Is there any hope for my ears after facelift surgery? (Photo)

Question

It has been 7 months since I had facelift surgery and the tragus on my ears still look weird. Is there any hope they will improve? My surgeon brushed off my concerns.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Your tragus is mildly deformed. I don’t think bad enough to get a revision but if you really wanted I’m sure you could find  a surgeon to do it

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Hello,

I’m sorry to learn about your experience. I recommend waiting at least one year post-procedure before considering any revisions. In the interim, a combination of CO2 laser treatment may be beneficial for addressing scarring, along with a Kenalog (triamcinolone) injection to reduce scar tissue and minimize swelling. After the one-year mark, you can revisit the matter with your surgeon for further evaluation.

Robert M. Wald, Jr., MD · Answer

It takes up to a year to heal following surgery. There will be minor changes over the next several months. The tragus will not change significantly but will get better over this time.

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

The tragus can be slightly blunted due to tissue thickness placed on top of it, skin design and tissue tightness when closing the incision.  It may be possible to do a revision of the area under local anesthesia to better define your tragus,  See if your plastic surgeon would consider this.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

A small changes in the ear and in particular earlobe shape can be seen in same patients after face lift surgery. You should allow at least 1 year for scars around ear to soften and mature and if you are still concerned with their shape change seek a second opinion consult by another plastic surgeon(s). Good luck.

Emine Demir, MD · Answer

I hope you are happy with your results. Your ears look good, not bad. I would prefer you to use scar creams continuously it is will help.

Sean Fisher, MD · Answer

scars maturation typically takes a full year. During this time deposited scar tissue is remodeled and softens considerably. I typically do not recommend patients consider any surgical intervention for scaring until close to this 1 year mark. Prior to surgical intervention, patients should ensure they are optimizing scar healing with scar massage, silicone gel, and may consider steroid injections if a scar is overly thickened. If things have not changed significantly at 1 year, I will than recommend that patients consider more invasive treatments to address scaring they are unhappy with.

Daniel A. Barker, MD · Answer

i assume they brushed it off because they think that it will get better. you could consider getting an IPL or similar to help with the redness. At 7 months some scars will still be a little red. They should continue to fade. Try a couple of sessions of IPL or BBL and give it up to a full year.

Thomas Spalla, MD · Answer

A blunted tragus is a tell-tale sign of facelift surgery. This can occur when a retrotragal approach is taken and the contracture pulls on this cartilage. However, it can also occur with a pretragal approach if excessive tension is placed on the tragus with skin closure. As the scar contracts, it can pull on the tragus. Patients with thinner/weaker cartilage are at a higher risk.

I would recommend waiting until 1 year after your surgery for full scar maturation prior to undergoing a revision. This may involve lifting the skin in that area and building the area with volume. Cartilage grafting can be considered. This can be taken from the ear itself or nasal septal cartilage.
Your surgeon should discuss the risks of this in detail with you at the time of consultation.

Is there any hope for my ears after facelift surgery? (Photo)

Answers (9)

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