I am a 43-year-old woman and have been told by my primary care physician that I am prone to keloid scarring. Does this preclude me from being a facelift candidate?
Answer:
Keloid scarring is actually a rarity. What most people think are keloids are actually hypertrophic scars. What they both have in common is that they are unsightly, but they are actually different. Keloids are depositions of collagen that continue to grow and do not respect the margins of the incision. Hypertrophic scars are unsightly scars that develop just in the incision. Hypertrophic scars usually develop due to poor surgical technique in closing the skin layers together. Patients that develop keloids are not candidates for the facelift procedure, as they can develop keloids in the areas where incisions are made around the ears. On the other hand patients with hypertrophic scars are good candidates for the facelift procedure. This is because a facelift done correctly, with proper closure techniques allowing for no tension on the skin will heal well. The facelift procedure should be performed with attention to replacing the facial muscles back in their place. In this way, the muscles are reposition in a new and higher point in the neck and face. The skin is then re-draped and trimmed. When the facelift is done in this manner, no tension is placed on it. Healing of the incisions should result in a virtually invisible scar.
Posted by Dr. Bustillo