Lateral sweep lines occur along the side of the face in some individuals after a facelift. This can be due to improper re positioning of the skin during a facelift. In my opinion, it happens more commonly in those patients when the surgeon pivots the skin in a superior fashion to lift the face. In general, I believe that the deeper tissues should be used to reposition the soft tissue, and the skin should be draped perpendicular to the incision in most cases. This should minimize the risk of sweep lines.