Brow Lift

As we age, our brow line drops and the creases in our forehead become deeper and more pronounced, making us appear tired or angry. A brow lift can improve not only the eyebrow position and forehead wrinkles, but also sagging of the upper eyelids. Additionally, this procedure can be performed alone, but is often completed at the same time as a facelift or eyelid lift.

Initial Consultation

During your initial consultation, you will meet with the plastic surgeon and your patient-care coordinator. They will carefully and completely review your health history and perform a thorough exam. The plastic surgeon will also discuss with you the risks, benefits, and potential complications as well as explain in detail what the procedure entails.

Procedure

A brow lift generally takes about one-and-a-half to two hours and will require general anesthesia. The procedure is carried out via four small incisions successfully hidden behind the hairline; through these points of entry, the forehead is lifted and held in place using sutures. For patients with more significant excess skin in the forehead, a wider incision across the top of the scalp might be used as an alternative to the four smaller ones.

Recovery

Most patients are able to return home the day of their surgery; however, you will need someone to drive you as well as to stay with you for the first 24 hours. Following your surgery, your face will be draped with loose netting used to hold the gauze in place—once your incisions have sealed, which usually occurs the day after the procedure, you may remove this netting. You can expect that your forehead and eyelids will be swollen after the procedure, worsening over the course of the first post-operative night. Bruising, on the other hand, will more gradually appear and be the most noticeable several days after the surgery. Your swelling should subside within the first week or so, and bruising will likely go away shortly after its peak. Additionally, you may notice a small amount of oozing from your incision sites and/or experience uneven numbness in your forehead; this is all normal and will resolve on its own.

You will be given medications to control your pain, discomfort, and swelling, but on your end, it is crucial to keep well hydrated and abstain from strenuous activity for several weeks. Your final results should appear in one to two months; however, for some people, it may take many months for residual swelling to subside and for sensation to return to normal. Finally, your incision lines will gradually fade over the course of up to one year.

Risks

Although complications are rare, they do occur on occasion. Because of our plastic surgeons’ advanced training and methodical technique, complications are extremely unlikely, as are revisions. Most importantly, our plastic surgeons have never experienced a life-threatening surgical complication. For patient safety and satisfaction, we will not perform this procedure unless a patient has completely quit smoking for at least three months pre-operatively. Smoking significantly increases your risk of complications and interferes with wound healing.