Where to position scars for male facelift to avoid beard growth at ear? (photos)

As you may have noted, men have a natural non-hair bearing strip of skin adjacent to the ear, so hair bearing shifts are inevitable for the male facelift patient.  I place my incision at the junction of the lateral cheek and the portion of the ear known as the anterior helical crus, which forms a natural curve.  The incision is then paratragal (just on the free edge of the tragus), hugs the earlobe, leaving a small cuff on non-hair bearing skin at the lower portion, into the crease behind the ear, and then into the occipital hairline.  At the time of skin closure, the skin over the tragus is thinned of hair follicles and a cautery used to remove any remaining (especially grey) hair follicles.  The incision is very hard to detect in this setting.  Male patients are encouraged to use an electric razor for up to a year after in order to prevent inadvertent injuries to the area.  

For a male facelift, the incision should be placed in front of the ear. You should leave non hair bearing skin in front of the ear so that you do not get a hairy tragus. This is the little bump in front of the ear. You already have a couple of wrinkles there, so it is an inconspicuous place for an incision. Good luck!

When I do a facelift in women who have thinner skin, I place the scar behind the ear cartilage called the tragus. This makes the scar much less visible. In a man because of the beard and the fact that the skin of the cheek is thicker and doesn't match the skin of the ear, I would place the scar in the crease in front of the ear. The scar has to be placed in a location that shows the normal distance between the bearded skin and the ear, otherwise it would not look natural. This is why you need to find a plastic surgeon who does a lot of facelifts, so that they are aware of all these details that make the difference between a natural looking facelift and the facelift that you identify from a distance. In general  male facelifts are more challenging and require a great level of artistic skill from the surgeon to obtain a great result. Just see how many male actors have facelifts that are so obvious.

Thank you for your question!  Incision placement for a facelift is important, and when executed correctly should heal imperceptibly.  You are correct, that we want to avoid hair being placed on the ear or tragus (the piece of cartilage which sets out from the face).  I typically will place the incision for a facelift in front of the tragus in a natural skin crease.  This way, we avoid having any hair on the ear.  This incision heals very well when closed meticulously.  I also agree that if you have some unwanted hair growth, laser hair removal is another option for you.  However, the most important key is good incision placement.  Be sure to consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who specializes in facelifts.  Here you will be able to discuss your goals for surgery and review before and after photographs. I hope that this helps!-David Gilpin

There is not a standard incision for a male facelift.  There are other factors to consider, such as beard pattern, the vector of tissues and skin repositioning, etc.  Seek out an experienced and talented facelift surgeon with special expertise in male facelifts. Only an in person evaluation can determine the best apprach.  It is paramount that a male facelift results create a significant rejuvenating effect, yet in a very natural way. Take a look at our male facelift galery to get an idea of the expected results. 

The position of scars in the male facelift can either run in front of the ear so that the beard is only advanced up to the natural crease that runs in front of the ear or it can be placed on top of the tragus. The incision in front of the ear blends exceptionally well and leaves the beard off of the tragus of the ear. The incision which brings the facial skin on top of the tragus requiresthe hair follicles be trimmed or laser done to the hair follicles to eliminate them but this may require several treatments. If done correctly the incision in front of the year is in conspicuous. Best wishes. 

The best location in my opinion for male facelifts is at the anterior border of the ear, following the contour of the natural structures closely and perfectly (so it's NOT a straight vertical incision).  I do not recommend post-tragal incisions for men, since this means hair growth will happen on the trigs, which is unnatural.Be sure to discuss your goals and concerns with your board certified plastic surgeon and consider the pros and the cons. Be certain your surgeon is properly certified.  I've attached a link where you can start your search. 

Information you have about possible face lift incisions is correct. Much  more important than placement of incisions is to find an experienced board certified plastic surgeon to do your face lift. Good luck.

This is a controversial topic and may have many correct answers depending on the patient and their individual anatomy.  My preference is to place incisions in men within the creases anterior to the ear, and to meticulously handle the skin and incision closure.  In any circumstance, laser treatments, electrolosys and other scar treatments can help to hide or improve the scars and hair growth issues in the long term. 

Excellent question, the incisions are different for men than women. For the man there should be no change in the hairline, the incision should be in front of the ear. Be sure to consult with board certified plastic surgeons, and check out before and after pictures of male facelifts! Good luck.