Brow Lift Surgery

Brow Lift Surgery restores a more youthful, refreshed look to the area above the eyes, corrects drooping brows, and improves the horizontal lines and furrows that can make a person appear angry, sad or tired.

Enhance Procedureyour results by combining this procedure with:

• Quick Facts about Brow Lift Surgery

  * Anaesthesia: Local anaesthesia, combined with a sedative

  * Duration of the Procedure: 60 – 90 min.

  * Hospital Stay: Not required - outpatient

  * Recovery Time / Time Back to Work: 5 days

  * Incisions: Hidden at the base of the nose

  * Results: More beautiful lips, in better harmony with the rest of the face

• What Can a Brow Lift Surgery Do for You?

  A brow lift is a procedure that restores a more youthful, refreshed look to the area above the eyes. The procedure corrects drooping brows and improves the horizontal lines and furrows that can make a person appear angry, sad or tired. In this procedure, the arch of the drooping eyebrow is raised and corrected, and forehead lines are smoothed and minimized.

  A brow lift is most commonly performed on patients in the 40-60 age range to minimize the visible effects of aging. However, it can also help people of any age who have developed furrows or frown lines due to stress or muscle activity. Individuals with inherited conditions, such as a low, heavy brow or furrowed lines above the nose can achieve a more alert and refreshed look with this procedure.

  Brow lifts are often performed in conjunction with a facelift to provide a younger and smoother overall look to the face. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) may also be performed at the same time as a brow lift, especially if a patient has significant skin overhang in the upper eyelids.

  Patients who are bald, have a receding hairline, or who have had previous upper-eyelid surgery may still be good candidates for a brow lift. The surgeon will simply alter the incision location or perform a more conservative operation.

• The Surgical Procedure

  Your surgeon will help you decide which surgical approach will best achieve your cosmetic goals: the classic or "traditional" method, or the endoscopic brow lift.

• The Classic (Lateral) Brow Lift

  Before the operation begins, your hair will be tied with rubber bands on either side of the incision line. Your head will not be shaved, but hair that is growing directly in front of the incision line may need to be trimmed. For most patients, a coronal incision will be used. It follows a headphone-like pattern, starting at about ear level and running across the top of the forehead and down the other side of the head. The incision is usually made well behind the hairline so that the scar won't be visible. If your hairline is high or receding, the incision may be placed just at the hairline, to avoid adding even more height to the forehead. If you are bald or have thinning hair, your surgeon may recommend a mid-scalp incision so the resulting scar follows the natural junction of two bones in your skull and is less conspicuous. Working through the incision, the skin of the forehead is carefully lifted so that the underlying tissue can be removed and the muscles of the forehead can be altered or released. The eyebrows may also be elevated and excess skin at the incision point will be trimmed away to help create a smoother, more youthful appearance. The incision is then closed with stitches or clips. Your face and hair will be washed to prevent irritation and the rubber bands will be removed from your hair. Although some plastic surgeons do not use any dressings, your doctor may choose to cover the incision with gauze padding and wrap the head in an elastic bandage.

• The Endoscopic Brow Lift:

  Typically, an Endoscopic Brow Lift requires the same preparation steps as the traditional procedure: the hair is tied back and trimmed behind the hairline where the incisions will be made. However, rather than making one long coronal incision, your surgeon will make three, four or five short scalp incisions, each less than an inch in length. An endoscope, which is a pencil-like camera device connected to a television monitor, is inserted through one of the incisions, allowing the surgeon to have a clear view of the muscles and tissues beneath the skin. Using another instrument inserted through a different incision, the forehead skin is lifted and the muscles and underlying tissues are removed or altered to produce a smoother appearance. The eyebrows may also be lifted and secured into their higher position by sutures beneath the skin's surface or by temporary fixation screws placed behind the hairline. When the lift is complete, the scalp incisions will be closed with stitches or clips and the area will be washed. Gauze and an elastic bandage may also be used, depending on your surgeon's preference.

• Post-Op Recovery and Time Back to Work

  Post-Op Recovery The immediate post-operative experience varies depending on the type of Brow Lift performed.

  Classic Brow Lift patients may experience some numbness and temporary discomfort around the incision, which can be managed with medication prescribed by your doctor. You may be told to keep your head elevated for two to three days following surgery to keep the swelling down. Swelling may also affect the cheeks and eyes-- however, this should begin to disappear in a week or so. As the nerves heal, numbness on the top of your scalp may be replaced by itching. These sensations may take as long as six months to fully disappear. If bandages were used, they will be removed a day or two after surgery. Most stitches or clips will be removed within two weeks, sometimes in two stages. Some of your hair around the incision may fall out and may temporarily be a bit thinner. Normal growth will usually resume within a few weeks or months. Permanent hair loss is rare.

  Endoscopic Brow Lift patients may experience some numbness, incision discomfort and mild swelling. Incision site pain is usually minimal, but can be managed with medication, if necessary. Endoscopic brow lift patients usually experience less of the itching sensation felt by patients who have had the classic forehead lift. The stitches or staples used to close the incisions are usually removed within a week and the temporary fixation screws within two weeks.

  Time Back to Work: Although you should be up and about in a day or two, plan on taking it easy for at least the first week after surgery. You should be able to shower and shampoo your hair within two days, or as soon as the bandage is removed. Most patients are back to work or school in a week to 7 days. Endoscopic patients may feel ready to return even sooner. Vigorous physical activity should be limited for several weeks, including jogging, bending, heavy housework, or any activity that increases your blood pressure. Prolonged exposure to heat or sun should be limited for several months. Most of the visible signs of surgery should fade completely within about three weeks. Minor swelling and bruising can be concealed with special camouflage makeup. You may feel a bit tired at first, but your energy level will increase as you begin to look and feel better.

• Uncertainty and Risk

  Complications are rare and usually minor when a forehead lift is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon. In rare cases, the nerves that control eyebrow movement may be injured on one or both sides, resulting in a loss of ability to raise the eyebrows or wrinkle the forehead. Additional surgery may be required to correct the problem. Formation of a broad scar is also a rare complication. This may be treated surgically by removing the wide scar tissue so a new, thinner scar may result. Also, in some patients, hair loss may occur along the scar edges. Loss of sensation along or just beyond the incision line is common, especially with the classic forehead lift procedure. It is usually temporary, but may be permanent in some patients. Infection and bleeding are very rare, but are possibilities. If a complication should occur during an endoscopic forehead lift, your surgeon may have to abandon the endoscopic approach and switch to the conventional, open procedure, which will result in a more extensive scar and a longer recovery period. To date, such complications are rare -- estimated at less than 1 percent of all endoscopy procedures. You can reduce your risk of complications by closely following your surgeon's instructions both before and after surgery.

The information provided on surgeryBA.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between a patient and his/her physician. Individual results may vary according to each patient's individual objectives, health, and circumstances. The information provided here stems from our professional experience with patients and from our doctor's advise.