Preservation of the female sideburn

Routine face-lift incisions in the temporal hair line may be unsatisfactory because of one or all of the following reasons: Production of an area of baldness immediately in front of the ear; presence of wide unsightly scar in the temporal hairline; loss of hair in the temporal area; and disfigurement of the temporal hair and sideburn. In order to conceal the deformity, the patient is limited to certain hairstyles. The problem is exaggerated in patients with sparse hair or who undergo a secondary rhytidectomy. A solution is an incision at or in the edge of the hairline in the temporal hairline. The technique has been used in over 200 patients during the past 3 years with excellent results. Specific points including location of incision, caveats in technique, and pre- and postoperative results are discussed.