Facelift Scars: Where They Are and How They Heal

Facelift scars are the price of every surgical facelift: skin cannot be lifted and removed without an incision. They are also among the best-hidden scars in cosmetic surgery, because they follow the natural folds around the ear and run into the hair. Whether you write it facelift scars or face lift scars, the questions are the same — where exactly are they, how long do they stay visible, and what happens if one heals badly. This guide answers them honestly.

Where are facelift scars?

A full facelift incision has four parts, and each heals a little differently:

1. Temple: inside the hair above the ear, or along the front edge of the sideburn.
2. In front of the ear: in the natural crease where the ear meets the cheek, or partly hidden behind the small cartilage flap at the front of the ear (the tragus).
3. Around the earlobe: tucked into the groove where the lobe joins the face.
4. Behind the ear: up the fold at the back of the ear and then across into the hairline at the back of the head.

When the neck is treated as well, a short scar of about three centimetres is added in the crease under the chin.

Face lift scars by type of operation

A longer scar is not a worse scar. What matters is where it lies and how much tension is on it — a short scar pulled tight heals worse than a long one closed loosely.

In front of the ear or inside it?

Surgeons place the scar in front of the ear in one of two ways. A pretragal incision runs in the crease just in front of the tragus; it suits patients, often men, with a deep natural crease and thicker, hair-bearing cheek skin. A retrotragal incision runs along the inner edge of the tragus, so the scar is hidden just inside the ear; it is very hard to see but requires careful thinning of the skin so the tragus keeps its natural shape. Neither is right for everyone. Ask your surgeon which one is planned for you and why.

Scars and your hairline

The part of the incision in the hair matters as much as the part on the skin:

• An incision placed inside the hair at the temple is invisible, but when a lot of skin is removed it can move the sideburn upwards and backwards.
• An incision along the hairline keeps the sideburn and the hairline behind the ear in place, at the cost of a fine scar at the edge of the hair.
• Behind the ear, a badly planned closure leaves a visible "step" in the hairline, which shows when the hair is worn up.

If you wear your hair short or tied back, tell your surgeon before the operation — it changes the plan.

How facelift scars heal: month by month

• Weeks 1–2: fine stitches or clips; the lines are red with a little crusting. The stitches in front of the ear come out first.
• Weeks 3–6: closed, pink and slightly raised. Make-up can cover the part in front of the ear once your surgeon agrees.
• Months 2–4: often the most noticeable stage — pinker, firmer, sometimes itchy. This is normal remodelling. The scar behind the ear, where the skin is under most tension, usually takes longest.
• Months 6–12: the colour fades and the scars soften and flatten.
• After 12 months: in most patients, fine pale lines that are difficult to find at conversational distance. On darker skin, scars can stay darker or lighter than the surrounding skin for longer.

For the rest of the healing process — swelling, numbness, work and exercise — see our guide to facelift recovery time.

How to help facelift scars heal

1. No nicotine for four to six weeks before and after surgery. The lifted skin in front of and behind the ear depends on a reduced blood supply, and nicotine reduces it further.
2. No tension: avoid turning the head sharply, heavy lifting and straining in the first weeks.
3. Keep the incisions clean exactly as instructed; do not pick at crusts.
4. Sun protection for at least a year — a hat and high-factor sunscreen. Sun on a young scar can darken it for good.
5. Silicone gel on the scars once they are fully closed, if your surgeon recommends it. Gel is easier than sheets around the ear.
6. Hair dye and heat styling only when the incisions are healed, usually after about six weeks.

When facelift scars heal badly

Most facelift scars heal well, but several specific problems are worth knowing, because they are what you should look for in before-and-after photos:

• Widened scar: a broad, pale scar, most often behind the ear, caused by tension on the skin.
• Hypertrophic scar or keloid: raised, red and firm; more common behind the ear and in patients with a personal or family tendency. Steroid injections and silicone often help.
• Pixie ear: the earlobe is pulled downwards and attached to the cheek, a sign that the skin was closed under tension.
• Changed tragus: a flattened or pulled-forward tragus that leaves the ear canal more open than before.
• Hair loss along the scar: thinning at the temple or behind the ear, often temporary, sometimes permanent.
• Shifted hairline: a raised sideburn or a step in the hairline behind the ear.
• Slow healing or skin loss behind the ear: much more likely in smokers; it usually heals with dressings but leaves a broader scar.

Many of these can be improved with a small scar revision under local anaesthetic, usually not before six to twelve months, and permanent hair loss can sometimes be treated with a small hair graft. None of them is completely avoidable, but careful planning and a tension-free closure make them much less likely.

Questions to ask about scars before a facelift in Turkey

• Where exactly will my incisions run — in front of the tragus or behind it, in the hair or along the hairline?
• Can I see photos of the ears and hairline, not only the jaw line, at six to twelve months?
• Do you close the skin without tension, with the lift carried by the deeper layer?
• If a scar needs revising, who does it and what does it cost?
• Who checks my scars after I fly home?

Our guide to a facelift in Turkey explains the techniques — including the deep plane facelift and the mini facelift — and what a package from €5,410 includes. If hooded lids are part of your concern, eyelid surgery adds its own fine scar in the lid crease. You can send your photos and questions through the free quote form.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the scars after a facelift?

They start in or along the hairline at the temple, run in the crease in front of the ear or just inside its edge, pass around the earlobe and continue behind the ear into the hairline. A neck lift adds a short scar under the chin.

Are facelift scars visible?

In the first months they are pink and can be seen at close range. After about a year they are usually fine pale lines hidden in the folds of the ear and the hair, and hard to find at conversational distance.

How long do facelift scars take to heal?

The wounds close within two weeks, the scars are often most noticeable between the second and fourth month, and they then fade and soften over six to twelve months.

Do mini facelift scars look different?

They are shorter — usually in front of the ear and around the earlobe only — but they heal in the same way and need the same care.

Can you wear your hair up after a facelift?

Yes, once the scars have matured. If you wear your hair up or short, tell your surgeon before surgery so the incision behind the ear and the hairline can be planned for it.

What is a pixie ear after a facelift?

An earlobe that has been pulled downwards and looks attached to the cheek. It is caused by tension on the skin closure and can be corrected with a small operation, usually after six to twelve months.

Can bad facelift scars be fixed?

Often, yes. Raised scars can be treated with silicone and steroid injections, and widened scars, a pixie ear or a hairline step can be improved by scar revision after the scar has matured.