Hiding Incisions in Facial Plastic Surgery

A very common question I get at virtually all my consults is: “where are the incisions?”  This is a very valid question and something that every patient should understand well.  As facial plastic surgeons, how do we plan incisions that are not noticeable?

We can use three main areas that help hide any potential incision as much as possible.

• along the curvature of facial features
• parallel with relaxed skin tension lines
• within the hair

Natural curves are a great place to hide incisions.  For example, our curves and contour of the ear, the nose, the chin, or the jawline give us facial shape. Any incisions that follow those facial contours will “blend in” to their surroundings.  These areas are commonly used for cosmetic procedures.

Relaxed skin tension lines are those lines that you see when you express your face (smiling, frowning, raising your eye brows, etc.).  Muscles of the face pull on the skin to create facial expression. That muscle pull also creates natural folds in the skin.  Any incisions that are placed parallel to or within those lines also blend in very well.  These lines are commonly used for reconstructive procedures.

Finally, any incisions within the hair hide very well.  Hair can cover up any potential scar or imperfection.  In addition, when an area heals well, hair can grow through a scar or previous incision site, covering the area even better.

Facial plastic surgery is unique in that incisions must be planned even more precisely than other areas. We cannot cover our faces with clothing! Careful planning and design of incisions are important in not only giving you the best result, but also avoiding any noticeable scarring during the healing process.

Here’s to the beautiful human face,

-Dr. Yamamoto