At a glance
A facelift leaves scars. I plan the incisions to provide the access needed for treatment while considering their position, but I do not promise that the marks will disappear. Incisions may involve the temples, areas around the ears, and an additional opening beneath the chin depending on the neck treatment.1 Before surgery, I want you to understand your planned incisions, the follow-up arrangements, and how to report a concern. A result photograph cannot replace that discussion.
The accompanying portrait is an AI-generated illustration. It does not depict a patient, a scar, or a surgical result.
Make room for the question that matters to you
You may like the possibility of a more defined contour while feeling uncertain about a mark near your ear. If you wear your hair short or often pull it back, that concern may be central to your decision. I would not dismiss it by saying the incision will simply be hidden.
Tell me where you are most concerned about visibility and what you want to understand. I can explain the planned access on your own face instead of asking you to infer it from a general illustration. You should be able to consider the intended improvement and the scar involved in achieving it together.
This article separates incision planning, scar appearance over time, follow-up, and possible problems. Those topics are related, but treating them as one question can create confusion about what to expect and when to seek assessment.
Four questions before the operation
Where will my incisions be?
Ask me to show you the planned route and explain which part belongs to the facelift or an associated procedure. There is more value in understanding the actual plan than in assuming every facelift uses exactly the same access.
What does my previous healing history tell us?
Mention earlier scars, diagnoses, and treatments, even when the mark is elsewhere on your body. Bring records if you have them. You do not need to know a technical name before raising a concern; we can begin with your description.
How will changes be assessed?
Know when follow-up is planned and how to contact the team between appointments. A photograph may help communicate a concern, but it does not always remove the need for examination. Ask how that would be arranged, particularly if you live abroad.
What can you reasonably promise?
I can explain the plan and its limitations, not predict exactly how your skin will heal. The goal is an informed decision, not persuading you that a scar cannot matter because the expected contour improvement is attractive.
The position of an incision is more informative than its label
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons describes traditional facelift access extending from the temporal region around the ear toward the lower scalp, with possible access beneath the chin for neck treatment.1 This is general information, not the drawing of your individual operation.
I prefer to explain the intended route rather than rely on terms such as “small incision.” A shorter line alone does not establish a better operation. The access needs to make sense for what is being treated and for the anatomy being assessed.
Show me how you usually wear your hair and mention any particular concern about the ear or hairline. That is not a request for you to select a hairstyle to conceal surgery. It helps me understand your priorities and explain how the planned incision relates to the areas you notice most.
For men, the beard and sideburn pattern add questions that should be discussed specifically. A general explanation aimed at someone with a different hair pattern may leave an important concern unanswered. I want that conversation to happen before surgery rather than during recovery.
A photograph captures one stage, not the whole course
If you compare images of a scar, first establish when they were taken and whether the views are comparable. Lighting, angle, and distance can change the impression. I do not want a difference between photographs to become an unsupported conclusion about improvement or deterioration.
The NHS explains that scars are permanent although many become less noticeable, and that this can take two years or more.2 That does not mean you should wait years to raise a concern. It means an early appearance should not automatically be presented as the final one.
I also would not use the passage of time as the only answer to a problem. Tell me when a change began, whether it is increasing, and whether there are symptoms. I need that information to assess the situation, rather than assume every complaint is explained by being early in recovery.
Ask what a product is intended to treat
Before starting a scar product, establish what is being treated and whether the area is ready for it. An incompletely healed wound is not the same situation as an established scar. Do not start silicone on an open wound or begin massage on your own; the NHS specifically limits scar massage to a fully healed wound.2
I want your care instructions to be understandable. If cleaning, protection, or a product recommendation is unclear, ask us to explain. Another person’s routine may concern a different wound or a different stage, even when the operation has the same name.
There is no need to purchase several products in advance because they are marketed for scars. Tell us what you already use and ask what, if anything, should be introduced. The purpose and timing of a recommendation matter more than the wording on the package or its price.
What does the evidence say about silicone sheets?
A 2021 Cochrane review included 13 studies and 468 participants with hypertrophic scars. Evidence certainty was low or very low, and the benefit for appearance remained uncertain in several comparisons, including against no silicone sheets.3
The studies involved scars from different causes, not just facelifts. Evidence about treating an established hypertrophic scar is also not identical to evidence for preventing every new surgical scar from becoming noticeable. It should not be extended automatically to all products described as scar treatments.
I can discuss a treatment option without promising that it will erase the mark. Equally, uncertain evidence does not establish that no individual could benefit. The recommendation needs a defined purpose and follow-up, rather than an assumption that buying a particular product settles the issue.
When a change needs prompt attention
Increasing pain or swelling, warmth, or pus should prompt assessment rather than being dismissed as ordinary scar maturation.2 Tell the team what has changed and when. If asked for an image, send it through the indicated channel, but do not assume that a remote exchange will always be sufficient.
For a serious or rapidly worsening problem, seek urgent medical care instead of waiting for a scheduled review or a reply to a message. The person helping you recover should also know where the contact instructions are kept.
Routine follow-up has a different purpose from urgent assessment. Both matter, and one should not replace the other. The patient journey explains the planned sequence; an unexpected concern may require attention outside that schedule.
If the scar continues to bother you
Describe the particular issue: position, width, raised texture, discomfort, or visibility in a situation that matters to you. A general statement that you dislike it is understandable, but a more specific description helps us identify what needs assessment.
I would not select treatment from the name of a product or comparison with another person’s scar. First, I need to examine the area and understand its course. We can then discuss whether the appropriate next step is observation, investigation, or a particular intervention.
If the mark comes from previous surgery, bring the history and any records available. A new operation needs its own rationale and cannot be presented as a promise to erase everything from the earlier procedure. We should discuss the problem being addressed and the limits of what another treatment could offer.
Planning follow-up from another country
Before traveling to Brazil, include postoperative appointments in the arrangements. I do not want scar care to become an afterthought once accommodation and flights are booked. Ask which stages require you to be present and how questions will be handled after returning home.
My usual request is at least 12 days locally after surgery, preferably 14 when possible, to allow the planned follow-up and suture removal. That is a scheduling framework from my practice, not a guarantee that every wound will follow the same timetable or that a particular flight date is medically appropriate.
Remote appointments can support continuing care when suitable, but a photograph cannot replace every physical examination. If another assessment is needed, we should discuss how to obtain it. Keep the care instructions available and ask for clarification before departure if anything remains uncertain.
Looking at results without overlooking the area you care about
When reviewing photographs, ask how long after surgery they were taken. Check whether they actually show the region that concerns you. A distant view may help explain facial contour while showing little detail about an incision near the ear.
Also ask what procedures were combined. I show cases to support a discussion of possibilities and limitations, not to offer someone else’s photograph as a contract for your result. You can appreciate the overall change and still need more information about your own planned scars.
My facelift guide provides the broader explanation of surgery. The scar discussion deserves its own attention within that decision, rather than being treated as a minor detail after the procedure has already been chosen.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask you to show the incision positions before deciding?
Yes. I want the expected route to be part of the consultation. Ask which access belongs to the facelift and which relates to any associated treatment in your plan.
Should I mention a scar I dislike on another part of my body?
Yes. Include any diagnosis or treatment information you have. I will assess what that history contributes without assuming that every future scar must have the same appearance.
Does an expensive cream guarantee a better scar?
No. Price does not establish a result. We need to know the situation being treated, the timing, and the purpose of the recommendation. Ask how its effect will be assessed and what limitations apply.
Is it reasonable to consult mainly because I am worried about scars?
Yes. Understanding them is part of deciding about surgery. You can come with that concern without already having decided to operate. I want to explain the plan and hear what would affect your choice.
Bring the concern into the planning
If scars are an important part of your decision, contact Bruna to arrange a consultation from abroad. I can explain the expected access, discuss your history, and clarify follow-up. You should be able to consider surgery with an understanding of the marks it involves, without being promised that they will vanish.
References
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Facelift procedure steps. General access descriptions, not a uniform plan for every patient.
- NHS. Scars. Accessed October 3, 2026. General public guidance; individual surgical instructions remain necessary.
- Jiang Q, Chen J, Tian F, Liu Z. Silicone gel sheeting for treating hypertrophic scars. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021;9:CD013357. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013357.pub2. Low or very low certainty evidence across scars of different origins.