surgical procedures

Through the natural process of aging, coupled with the effects of sun, wind, and gravity, our skin loses some of its elasticity, resulting in sagging and wrinkling. The face is one of the first places to show these effects with frown lines, sagging eyebrows and a wrinkled forehead. The result may be an expression of sadness, tiredness, or anger.

What’s wrong? Are you sad? Are you worried about something? There is no reason to have to endure reactions that others have to stern or gloomy expressions when a simple brow lift can give you a more youthful and pleasant expression.

Brow lift surgery is often combined with other procedures such as eyelid surgery or a facelift. During your consultation, your doctor will discuss these and other options available to you.

The best candidates for a brow lift are:

• those with deep wrinkles across the forehead and furrow lines between the eyebrows.
• those with sagging eyebrows that cause hooding on the upper eyelids, creating a sense of heaviness in the eye and brow area.
• those whose stern or harsh expressions due to aging and sagging skin cause them to look older than they feel and may elicit comments from others about how tired or sad they look.
• those who are physically healthy.
• those who do not smoke.
• those who have realistic expectations.

General anesthesia will be used and the surgery will be complete in one to two hours.

One of two techniques will be used to perform the brow lift surgery:

Traditional Brow Lift
An incision is made along the front hairline or within the hairline and across the scalp from ear to ear. The skin of the forehead is lifted to give access to the underlying tissue. Forehead muscles causing the wrinkling are altered, excess skin is removed, and the skin is then re-draped to create a smoother forehead. If your forehead is too low or too high, it can be reduced or increased during the procedure, if desired. When the procedure is complete, the incision is closed with clips or stitches and your head may be wrapped in a protective bandage for 48 hours if necessary.

Endoscopic Brow Lift
Several small incisions are made in the scalp within the hairline and a thin tube with a small light and video camera attached (endoscope) will be inserted into one of the incisions. Using this instrument, your surgeon can see the tissues and muscles of the forehead on a screen and use this as a guide to make the necessary adjustments to the muscles and tissues of the forehead. Because of smaller incisions, the recovery time is usually shorter with this procedure although each method has advantages and disadvantages.

You may experience some discomfort with swelling and numbness for a short time, but this can be controlled with medication. Resting and sleeping with your head elevated the first night after surgery will minimize swelling and bruising. Cold compresses may be used for added comfort. You will be able to resume normal daily activities (excluding exercise and vigorous activities) within one to two weeks. You will be given post-operative instructions relating to your surgery.

Complications are rare but may include infection, bleeding, facial nerve injury, scalp numbness, and hair loss adjacent to the scar. These will be discussed at the time of your consultation.