Facelift Scar, Double Chin Muscle Tying Scar: What Does It Look Like After 1 Year?

Hello,

I’m Yoo Young-ki, the chief surgeon at Roy Plastic Surgery.

Today, through the case of a woman in her mid-60s, I’d like to look at how facelift scars actually heal over time.

She underwent a facelift, neck lift, and double chin muscle tying together, and right after surgery, the part she worried about most was scarring around the ears and ear shape changes known as “knife ears.”

First, to briefly introduce the patient’s condition before surgery, as she aged, her cheeks and jawline naturally sagged,

and the skin around her neck also loosened, making her double chin look more prominent.

She wanted to improve everything at once, so we decided to perform a facelift, neck lift, and double chin muscle tying together.

But during the consultation, what she worried about most was,

“What if the scar around my ears is too noticeable after surgery, or my ears become deformed like knife ears?”

Many people think facelift scars will not remain as long as the suturing is done well, but in fact, what matters even more is how the surgery is performed.

If the skin is simply pulled forcefully, then no matter how neat the stitching is, the force trying to reopen the wound keeps acting, and in the end the scar is more likely to stand out.

On the other hand, if the SMAS layer is sufficiently dissected in a deep plane and properly lifted,

the tension on the skin can be greatly reduced, which increases the chance that the scar will heal beautifully.

This patient also underwent surgery using that technique. Instead of pulling only the skin tightly, we firmly fixed the deeper SMAS layer, which reduced the tension at the sutured skin area and ultimately kept the scar from becoming very noticeable.

The patient was also worried about getting knife ears around the ears, but when she actually looked, she said she felt relieved because there was nothing like that at all. :)

Especially if you compare the photos taken on day 11 after surgery with the photos taken 1 year later, the difference is clear.

First, here are the photos taken on day 11.

On day 11, the stitches were just about to be removed, so the wound still did not look very good. Still, because it had been closed well without excessive tension, she said it did not bother her much in daily life.

Next are the photos taken 1 year after the facelift scar.

But when you look at the photos after 1 year, the facelift scar has faded so much that it is hard to believe it is the same incision line, and people around her apparently did not notice it at all.

Next, let’s compare the ear shape before and after surgery. The left side is before surgery, and the right side is 1 year later.

I often emphasize that “suturing technique is not the only thing that determines scars.”

Of course, neat suturing skill is important, but what matters even more is how the skin is pulled during surgery, and how stably the internal tissues are organized.

If the SMAS is strongly lifted in a deep plane, the tension on the skin is greatly reduced, which helps the facelift scar form less noticeably.

Also, when a neck lift and double chin muscle tying are performed together, it becomes possible to fundamentally address the sagging muscles and fat between the neck and chin.

That way, a more natural overall line is achieved, and the burden of any additional scarring is also reduced.

Fortunately, by improving the neck and under-chin area all at once, this patient achieved a two-in-one effect!

In summary, if you are worried about facelift scars, it is better to go one step beyond the idea that “as long as the suturing is good, that’s enough,”

and carefully check the surgical method itself.

The more important question is, “Is the skin being pulled strongly, or is the SMAS layer being lifted in a deep plane?”

Knife-ear deformity also has a higher risk of occurring if the tension on the skin is not properly relieved.

As this case shows, facelift scars look clearly different at 11 days after surgery compared with about 1 year later, and using the right technique can greatly reduce the chance of knife ears or rough scars being left behind.

Hearing that people around her said they “didn’t even know she had surgery” must have made the patient even more satisfied.

I hope this information is helpful, even just a little, for those who are considering a facelift in the future.

If you want to know more about facelift scars, or if you are curious about how the surgery is performed, it would be good to learn more through an in-person consultation at the clinic.

Please feel free to contact us anytime.

If you are curious about other facelift cases, please read the post below :)

https://blog.naver.com/youngkeeyoumd/223723195005

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Roy Plastic Surgery Clinic (Sinsa Station, Line 3) Main phone number: 02-516-5525

Weekdays 10:00 ~ 19:00 Saturdays 10:00 ~ 16:00

Roy Plastic Surgery complies with the Medical Service Act. The photos in this post were taken under the same conditions, and are images taken with the patient’s prior consent. Also, after plastic surgery or procedures, side effects such as bleeding, infection, and inflammation may occur depending on the individual, so caution is required.