What is a brow lift?
A brow lift, also known as a forehead lift, is a cosmetic surgical procedure aimed at raising the eyebrows to create a more youthful and refreshed appearance. This procedure helps to:
- Minimizes the creases that develop across the forehead, or those that occur high on the bridge of the nose, between the eyes
- Improves what are commonly referred to as frown lines, vertical creases that develop between the eyebrows
- Repositions a low or sagging brow that is hooding the upper eyelid
- Raises the eyebrows to a more alert and youthful position
Rejuvenation procedures typically performed in conjunction with a brow lift include eyelid surgery, facelift and skin resurfacing techniques.
Is a brow lift right for me?
Brow lift surgery is a good option for you if:
- You are physically healthy
- You don’t smoke
- You have a positive outlook and specific, but realistic goals in mind for the improvement of your appearance
What happens during brow lift surgery?
Anesthetic medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedures. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia.
A brow lift may sometimes be performed using an endoscope (surgical video device) and special instruments placed through small incisions made within the hairline. This allows the tissue and muscle beneath the skin to be repositioned, altered or removed, correcting the source of visible creases and furrows in the forehead.
Correction of a low-positioned or sagging brow may be made with or without the use of an endoscope through incisions at the temples and in the scalp. This technique may be done in conjunction with incisions hidden within the natural crease of the upper eyelids to eliminate frown lines between the brows, on or above the bridge of the nose.
An alternative brow lift technique is the coronal brow lift. The coronal brow lift can pinpoint specific regions of the brow to correct. This technique involves an incision from ear to ear, lifting the forehead and removing excess skin from the scalp. Recovery time is often longer than the endoscopic brow lift due to the size of the incision.
The incision lines from a brow lift are well concealed within the hair or natural contours of the face unless they are placed at the hairline to shorten the forehead.
Brow lift incisions typically are closed with removable or absorbable sutures, skin adhesives, surgical tape or special clips.
Brow elevation may be maintained using permanent sutures, small surgical screws or an absorbable fixation device placed inconspicuously at the temples.
What is brow lift recovery like?
If you experience shortness of breath, chest pains or unusual heart beats, seek medical attention immediately. Should any of these complications occur, you may require hospitalization and additional treatment.
When your procedure is completed, your forehead may be taped and your head may be loosely wrapped to minimize swelling and bruising. A thin tube may be present to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect under the skin.
You will be given specific instructions that may include how to care for the surgical site, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in overall health, and when to follow up with your plastic surgeon.
Initial wound healing may take 5 to 10 days, at which time any sutures or clips will be removed. You will be ready to return to work and normal activity at this time. Cosmetics can camouflage any bruising that remains.
Healing will continue for several weeks as the swelling dissipates and incision lines refine and fade. It may take several months for your complete recovery.
Life-long sun protection will help to maintain your rejuvenated appearance by minimizing photo-aging or sun damage. In addition, a healthy lifestyle will also help extend the results of your rejuvenated, more youthful appearance.
What are the risks of brow lift surgery?
When a brow lift is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.
The risks include:
- Unfavorable scarring
- Bleeding (hematoma)
- Infection
- Poor wound healing
- Anesthesia risks
- Blood clots
- Correctable hair loss at the incisions
- Elevated hairline
- Facial nerve injury with weakness or paralysis
- Facial asymmetry
- Skin loss
- Numbness or other changes in skin sensation or intense itching
- Changes in skin sensation
- Eye irritation or dryness
- Eyelid disorders that involve abnormal position of the upper eyelids (eyelid ptosis), loose eyelid skin, or abnormal laxness of the lower eyelid (ectropion) can coexist with sagging forehead and eyebrow structures; brow lift surgery will not correct these disorders; additional surgery may be required
- Fluid accumulation
- Pain, which may persist
- Skin contour irregularities
- Skin discoloration and swelling
- Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
- Possibility of revisional surgery
Fibrin sealants (made from human blood components heat-treated to inactivate virus transmission) are used to hold tissue layers together at surgery and to diminish post-operative bruising following surgery.
This product has been carefully produced from donor blood plasma screened for hepatitis, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus (hiv). These products have been used safely for many years as sealants in cardiovascular and general surgery.