Collagen fiber alignment in the human preauricular dermis before and after rhytidectomy--a scanning electron microscopy study.

The microarchitecture of collagen fibers in preauricular dermis specimens that were obtained during two-phase rhytidectomy were visualized and recorded using the scanning electron microscope. Examination of photomicrographs revealed that both spatial arrangement and degree of convolution of the collagen fibers were completely different in the specimens of the two phases. The results are interpreted in terms of the viscoelastic properties of the skin.