A temporal and sideburn incision anterior to the hairline in rhytidoplasty

Abstract

The coronal incision, commonly used in rhytidoplasty, limits the improvement of the facial contour and results in a posterior migration of the hairline, which stigmatizes patients. This paper details an approach to this procedure using an incision anterior to the hairline in the temporal and sideburn areas as well as weighs the risk:benefit ratio of avoiding migration of the sideburns against placing incisions in an exposed area. Fourteen patients underwent surgery using this approach. Patient selection was based on the presence of significant laxity and redundancy of skin (all patients) and/or migration of the sideburns due to previous rhytidoplasty (n = 10). An effective facial lift was achieved, particularly in the lower two thirds of the face, with inconspicuous scars in all patients. This approach allowed adequate surgical correction of the facial laxity without stigmatizing the patient. The greater effectiveness achieved outweighed the disadvantages of placing the scar in an exposed area.