How Can A Deformed Tragus From A Facelift be Fixed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a facelift 3 years ago which left my right tragus blunted. I am self conscious about it’s appearance and never wear my hair up in public.I see that you have experience with this type of deformity. 

A: The blunting of the tragus from a retrotragal facelift is due to scar contracture on the tragal cartilage pulling it forward. Technically the problem is a skin shortage and a cartilage deformity. What usually effectively treats it is a release (raising a skin flap over it), rebending and suturing the cartilage back and then advancing the skin flap back over it. (ideally a small full thickness skin graft is most ideal but you don’t want to create a skin color mismatch over it)

Dr Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana