Brow Lift or Forehead Lift

What is a Brow Lift or Forehead Lift?

Many patients complain of having tired, heavy, or angry eyes. They frequently attribute this to the eyelids alone, when, in fact, the depressed brow plays a significant role. The brow is frequently overlooked by both surgeons and patients when evaluating the upper one-third of the face. Sometimes, the drooping eyebrow is the sole contributor to a heavy upper lid. You can trust us to appropriately assess if both brow and eyelid surgery or a single procedure will give you the refreshed upper lid appearance you desire.

In summary:
  • Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery repositions a depressed or sagging eye brow giving the eyes an open, rested appearance
  • Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery restores the natural, youthful arch to the brow
  • Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery addresses horizontal wrinkles on the forehead and the vertical ones between the eyebrows
  • Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery is often performed in conjunction with complementary procedures

What are the doctor qualifications and training for Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery?

As double board certified and fellowship trained in both Head and Neck Surgery as well as Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Drs Jacob and Moulthrop have truly unique, advanced training in the complexities of Brow Lift and Forehead Lift surgery. There is no one template or road map for surgery. We have an advanced understanding of the brow’s form and function. This helps us excel at Brow Lift and Forehead Lift procedures.

The importance of brow lifting can be vital to comprehensive facial rejuvenation. If the middle- and lower-third facial rejuvenation is performed without addressing the brow, the patient can be left with a disharmonious appearance. Therefore, patients often opt to have blepharoplasties or facelifts in conjunction with their brow lift. You can trust that Drs. Jacob and Moulthrop have the aesthetic sense and experience to help guide you.

What is involved in Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery?

  1. Consultation. During the consult, we will perform a detailed physical exam and then discuss the intricacies of the operation with you. We prefer to perform a traditional brow lift over the endoscopic approach because it has a proven record of excellent, lasting, predictable results with minimal side effects. In our opinion, the endoscopic approach is useful in only very mild cases of brow ptosis. Frequently, the same results as endoscopic surgery can be achieved in clinic with targeted injection of neuromodulators like Botox and Dysport. The traditional brow lift is the only method that removes excess skin, effaces deep forehead wrinkles, tightens the loose forehead musculature, weakens the muscles that contribute to forehead wrinkles (“botox muscles”), and repositions the eyebrow to their natural, youthful location. There are several variations of the procedure depending on your anatomy and needs. The tricophytic or high forehead lift is useful for those with longer foreheads or high hairlines as it shortens the distance between the eyebrows and hairline. The coronal lift is best for those with normal to low hairlines. The temporal lift is used in those who only need the lateral aspect of the brows elevated. We will show you in detail exactly which one benefits you best and explain why.
  2. Surgical Procedure. We will design the incisions as we discussed pre-operatively. During the surgery we will tighten the skin and depressed musculature of the forehead.
  3. Post-Op and Further Recommendations. You will have a light head-wrap to wear overnight. We ask that you clean the incisions twice daily with peroxide. All sutures will be removed after one week.

How long does it take to recover from Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery?

Many of our patients are curious about the recovery time and procedures for Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery. Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery recovery involves the following steps:

  1. In-hospital recovery…..If you stay overnight, we will remove the head-wrap in the morning before you go home. If this surgery is done alone, you have the option of going home after the procedure.
  2. In-home recovery….. If you bruise, it may last 10-14 days. Most swelling subsides by two weeks. It will be two weeks before you can resume all physical activity (unless combined with other surgeries, which may prolong your return to fully working out to 3-4 weeks post operatively.
  3. Follow-up consultations….. We will see you multiple times over the next several months to ensure proper healing.

What are the side effects from Brow Lift or Forehead Lift surgery?

You may experience the following side effects:

  • The top of your scalp can feel numb for several months after surgery, but normal sensation will gradually return.
  • Hair loss or thinning is very rare. The scalp is very vascular and the surgery is performed deep to the hair follicles. This avoids any surgical-induced hair loss. The thinning is likely more of a stress response to surgery and anesthesia. It will improve in time.
  • The vast majority of bruising and swelling will resolve by two weeks.

Please contact us at our New Orleans facial plastic surgery facility to schedule your brow lift or forehead lift consultation.

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