Founder/Director of Noonopi Plastic Surgery, Seoul
Table of Contents
Worried about long scars on your face after a facelift? It’s a common concern since all plastic surgery carries the risk of scarring. Facelifts, in particular, involve significant incisions, which can be daunting. In this article, we reveal how Noonopi Plastic Surgery minimizes facelift scars.
1. Facelift Incision placement
Understanding the cosmetic units of the face is crucial for making scars less noticeable.
Incisions should follow these natural lines to hide scars effectively. While central facial incisions are avoided due to visibility, sagging cheeks and wrinkles are lifted using incisions near the ears.
Traditionally, incisions followed the red line to hide scars within the hairline as seen above. However, Dr. Nk Park of Noonopi Plastic Surgery recommends the green line, a method preferred by top Korean facelift surgeons.
1) Temporal Area Incision
Incorrect incisions within the hairline can push back the hairline or eliminate sideburns.
Above photos are facelift before and after from Noonopi Clinic. So, Dr. Park suggests making incisions along the hairline to preserve sideburns.
2) Behind the Ear Cartilage
There is a diamond-shaped cartilage in front of the ear canal, called tragus cartilage. Incisions can be made in front of or behind the tragus cartilage.
Each method has its pros and cons, but if the incision is made in front of the tragus, the scar may be more visible. The retrotragal method hides scars better but requires skilled execution to avoid deforming the ear’s shape.
However, retrotragal incision has some learning curves. This is because an unskilled doctor can create an awkward shape in front of the ear like the one below.
Many patients can not point it out, but everyone can tell that it feels awkward somehow. Noonopi Plastic Surgery are known for not only hide scars behind the tragus, but also prevent deformation of the tragal cartilage.
Dr. Marten, a world-renowned face lift surgeon, once said,
“Good surgeon can be judged by the outcome they made in facelift scars ears.”
Timothy Marten
Following his teachings, Dr. Park provide treatment paying close attention to the shape of the area around the ears, including the tragus cartilage, sideburns, and earlobes.
The case above shows the 3-weeks after facelift, and you can see that the rhomboid-shaped tragus cartilage in front of the ears is well preserved, the crooked ears are corrected, and the sideburns are preserved to the fullest.
Ultimately, the face lift incision lines recommended by Noonnoppi Plastic Surgery are as follows.
2. Expert Suturing Techniques
Meticulous suturing is essential to avoid noticeable scars. Plastic surgeons’ precision in suturing is why patients prefer them for facial wounds. In facelift surgery, careful suturing are related to longer surgery times but results in minimal scarring.
3. Thorough Follow-Up Care for facelift scars
In most cases, scars are not a major issue even without post-operative care. However, some individuals are prone to severe scarring. In such situations, the following measures can be helpful. Plastic surgery residents undergo extensive training, treating various scars and wounds over four years. This experience and knowledge are far more advanced compared to other medical fields. The follow-up care outlined below is recommended, considering the wound’s healing process.
1) Laser Treatment
Proper management of post-surgery scars is crucial. Wounds heal through the hemostatic, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling phases.
It’s normal for the incision site to harden and swell for 1 to 2 months post-surgery, which occurs during the proliferation and remodeling periods. Early laser treatment can prevent severe scarring by addressing the wound during the critical healing phases.
2) Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
This therapy enhances oxygen delivery to tissues, promoting faster and proper healing.
When surgery is performed, blood flow temporarily decreases, new blood vessels grow, and the tissue regenerates. And hyperbaric oxygen therapy enhances oxygen delivery to tissues, promoting faster and proper healing.
The hyperbaric oxygen chamber enhances the ability of red blood cells to retain and transport more oxygen to tissues. This accelerates the healing of wounds that are not healing well and helps progress through the proper wound healing stages. Consequently, the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in lifting hospitals has recently increased.
4. Conclusion
Noonopi Plastic Surgery’s facelift techniques focus on strategic incision locations, expert suturing, and comprehensive aftercare to minimize and manage scars effectively.