Is there any way to improve the look of the tragus after mini facelift surgery? (photo)

Question

I had mini facelift surgery a couple of months ago and I feel like the lack of definition of my tragus is a tell tale sign I have had facial surgery. Is there any way to improve this?

Kien Ha, MBBS, MS, FRACS · Answer

Unfortunately, with mini facelifts there is often quite a lot of tension on the skin incision sites, the resulting pull of the skin infront of the tragal cartilage (which is normally quite mobile and flexible) can cause a loss of tragus definition.  You may have to wait a while and consider a revision procedure at a later date.  Best wishes

Farhan Taghizadeh, MD · Answer

In my experience, the best initial option to a tightly attached earlobe in the first ear after a facelift is to laser it with fractional co2 laser resurfacing.This will help tighten and position the ear lobe more uniformly with the face. That being said, there are ear lobes that are poorly attached and need revision. Best to wait a year and then do this surgery as they can often do a tuck up a the same time. Hope this helps.

George Sanders, MD · Answer

Your tissues are still swollen and this is producing a lack of definition of the tragus that you find unattractive. I would wait at least six months after surgery and then reevaluate the result. It may be that a surgical revision will be of help.

Julia Kerolus, MD, FACS · Answer

It may be too early for additional intervention at this point as there may still be swelling in the area.  If this persists, there are a few things that can be done to help improve the definition of the tragus after a facelift. Consult with your surgeon before proceeding with any additional procedures.

Greg Bran, MD, PhD · Answer

Hi there and thank you for your question. According to your photos you might need a surgical procedure to create new Tragus on both sides. The cartilage for such a procedure might be taken either from your nasal septum or from your ear. I would certainly wait 2 months before considering any additional procedures, as scarring and healing will take time. Good luck. 
Kind regards, 
GB

Diana L. Elias, MD (retired) · Answer

One of the first things my plastic surgery professors taught me 30 years ago is that the incision around the back of the tragus will always change its shape and result in loss of definition. The incision in front of the tragus leaves a scar that can be seen for a while but which eventually fades very nicely. I always offer my patients the choice because once the tragus shape is changed, it cannot be significantly improved.

Is there any way to improve the look of the tragus after mini facelift surgery? (photo)

Answers (6)

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