they will have a complete understanding of the proposed results. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

There are procedures that can lift the neck through smaller incisions.  It is hard to give you exact, individualized advice without seeing photos, but the short answer is yes.

Without photos, no answer is complete but a patient who needs a lower face lift/neck lift almost always has enough extra skin that they need incisions in front and behind the ears and in the hairline. Handled carefully and closed well without undue tension, these are extremely well tolerated. Patients generally don't put their hair up as tight as before and hide things very well.