Incision design for open temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery has long been a focus for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Although the traditional preauricular incision provides sufficient surgical exposure, it often results in conspicuous postoperative scars and adversely affects facial appearance. With the increasing demand for better facial aesthetics and the continuous development of microsurgical techniques and minimally invasive concepts, minimally invasive aesthetic incisions represented by modiffed intraauricular incisions and rhytidectomy (facelift) incisions have been gradually and widely used in TMJ surgery. These incisions have been deeply integrated with simultaneous orthognathic surgery, disc repositioning surgery, and total joint replacement. This paper reviews the design concepts, main types, and clinical applications of minimally invasive aesthetic incisions on the basis of reviewing the traditional incision designs for TMJ surgery and their limitations, aiming to provide a reference for the selection of surgical approaches.