The use of the facelift has been ongoing for more than 100 years with many surgeons looking to perfect their work to reduce the scarring that used to be a part of the procedure and recovery. In the 21st-century, facelift surgery has been one of the most impressive aspects of the evolution of the facelift has been the limiting of scars with new ways of completing this procedure.
What is a Facelift?
A facelift is a surgical procedure that is designed to limit the sagging of the skin and make the appearance of an individual look more youthful. Throughout the procedure, the skin of the patient is lifted and pulled back to smooth sagging and deep wrinkles to make the patient look younger to those around them.
The Mayo Clinic reports the facelift is completed by making an incision on each side of the face close to the ears. Once the incision is made the skin of the face is pulled tight with excess skin removed before sutures are used to close the incisions made close to the ears and behind the hairline.
Should you be Worried by Scarring?
There are many options available for you when you are looking for a facelift with different incisions made for different procedures. The question of scars is a major one that has always been a worry for those who are considering surgery to obtain a youthful appearance.
Although the scars that used to affect the majority of patients were once a sign of a facelift taking place, the latest techniques are limiting the level of scarring seen by the majority of patients. The latest techniques used in facelift surgery bring with them a high level of skill from most surgeons who can limit the level of scarring that is seen by all patients around the world.
In most cases, facelift scars are a concern for very few individuals who are looking to make sure they retain a youthful appearance. For the majority of patients, any form of scarring will only be noticeable to the patient and their doctor with the historic placement of scarring changing as every patient undergoes a surgical procedure unique to their needs.
Where are Scars Positioned?
The positioning of scars has always been one of the most difficult aspects of choosing to undertake a facelift. The positioning of the incisions involved in facelift scars has always been a complex and difficult question to undertake with the majority of surgeons looking to make their incisions as close to the ear and hairline of the patient as possible.
In the present day, the idea of the majority of surgeons undertaking facelift surgery is to position the incisions and limit scarring to the areas of the face that cannot be seen easily. To make sure a scar is not visible to the naked eye, most surgeons now undertake incisions that cling closely to the front of the ear and will hug the hairline to make sure the scars are difficult to view and can be hidden when the patient does not feel confident.
Hiding Scars
One of the most important parts of the facelift procedure is to hide the scars that are caused when the surgeon lifts the skin and pulls it tighter to limit the effects of aging. Once the p[rocedure is started, the surgeon must decide where to position the scars that always raise concerns among patients.
The idea that a scar can be hidden has taken hold in the last couple of decades with surgeons looking for different areas of the face and neck to position these scars. One of the latest areas where a scar is often hidden is within the ear canal and by placing the largest scars behind the ears.
Other areas that can be used to hide the scars are within the hairline that surrounds the ear to make sure all the visible areas of the skin do not show any scarring that might be viewed as part of the facelift procedure. The hiding of scars associated with a facelift has now become an art form for many of the leading surgeons around the nation who take pride in successfully completing their procedures with little scarring.
Take Care of Wounds
One of the best ways of making sure any scarring that is possible is not made worse by neglect when a patient is discharged from the care of their surgeon and staff. When leaving the hospital or medical facility, the patient will be given instructions about how they should care for their wounds to make sure they do not see high levels of scarring. By following the instructions of the surgeon there will be less of a chance of long-term damage being done to the face of the patient by their surgery.