Avoiding Facelift Scarring
Facelift Scarring This female facelift patient dicsusses her surgical concerns and her experience with Dr. Jacono. Listen to her explain how happy she was that there was no visible scarring.
One of the most frequent questions that facelift patients regularly ask Dr. Jacono is “will I have a visible scar”. So, unless you are doing non-invasive facial rejuvenation like microdermabrasion or chemical peels, you should expect the potential for some scarring to be present. That potential is greatly reduced when you are working with an experienced facial plastic surgeon like Dr. Jacono.
While facelift scars are designed to be undetectable once fully healed, it is truly an art to be able to place them in creases and other natural hiding spots to help them be less visible. Considered a pioneer in the field of facelift surgery, he has given lectures on facelift at Harvard Medical School, Yale University, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as delivered over 100 lectures on facelifting at the most important national and international plastic surgery symposia of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgeons, and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Jacono has hosted hundreds of surgeons from 6 continents to observe and teach them how to master the art of proper incision placement.

A good example of one of Dr. Jacono’s minimal scar facelift procedures.

Dr. Jacono facelift patient example with no visible scarring.

Another example of a short scar facelift by Dr. Jacono with no visible scar.
Facelift Scarring and Incision Placement
Where the facelift incisions are placed is important to the success in not only the results of the facelift procedure, but also in hiding the scar. Regardless of what type of facelift surgery is being performed, most of the incisions will involve the skin around your ear.
Below is a list of areas most facelift incisions occur:
- Hairline above and inform of the top of the ear
- Directly in front of the ear
- Behind the ear
- The hairline behind the ear
- If a neck lift is being performed as well, an incision under the chin will be done
The most visible scar from the above list is when placed directly in front of the ear. Dr. Jacono has developed a technique that allows the scar to be less visible by hiding the incision inside the tragus a cartilage of the ear canal and behind the ear. By doing this, Dr. Jacono eliminates an unsightly scar leaving natural looking results.
There are a few other techniques that Dr. Jacono uses to help eliminate scarring. They include:
- Avoidance of extreme tension on the sutures when the incisions are closed
- Use of very fine micro-sutures to close the incisions
- SMAS deep muscle tightening prior to incision closure to allow for less tension on the sutures
- Removal of sutures within 4 days following the facelift procedure
- Proper wound care
- 2 Decades of surgical experience
What Can Patients Do to Improve Facelift Scars?
Prior to your surgery patients should learn as much about the facelift procedure as they can. During your consultation with Dr. Jacono, he will explain the procedure in detail and any questions that you have will be answered. Pre-operative and post-operative instructions will be given to each patient and it is important they follow those instructions. Keeping the incision area clean is extremely important and after about two weeks of recovery, patients should gently massage the incision to help with the healing process.
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Jacono today. You can also call 516-773-4646 to schedule your appointment.