Almost everyone heading into face lift surgery worries about the line in front of the ear. But the cuts everywhere else around it are arguably more challenging.

Dr. Bass and Dr. Kylie Edinger walk through every cut made during a facelift — from the sideburn and hairline above the ear, down through or in front of the tragus, around the earlobe, behind the ear, and back into the hairline of the neck. Each location has at least two viable variations, and which one a surgeon picks depends on whether the lift is focused on the midface or the jawline and neck, the thickness of the skin, how someone tends to scar, and even how they wear their hair.

They cover why men with thicker pre-tragal skin often get a different cut than women, how a retrotragal incision hides better but risks blunting the tragus, why an anterior hairline cut can be made oblique to let hair grow through and disguise the scar, what causes the pixie ear deformity at the earlobe, and how scars mature over a full year with help from silicone gels, anti-inflammatory injections, and lasers.

The scar you end up with is mostly about your genetics. The surgeon's job is to place each line where it belongs, sew it with finesse, and have the full revision toolkit ready if any of them need help along the way.

About Dr. Kylie Edinger

Dr. Kylie Edinger is a plastic surgeon practicing in Bozeman, Montana. During the creation of this facelift series, she was training as an aesthetic plastic surgery fellow with Dr. Bass and a host of other world class plastic surgeons at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital in New York City. Part of the prestigious Northwell Health program, this is one of the top aesthetic plastic surgery fellowships in the country. Dr. Edinger completed her plastic surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin.

Follow Dr. Edinger on Instagram @kylieedinger

Questions answered by this episode:

1. Where are facelift incisions actually placed around the ear? 2. What's the difference between a pre-tragal and retro-tragal facelift incision? 3. Why do men often need a different facelift incision than women? 4. What is a pixie ear deformity and how do surgeons prevent it? 5. How does a facelift incision change for a midface lift versus a neck lift? 6. What is the submental incision and why is it part of a facelift? 7. How long does it take for facelift scars to fade? 8. Can lasers, silicone gels, and injections improve a healing facelift scar? 9. What facelift incision options are there for bald men or men with very short hair? 10. Can the same incisions be reused for a revision facelift years later?

About Dr. Lawrence Bass

Innovator. Industry veteran. In-demand Park Avenue board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Lawrence Bass is a true master of his craft, not only in the OR but as an industry pioneer in the development and evaluation of new aesthetic technologies. With locations in both Manhattan (on Park Avenue between 62nd and 63rd Streets) and in Great Neck, Long Island, Dr. Bass has earned his reputation as the plastic surgeon for the most discerning patients in NYC and beyond.

To learn more, visit the Bass Plastic Surgery website or follow the team on Instagram @drbassnyc

Subscribe to the Park Avenue Plastic Surgery Class newsletter to be notified of new episodes & receive exclusive invitations, offers, and information from Dr. Bass.