Why does placement of facelift incisions at the temple vary?
Looking at various photographs of different facelifts, sometimes the incision at the temple (above front ear) is well-hidden in the hairline (and often closed with staples), but sometimes it seems to curve around the hairline (and closed with stitches) so that it is much more visible. Does it depend on the surgeon's technique or the type of facelift (mini, full, macs etc)?
Doctor Answers 30
Where the
incisions are made is determined by the surgeon’s preference and experience. I
do the short-scar facelift (smaller scar) and the end result is very
natural looking. My patients are thrilled with
their results. A small incision is placed just
above and below the front of the ear and the scar is placed inside the ear. Women are able to wear their hair up or in a ponytail
without any tell-tale signs of surgery. Seek a consultation with a Board
Certified Plastic Surgeon with elite credentials in this procedure.
Web reference: http://www.theplasticsurgeryclinic.com/face/facelift-procedure
Thank you for your question.
Incision placement varies with each patient, hairline geometry, and type of lift.
Ask your surgeon to draw on your picture where your incisions will be.
Best wishes.
Incision placement varies with each patient, hairline geometry, and type of lift.
Ask your surgeon to draw on your picture where your incisions will be.
Best wishes.
It's very dependent on the technique and experience of the surgeon. Their experience will dictate where they are comfortable making an incision. There are advantages to each location but exposed non-hairline incisions should rarely be closed with staples. Incisions location and length could determine what results can be accomplished. Don't expect small incisions to yield big results. That's looking for a magic wand. In plastic surgery, we have learned over a long time to hide incisions and carefully choose their placement to optimize results. Don't choose a short scar technique expecting a long scar result. Their is no free lunch.
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Thank you for asking about
your face lift incisions.
The design of the face lift incisions depends on many factors-
Always see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Hope you found this answer helpful. Best wishes.
The design of the face lift incisions depends on many factors-
- the surgery planned
- the hair line
- the patient's concerns
- The incision in the hair line will reduce side burns and pull back the hair line. Although less noticeable, it can be more distorting - but an excellent choice for a woman with thick hair and minimal side burns.
- The incision at the hair line preserves the hair line and hair - and is designed so that hair will grow over the incision and hide it although this takes time.
- Mini-lift incisions may not go above the ear at all and MACS lifts go a short way.
Always see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Hope you found this answer helpful. Best wishes.
At your consultation with your surgeon they will explain to you where your incisions will be and exactly what entails with the procedure.
It plastic surgeon will adjust the incisions of the facelift to minimize distortions of hairline and sideburns. This will be explained to you by your surgeon prior to the operation.
Web reference: http://www.zubowicz.com/procedures/facelift/
I must admit, i ask myself the same question often. To be completely honest, us surgeons are an interesting group of people. We are very type A (if you know what I mean) and many of us thing our way is, the ONLY way. But you know what, this isn't true. In Surgery, there are many ways to achieve the same effect. Each way has its benefits, drawbacks and of course this all depends on the experience of the person doing it.
One of the things we consider when making the temple incision is the hairline. You can imagine, if we make the incision RIGHT at the hairline it may be more viable, especially in people with little or no hair. However, there is a benefit of this over another way, putting the incision in the hair. The benefit of this is that the incision is hidden in the hair, however, as we pull the skin there is a chance we can raise your hairline or move your hairline back a bit, which isn't always desirable.
Also, as you mention above, it depends on the type of facelift as well. A "mini-lift" would not use this incision at all, but then you can not really remove much extra skin with all this.
In the end, all surgery has limitations and drawbacks. Our job as surgeons is to inform you of these and help you chose the one that will give you the effect you desire.
I hope this is helpfull,
James P. Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Head and Neck Surgery
practicing in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
One of the things we consider when making the temple incision is the hairline. You can imagine, if we make the incision RIGHT at the hairline it may be more viable, especially in people with little or no hair. However, there is a benefit of this over another way, putting the incision in the hair. The benefit of this is that the incision is hidden in the hair, however, as we pull the skin there is a chance we can raise your hairline or move your hairline back a bit, which isn't always desirable.
Also, as you mention above, it depends on the type of facelift as well. A "mini-lift" would not use this incision at all, but then you can not really remove much extra skin with all this.
In the end, all surgery has limitations and drawbacks. Our job as surgeons is to inform you of these and help you chose the one that will give you the effect you desire.
I hope this is helpfull,
James P. Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Head and Neck Surgery
practicing in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
As you are now aware, there are a number of ways to make face lift incisions. The choices, pros and cons, should be discussed with you by your surgeon prior to surgery. I prefer the incision in the temporal scalp because it hides easily as you mention. The scar in front of the temple hairline tends to be more visible.
The answers to this question should make it apparent to you that a few surgeons need to be seen in consultation for you to be comfortable with the answer. For the most part the surgeon will do what he/she is most familiar with in conjunction with how they were trained. Each incision has their pros and cons (I favor the incision in the hairline - that way you will practically never see a scar), but if you visit several specialized facelift surgeons, you will get a feel about what is good for you, and who you feel comfortable with.
Web reference: http://www.AssociatesinPlasticSurgery.com
There are probably as many incisions used in facelift surgery as there are newly created names for facelifts. Several factors are generally considered by the facelift surgeon in creating the incisions for the facelift. The sex of the patient, the height of the temporal hairline, the depth of creases in front of the ear, and most importantly, the objective of you and your surgeon in performing the facelift. A good facelift surgeon will likely consider these variables and many more in order to give you the most natural and pleasing facelift result.
Web reference: http://www.renudc.com/facelift.html
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
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