Dear Dr. Seckel, I want and need a face lift but I am scared of having scars on my face that other people can see. I don’t want anyone to know I had a face lift. Is it possible to hide the scars? Thank you, Brenda, Boston, Massachusetts.
Dear Brenda,
Thank you for your important question. Concern about face lift scars is one of the most common concerns that all people considering face lift surgery have. People also want to look natural and do not want people to know they have had face lift surgery.
A properly done face lift by an experienced, careful board certified plastic surgeon should not have scars that are visible to the casual observer and should make you look like the same person, just younger-(See Photo Below):
After an expertly performed face lift 75-80% of the scar is hidden in the hair and behind the ear. An excellent result following a face lift would be when “only your hair dresser knows” that you have had a face lift. You should have a natural look after a face lift.
I do not think concern about face lift scars should keep you from having a face lift. The key is finding a very experienced board certified plastic surgeon who does many face lift procedures frequently-I mean almost weekly.
I have seen bad face lift scars and in my 25 years as a plastic surgeon I can tell you that invariably the bad face lift scars have been left by inexperienced doctors who rarely do face lifts or who are just starting their practice and are inexperienced.
The face lift is one of the most challenging operations in plastic surgery and it takes excellent training, board certification in plastic surgery and years of experience to get a good result with minimal scarring every time.
Modern face lift techniques are designed to hide the face lift scars. I use a technique bin which I hide the only visible part of the face lift scar inside the ear canal so that the potentially most visible portion of the scar is hidden from view. See the photo below for an example:
The visible part of the scar is covered by the hair in its upper portion and the lower portion is hidden in a fold in front of the ear. Honestly my patients do not complain about visible scars or an unnatural look.
The results of a well done face lift are wonderful. The face should not look different-you should simply look like you did 20 years before.
Don’t let the fear of face lift scars prevent you from having a face lift. Do your homework and find an experienced board certified plastic surgeon who is comfortable with the face lift procedure. You will be able to tell by speaking with the surgeon.
Ask to see photos of the doctor’s results. Be certain the doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Ask the doctor how many face lifts he/she does in a year. Trust your intuition.
For more information on how to choose a plastic surgeon read my book “Save Your Face” or call me at 978-369-4499.
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Dr Seckel