Staples behind the ear (facelift)?

Staples are often used during a facelift because they are quicker than sutures, and are hidden in the hairline. However, when staples are placed correctly, they should not result in more noticeable scars.

In my opinion, staples are an inferior modality to close facelift incisions.  There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is that they are painful to the patient and leave red railroad tracks on the back of the neck from the clamps themselves. Facelift incisions should be sewn with the utmost of finesse and precision. Personally, I prefer to hand sew all facelift incisions in careful, perfectly approximated layers.  

I agree with you. I do not use staples for facelift.  Placing precise sutures provide a better incision approximation and better scaring.   Scaring also can occur with too much tension on the incision lines.  A well performed facelift should have minimal scaring. I perform my own technique for facelift using local anesthesia and twilight sedation.

HI Jane,I do not think that it makes too much of a difference as to what type of material is used behind the ear. the final scar depends more on the tension used in the closure and the skill of the surgeon. Also, the length of time that the sutures or staples are left in also plays a role.Discuss with your surgeon why he/she prefers one method over another and voice your concerns about the incision.Best Wishes,Dr. Christine Rodgers

Thank you for you question. Staples are often used in the scalp instead of sutures because they are less traumatic to the hair follicles and are less likely to cause alopecia. Hope this helps. 

Personally I do not use staples but the use of staples in facelift hairline incisions is not uncommon. More important than sutures versus staples is that your outcome and scarring is mainly affected by the type of facelift and deeper structural support, degree of skin tension and the use of buried absorbable tension removing sutures. All the best.

There has been great debate over the years on the best way to close face lift incisions. Personally I do not use staples when closing face and neck lift incisions (either in front or behind the ear). However, I have used staples in the hairline portion of the incision  male patients)  and found that removal around 10 days does not result a difference in scarring when compared with sutures. Additionally, if sutures are tied (secured) too tight they can lead to blood loss to the tissues. The tension on the skin closure and the technical aspects of how a face lift is performed seems to be more important than if staples are used in the posterior hairline incision. I would not consider using staples anywhere else.  

Thanks for your question. I prefer not to use staples, but many facelift surgeons do use them to help close the incisions in the posterior hairline (behind the ear) region. As long as they are removed with in 7-10 days, there should be no major difference in scarring compared with sutures placed on the outside of the skin. Best wishes on your recovery.

Incisions closed with properly-placed staples heal just as well as those closed with sutures.  Staples are often preferred in hair-bearing locations because they are faster to place, easier to locate and quicker to remove.  With that being said, sutures can definitely be used to close these incisions if that is your preference.  I recommend that you discuss this with your surgeon and I am sure he or she can accommodate.

It's not unusual to use staple to close the incisions within the hair since the hair would  conceal any visible marks. It is faster to use  staples and if placed  correctly, the result is the same whether staples or sutures are used.