After the face and neck lift, a huge "cut" was left on my neck - What went wrong here? (photos)

Question

c. It looked like a very long cut which started behind my ears and was ending on the neck. After several months the "cut" disappeared and the scar was left instead. What caused this? Will there be any permanent consequences? Thanks for your response!

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars. 
 
Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

John Michael Thomassen, MD · Answer

It looks like too much tension was placed along the vector where the scarring appeared.  This may have compromised the skin and created that scar.  For now, I would recommend massage with a scar cream.  After some time, you may benefit from a revision to help improve the scars.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

We try very hard with facelifts to artfully remove skin from the face and carefully distribute the skin from the larger area of the face to the smaller areas around the ears. The details of your facelift suggest a less than artful removal of skin. This results the ugly scars and folds. The incision in front of the left ear for example was not tailored to the natural curves of the anterior ear. Respecting these curves helps make for less conspicuous scars. Suture tracks are evident which suggests that the sutures were removed later than is idea. I do think that time will help fade some of these scars. Cosmetic dermatologist are offering care to help minimize scars with the use of 5-FU and reduce redness with laser treatment. Some of these pleats may benefit from surgical revision but I think more time will also be helpful,

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

The scar into the hairline is normal. The bunching up the the skin below the earlobe could be corrected with a minor revision

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

You have a scar. You can ask your surgeon why it is there. Micro-needling can be helpful and avoid the sun or it will darken.

Adam Goodwin, MBBS, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

I have a number of facelift question and answer session is on my YouTube channel Adam Goodwin surgery.

many thanks for your question. It does seem an unusual place for a scar from your photos. It may just be a crease with some underlying it indentation. We see this a lot following facelift surgery. I can certainly see the rest of your scars are red and fresh and given time they will all settle very significantly.

Ask your surgeon if there is a scar in this position, but either way I'm very confident your scars fade over time. Sadly, those with fair skin 10 to create a fresh pinks cars that can be obvious for several months after facelift surgery.

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