Swelling in Front of Left Ear/earlobe 9 Weeks After SMAS Facelift

Hi Columbus4384-

Swelling is often different between the two sides after a face lift, especially if you had an infection on one side. The ear lobe swelling will go down with time, but may take several months. Be sure to check with your surgeon if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Tom Kaniff

Swelling can take different amounts of time to resolve completely. It is very common for patients to have one area that takes longer than other areas of the face to heal. We usually do not know why this happens, but it almost always evens out over time. Local factors such as wound breakdown or infection can definitely impact the healing process. Earlobe swelling after a facelift is likely due to obstruction of the lymphatic outflow, which should only get better as time goes on. 
Be sure to discuss any post-operative concerns with your surgeon.
All the best,

Earlobes in general will swell after a facelift but your infection on one side probably created more swelling for a prolonged period of time.  The earlobe also takes longer to reduce in size because its the most dependent part of the ear and fluid will drain to the bottom of the ear and hang out in the earlobe and then have to travel up to the earlobe / face attachment for it to drain so takes a while even without an infection.