Posts tagged plastic surgery in Scottsdale

The Ear and your Facelift Incisions.

Scottsdale – We got to see, in our last blog, our human ear model yesterday and learn about the different parts of the external ear. In today’s blog, we plan to continue our discussion on facelift incisions and the relationship to the ear.

Doing what Board Certified Plastic Surgeons do?

In the Diagram: The Ear and your Facelift Incisions, we have drawn in a fairly accurate description of the facelift incisions most often used by this board certified plastic surgeon.

Let’s look carefully!

Versatility: For Facelift and Neck Lift Incisions.

In front of the ear, just where the root of the ear makes a smooth circle, we make our face or neck lift incision. The incision follows the shape of the root down to the tragus. At this point, the cosmetic surgeon, has to make an important decision to go on top of the tragus or in front of the tragus. I almost always prefer the top of the tragus, especially in women.

Advantages of Facelift Incisions on the Tragus.

The greatest advantage of this location is the fact that the incision becomes hardly noticeable when fully healed. Going in front of the tragus is advantageous in men, who have beards, and would not want to shave the top of the tragus after plastic surgery of the face.

Planning of Facelift around the Lobule.

When we get to the bottom of the tragus, we make a sharp turn forward and then we slide down into the lobule-face border. Hugging the lobule when making this incision is very important to achieve the best hidden incision. Once fully around the lobule, we head up  sliding along the sulcus (not shown). We will reach a certain spot in the sulcus (see Diagram), where it becomes safe to turn into the scalp at an angle which allows the cosmetic surgeon to hid the incision among the hair.

How far up do we take it?

Well, this actually depends on patient desire and the need to lift the cheek during facial plastic surgery. The incision that rises onto the scalp from the root of the ear may be short, when not much is needed, or extended when a high cheek lift is designed. We must remember that not everyone heals the same. Most patients have great looking incisions, but some rare individuals may experience scarring regardless of technique.