"Pulling Sensation" and Numbness After Mini-lift?

At three months, you have not completely healed, and the "pulling sensation" will continue to improve over the next several months. If it does not completely resolve, a revision of this area under local anesthesia to take tension off the cheek skin by the earlobe with long-acting dissolvable sutures to the mastoid fascia just behind the earlobe will relieve this completely, but will create a new scar (probably a better one as there is less tension) and can also correct the "pixie ear" or other earlobe deformitiy if you have this.

Skin sensation will gradually recover as well, but will take up to 6 months or longer, and may not reture to full pre-operative sensibility. Virtually all patients note this early on, and virtually nobody is bothered by this after 6 months! Not to worry!

I thought "mini-lifts" involved only a "few days" of healing and "virtually no down-time." Maybe that was the "lunchtime lift." I guess not. (Sorry for the sarcasm--surgery is surgery no matter how slick the advertising or marketing is!)

The "pulling" sensation you are experiencing on the earlobe is most likely normal, and secondary to scar tissue formation under the skin.  As the scar tissue softens over time this sensation should subside.  If the skin flap was pulled too tightly this may lead to a "pixie ear" deformity where the earlobe looks abnormally elongated.  This will have to be evaluated after 12 months of healing.  The numbness at the earlobe is also common, as the sensory nerves are cut when the skin flap is elevated during the procedure.  All symptoms should improve and fully resolve in about 6 months.....Good Luck.....Dr. Corrado