Will A Temporal Lift Fix The Bunching Skin By My Eye After A Short Scar Facelift?

Q: Dr. Eppley, The Lifestyle Lift (lower 2/3 of face only) left me with bunching/folding of skin at the sides of my face next to my eyes when I smile, which looks very unnatural. They are now recommending a forehead or temporal lift to try to correct this problem at my expense. Do you think this would be effective? I am looking for other opinions as I don’t want to waste my money. Thanks!

A: There are no other options for this problem. Although I would not make this effort until you are at least six months after the lift procedure to give it plenty of time to settle and relax if possible. This can occur as a direct result of this ‘cookie cutter’ type of facelift where all of the pull is vertical in front of the ear, creating bunching or ‘excess skin to the side of the eye and in the temple region. This is avoided by having the anterior vertical scar go well into the temporal hairline or out along the temporal hairline The excess skin created by the facelifting pull has to go somewhere and be redistributed. But if the incisional pattern is too limited, all it can do is bunch up at the point of the end of the skin excision. Not everyone’s facial aging problem benefits by a  direct vertical lift, many need a more superolateral directional lift with a resultant longer scar on the back of the ear.

Your best treatment would be some form of a temporal lift. But that must be carefully designed to get an effective result.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana