3 weeks after my facelift, one ear is throbbing and painful.

Occasionally patients have pain around the ear which can persist a few weeks. I would check back with your surgeon. It could be another stitch or piece of one, an irritated nerve or some other cause of inflammation. Point tenderness can also respond to a steroid shot. The good news is that in my experience pain like this is always temporary.

The fact that one side is more painful than the other after a facelift is not totally unexpected. This pain should be getting better as the days pass.

While the right and left sides of the face may heal at different rates following a facelift procedure, throbbing pain in one ear three weeks after surgery is not typical. Seeing your surgeon, preferably within a day or so, is important to evaluate and treat the problem. An infection could be the issue. Other causes of the pain, such as nerve pressure or entrapment, are also possible and can be evaluated at the same time. Best regards.

I recommend you return to your surgeon for an examination. There could be an infection or a retained piece of suture causing irritation. 

Thank you for your question.  An examination would be needed , please return to your surgeon so they can examine you.  All The Best 

I suggest you see your surgeon to rule-out an infection if the pain does not improve or resolve. If in doubt, see your surgeon. Best wishes!

Post operative symptoms can linger for several days to weeks. This can sometimes depend on the patient’s anatomy and the extent of surgery performed at the time of the facelift. Frequently there are sutures to lift and redrape the underlying tissue that can be mildly uncomfortable however with time they accommodate and the tissues become less symptmatic. Local numbing medication injected at the time of surgery can significantly help decrease postoperative discomfort. performing the surgery under local anesthesia in a AAAASF surgical facility can result in less discomfort in the long term due to directed local numbing medication at the time of surgery.

I recommend making an appointment to see your surgeon. It's possible that there is some retained suture material or possibly an infection in that area. Based on the examination, your doctor should be able to determine what is causing you discomfort by your ear.  Best of luck.

If you're having persistent discomfort in only one area, you need to follow up with your surgeon.  There may be infecton or a persistant sticth.  Have it checked.

After a facelift it is common to have various sensory feelings and this is due to inflammation to sensory nerves that were cut during the procedure.This will improve over time.