Why Skin is Pulled Tight by Surgeons in a Facelift and How Scars and Pixie Ears can be Revised
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- A woman had a facelift that left her with a widened and thickened scar behind her ear. Her facelift also left her with a pixie ear deformity. She asks how to remove the scars and correct her ears.
Dr. Amiya Prasad, an oculofacial cosmetic surgeon, explains that plastic surgeons usually pull the skin extra tight because based on their experience, there may be some skin regression as time passes. They also take into consideration the tension and closure of the incision and how that heals. Sometimes, despite the proper closure of the incision, scars become wide and thickened and this can happen in any part of the body like in a facelift.
A maturing process in the skin called collagen remodeling or tissue remodeling happens within a year after surgery. This is an important part of the healing process so that there is enough skin to work with if a revision or any adjustment has to be made. If the skin is too tight, it may be hard to make any changes.
In cases where there is scar formation, it can be camouflaged by one's hairstyle. Hair follicles can grow out through the scar as time passes by. In addition, patients may consider a scar revision or the placement of hair follicles that would address the widening of the scar. A thickened scar may also be treated with the combination of 5-Fluorouracil and a drug called Kenalog that are injected to the area to soften and flatten the scar. However, in cases such as pixie ear deformity, minor surgery is done to tuck the ear back in depending if the patient has enough skin to work with. A combination management during the post-operative period and the maturity point a year after is important to avoid complications such as scars and regression.
You go where other videos fail to go and the questions you address are so informative. Thanks so much!
You're welcome, Lexi smart. And thanks for the compliments, and thank you for watching! Much appreciated!
After face-lift my earlobes are one inch longer why
Hi Kallie Crowley,
It is likely due to the facelift incision that was made along the front of your ear, and pulling on the earlobes known as a pixie ear. You can refer to these videos about it, and how it's avoided:
th-cam.com/video/j9qvDpPiQ50/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/c_Sg_4cmDgQ/w-d-xo.html
Can it be fixed
Hi Kallie Crowley,
If you are asking about revising a pixie ear, yes, it can be revised so the earlobe is detached, but an examination is needed to determine the best approach for you. Appearance of scars can also be improved, but an examination is also needed to determine the best treatment, or combination of treatments. I hope this clarifies things for you.
Picture at 01:15.
The patient says "the scars have widened and thickened behind the ears". Is that a picture of a keloid scar that has developed from the incision? Or is it a different type of scar? I had heard that darker skin is more prone to keloid scarring. So somewhat surprised that a light skinned patient is apparently suffering from keloid scarring . 🤔
Hi Raul,
This is not my patient, but someone who submitted images. Based on the images alone, it seems to be a combination of a widened scar due to skin tension after surgery, along with thickening in some areas commonly described as keloid scarring. While darker skin is more prone to keloid scarring with incisions, it can also occur in lighter skin, especially with skin tension on the incision line. I hope this clarifies things for you.