The Post-Auricular Incision (In Back of the Ear)

Conventionally, during a facelift, an incision in the post-auricular region was made directly over the concha in order to reduce the chance that the post-auricular flap would droop when the skin was tightened. However, the placement of this incision on the concha can cause a raised scar, webbing, and the formation of creases. It is much more effective and aesthetically pleasing to create an incision on the auriculomastoid groove. Markings should be made while the ear is in a resting position so that the incision does not end up further from where it was intended. It is very important to accurately mark post-auricular incisions prior to surgery because incorrect markings commonly lead to poorly healed scars.