4 Weeks SMAS Post Tragus, Both Ears Looks Unnatural Can It Be Fixed to Look Better Really Depressed with out Come? (photo)

Question

looks to unnatural and screams face lift, skin seems to be overlapping ear lobe and tragus has no curve, can a revision be done if so how long should I wait I going to have to wear a hat permanently because of it.

Jeffrey LaGrasso, MD · Answer

The male facelift is an extremely challenging procedure which is different then a female variant. During the procedure, meticulous attention must be paid to placement of the incision ( I always use retrotragal or behind tragus instead of preauricular which is in front) and closure of the incision. The tragus is well defined in most people because the skin overlying it is thin. If the facelift flap is not defatted properly the tragus will look thick. Also, if it is too tight in the tragal area the tragus can pull forward. At only 4 weeks there still is edema (swelling) so I would wait it out as well as scar formation. If after 4-6 months the same issue persists you would be ready for a revision. I would follow up closely with your surgeon.

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

Four weeks is way too soon to access your final results especially concerning the tragus. I often tell my patients to expect about 75% of their final results around  12 weeks and the final result closer to a year.

Boris M. Ackerman, MD · Answer

Ear deformity after a male faceliftMale Facelift requires specific surgical maneuvers to avoid any tell tale 
sign of a facelift.  One of the more obvious signs of a facelift is funny 
looking ear, and obvious scars in front of an ear.  It takes skills, experience 
and talent to perform a facelift with significant result and  yet quite 
natural.  In your particular case you will require revision to correct the clear 
signs of a facelift.  you will have to wait at least 6 month before this 
procedure can be undertaken.  Make sure you seek out a surgeon that has 
experience doing revision  surgery on male facelift, as a simple scar revision 
will not correct your deformity.

Thomas Buonassisi, MD · Answer

Give it some time to heal to allow the skin on the tragus to thin. Once healed the skin can be thinned and set in more deeply to simulate the natural crease that forms in front of the tragus. Facelift incission placement in front of the tragus avoids this problem.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

At 4 weeks after facelift, the tragus blunting may just be the result of swelling. The skin will relax as well and will affect both of these structures. I would wait at least 6 months before considering a revision. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

There is still some swelling present at four weeks after a facelift, so it is still too soon to know how things will ultimately look. The ears will improve with more time and I would recommend waiting at least six months before even thinking about any revision surgery for your ears.

Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, MBA · Answer

Thank you for your pictures.  Its early in your recovery.  Ear contour should improve with decreasing of the swelling. Post tragal incisions are typically considered for women and can produce blunting of the tragus.  This may not be correctable.  I think you lobe will be fine.  Give everything time.

	Dr. ES

Paul Wigoda, MD · Answer

It is early, but I would guess you will want to have it revised. I would wait 4 to 6 months before undergoing a revision. The location of the incisions, the way they are closed, the thinning of the skin over the tragus, and other small technical details make a big difference in the final outcome.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Sometimes with facelift surgery the ear can become distorted. This may be a combination of the designed incisions and the lack of thinning of the overlying skin or soft tissue around the tragus. You will have to wait at least 6 months or so for things to settle down before revising it. Good luck.

Kent V. Hasen, MD · Answer

Not only is the incision placement, but the closure is of critical importance in facelift surgery. At 4 weeks, you may still have significant swelling that could be part of the cause for the blunting of the tragus (the rectangular part of the ear above the earlobe that appears red in the photo). This area of the ear needs to have clear demarcation or it is a tell tale sign of a facelift. Addtionally, the ear lobe appears a bit attached. If you started with a detached earlobe (one that dangled a bit) then you may need to address this with your plastic surgeon after everything heals to see if it can be made more like it was before the surgery. In men having beard hair too close to the ear also can look strange, so you may consider laser hair removal of those hairs right in front of the incision by the ear.

4 Weeks SMAS Post Tragus, Both Ears Looks Unnatural Can It Be Fixed to Look Better Really Depressed with out Come? (photo)

Answers (12)

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