What is Brow Lift?
A Brow Lift is a procedure that improves the eye by
reshaping and elevating the eyebrow. It also reduces the
wrinkles present in the eyebrow and forehead area.
The eyebrow has a vital role in your appearance. Emotions
such as concern, surprise, sadness, curiosity, anger and
happiness are all played out across the forehead. The
sagging of the eyebrows as we age produces a tired
appearance that may cause “hooding” of the upper eyelid. A
lot of cases point to the eyelids as the problem area but
the sagging of the brow causes the eyelid skin to appear
excessive.
By moving the brow in its proper location, a Brow Lift may
reduce the need for removal of the upper eyelid skin (Blepharoplasty).
Proper re-positioning of the brow through Brow Lift exposes
the sulcus (hollow) of the upper eyelid thus giving the
individual a more attractive, youthful appearance.
Additional procedures that may enhance the effect of a
forehead or Brow Lift include Face Lift, Upper and/or Lower
Eyelid Blepharoplasty or Facial Resurfacing.
Back to Top
Effects of Brow Lift
As you
age, wrinkles and frown lines are usually the first to
appear. A Forehead Lift or Brow Lift can provide a younger
and fresher appearance because it can smooth out wrinkles
and fix sagging brows and heavy lids. Brow Lifts can be
performed on its own or combined with other procedures such
as facelifts, eyelid surgeries or laser skin resurfacings.
Back to Top
Candidates for Brow Lift
Proper patient selection is critical to the choice of a
particular procedure. You may be a good candidate for Brow
Lift if you have at least one of the following conditions:
·
A sagging
or low position of the eyebrows that creates a sad or tired
appearance.
·
Appearance of deep horizontal creases across the forehead.
·
Deep
frown lines between the eyebrows and/or across the top of
the nose.
An
appearance of excess skin in the upper eyelid area (hooding)
that may obstruct the peripheral vision.
Back to Top
Your
Consultation
During the initial consultation, BHMG’s Board Certified
Surgeon will take
your complete history with emphasis on any previous cosmetic
facial and eyelid surgery and any medical conditions that
may affect your recovery. The doctor will then perform a
thorough evaluation of your face, forehead and eyelids,
discussing with you your goals for the surgery and areas of
improvement you would like to achieve. After this, a
recommendation of the appropriate procedure or combination
of procedures will be designed specifically for your needs
to help achieve your goals. Procedures in addition to the
Brow Lift may include Blepharoplasty, Face Lift, Injectable
Fillers and Botox Treatments.
Back to Top
The Brow Lift
Procedure
A Brow
Lift can be performed two ways: First, as an outpatient
procedure under a local anesthetic with deep sedation. And
second, with general anesthesia that may take 1 to 2 hours.
The classic method hides the incision just inside or by the
hairline across the scalp and between the ears. This
minimizes the appearance of wrinkles because it removes
selected muscles and releasing tissue. Eyebrows are usually
elevated and excess skin at the incision will be removed to
allow a gentle reshaping of your forehead skin.
Depending on your needs, a variety of technical approaches
can be used to achieve the goals of a Brow Lift.
Traditional techniques involve making an incision in the
scalp, hidden behind the hairline. For those patients with
receding forehead hair line, the incision is often located
precisely at the frontal hair line, so that the hair line
will not be further elevated. There are other less invasive
techniques that allow us to perform Forehead Lifting through
small incisions placed behind the hairline. The procedure is
performed using an endoscope (a surgical telescope probe
connected to a specialized light source and video camera)
and specialized instruments while monitoring the patient’s
progress on a television screen. The results of Endoscopic
Forehead Lifting and Traditional techniques are generally
equal. Through the chosen incision, the forehead muscles
which are causing the wrinkling and frown lines are
addressed and modified, and any excess skin is corrected,
allowing elevation of the eyebrows to a more youthful
appearance.
There
are two methods to lift your forehead and eyebrow areas:
· The
Classic Lift
· The
Endoscopic Lift
The
Classic Lift involves one continuous incision, beginning at
the level of your ears and going up around your hair line.
Depending on where your hair line is, the surgeon will move
the incision line to avoid a visible scar. For instance, for
a man who is balding, the surgeon can make the incision
mid-scalp, so the scar can be hidden in the remaining hair.
The
Endoscopic Lift is different because instead of making one
continuous incision, your surgeon will make a few shorter
incisions in the scalp. A scope (small camera on the end of
a thin tube) will be placed into one of the incisions in
order to view the tissues and muscles through a screen. At
the same time, another device will be inserted in a
different incision to make the necessary alterations.
For this procedure, small titanium anchors will be used to
secure the offending tissue once it is altered
appropriately. Those anchors are tiny but mighty. They will
keep your tissue under control for years. Because of the
smaller incisions, this procedure is less invasive. You will
experience minimal scarring and recovery time will be
shortened.
Back to Top
Recovery
Following surgery, antibiotics will be prescribed by your
surgeon.
Swelling and some bruising may occur in the forehead or
upper eyelid areas, which will subside within a few weeks.
Depending on your doctor’s recommendation, BHMG patients are
normally allowed to shower and wash their hair 24 to 48
hours after the surgery. Sutures and staples are removed a
week to 10 days after surgery. Women may use eye cosmetics
10 days after surgery. Normal daily activities may be done
within 1 to 2 weeks after surgery.
All of our patients are greatly pleased with the
improvement after their Forehead Lift. Depending on a
patient’s lifestyle and his or her genes, results can be
expected to last for years. Most patients request for
additional improvements to maintain their rejuvenated
appearance after their Brow Lift.
Back to Top
Risks
Fortunately, there are very infrequent complications from
the Brow Lift. However, complications include
hematoma (an accumulation of blood under the skin that may
require removal), infection and pain. Other minor
complications, such as hair loss at the location of the
incisions, numbness or itching of the scalp in the vicinity
of the incisions, or poor healing of incisions may occur,
but these are usually temporary and easily treatable.
Back to Top
Frequently Asked
Questions
Q:
Will my hair have to be shaved in order to do the Brow Lift?
A:
Hair
shaving is not necessary in order to do the Brow Lift.
During the Endoscopic Brow Lift, small incisions will be
placed within the hair and no scalp or forehead skin will be
removed. With the Coronal or frontal hairline incisions,
the hair is parted then after the lift has been completed
the scalp will be re-approximated without any gaps.
Q: Can
Blepharoplasty be done at the same time as Brow Lift?
A:
These two procedures can be done simultaneously, especially
if the Brow Lift and the Blepharoplasty are required in
order to achieve the best results. Basically the Brow Lift
is the first procedure to be done and the more conservative
upper Blapharoplasty is done last, because there will be
less excess upper eyelid skin after the Brow Lift.
Q: How
can I tell if I need a Brow Lift as opposed to
Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Tuck)?
A:
There are a lot of cases where the position of the brow
contributes to the appearance of the excess skin in the
upper eyelids. A heavy brow would tend to sag low on the
forehead which will make the upper eyelids look more
creased. Bringing the brow higher to its proper position
would improve the appearance of the upper eyelids without
any surgery.
Q:
What factors can prevent me from being a good candidate for
an Endoscopic Forehead lift?
A:
Patients with very high foreheads or receding hairlines
(baldness) are not considered candidates for the Endoscopic
Forehead Lift because the necessary incisions may not
be placed inconspicuously thus resulting for the hairline to
recede even further. In cases like these placing the
incision at the frontal hairline (or in the mid-forehead
crease) will allow the brow to be lifted properly without
moving the hairline.
Q:
Will a Brow Lift give me a “surprised” look?
A:
With careful planning and execution of BHMG’s certified
surgeons, the Brow Lift is sure to improve the appearance of
the forehead and the eyebrows thus not resulting in a
“surprised” look.
Q:
When can I shampoo or have my hair colored after Brow Lift?
A:
Surgeons usually allow patients to shampoo and condition
their hair 24 to 48 hours after the procedure. Hair
coloring and trimming is allowed 2 to 3 weeks after the
surgery or when the incisions are completely healed.
Q:
Will insurance cover my Brow Lift procedure?
A:
Every insurance company has different policies so we
recommend that you check with your own insurance company to
determine the level of coverage. Although a Brow or
Forehead Lift is a strictly cosmetic procedure, there are
rare situations that the procedure is deemed medically
necessary because of visual impairment. Securing a medical
certificate from your ophthalmologist will also help in
obtaining a reimbursement from your insurance company.
Back to Top |
