Brow Lift

Brow Lift Basics

Brow lift (also known as forehead lift) is a procedure which is designed to help lift the eye line and minimize forehead creases. Although not as popular as face lift, there are nonetheless a large number of people who undergo this surgery every year. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 42,433 Americans underwent this surgery in 2010.

The brow and forehead are some of the first places on the body to show signs of aging. Losing skin elasticity here is very common as a person enters one's thirties and forties. This loss of elasticity can cause a number of aesthetic problems, such as vertical wrinkles or creases between the eyebrows (commonly called frown lines). It can also cause eyebrow droop and forehead wrinkling.

A brow lift can help to reduce these problems and restore a younger, fresher appearance. The majority of brow lift patients are in their forties, fifties, or sixties, although there are a number of people who undergo this surgery while they're still in their thirties.

Brow lift costs can vary depending on a number of factors. However, it's fairly common for the procedure's price tag to be somewhere between $4,000 and $7,000. A brow lift typically takes an hour or two to perform. It is frequently performed under twilight sedation or general anesthesia. However, in some cases it can also be performed under local anesthesia.

Patients can typically return to work within around ten days of their brow lift. However, strenuous activity like exercising, sex, and heavy housework may have to be postponed for longer than this. As with all surgeries, when resuming intense or difficult activities, it's typically best to ease into them.

As with all cosmetic surgeries, there are some dangers and risks associated with brow lift. One risk of note is the potential to lose sensation and motor control in the forehead area. In some cases, this loss of sensation is temporary. However, there are some cases in which forehead numbness and paralysis are permanent.

Brow Lift Procedure

The appearance of your brow and forehead is determined by a couple factors. One is the amount of skin and fat that is present. Another is the location and shape of the muscles beneath. A brow lift may affect each of these in order to help improve your appearance.

During the procedure, the surgeon will make incisions which allow him or her to get access to the underlying facial tissue. If there is excess skin or fat, the surgery will remove that in order to give you a smoother and younger brow. If the muscles are arranged in an unusual or unappealing pattern, your surgeon may move, shorten, or rearrange them.

Once the procedure is done, the surgeon will reposition the skin of the forehead and close the incisions. Then, he or she will apply a surgical bandage or dressing to the surgical area.

Brow Lift Types

There are a number of different ways to go about performing a brow lift. Here are some of the more common.

Full Coronal Brow Lift

The full coronal brow lift is also known as "coronoplasty" and "headband incision," and it has been around longer than any other brow lift technique. In this technique, the surgeon makes an incision along the full length of the forehead. This incision lies close to the hairline, and it goes from ear to ear. The forehead is lifted up, and excess skin is removed. Surgeons have found that this technique works much better on patients with short foreheads than on ones who have large or prominent foreheads.

This surgery has some definite downsides as well. Some believe that they lead to hair loss. Also, full coronal brow lifts tend to have a fairly lengthy recovery time due to the large incision. A large scar is also fairly common after this technique. This is typically hidden behind the hairline. However, if a patient undergoes this surgery and then begins to develop a receding hairline, the scar will then become visible again.

Direct Brow Lift

A direct brow lift makes its incisions around the brows themselves. These incisions are frequently placed inside forehead creases to hide them. This procedure can sometimes result in visible and obvious scars.

Endoscopic Brow Lift

Endoscopic brow lift is sometimes referred to as "endobrow." This procedure uses a small, wand-like instrument called an endoscope to perform the procedure. This endoscope contains a small camera, which allows the surgeon to see what's going on. The entire procedure is performed through several small incisions which are typically made behind the hairline. This means that the surgery has less of a danger for visible scarring. This sort of surgery often works well for relatively young patients who are looking for brow improvement, but who don't have serious problems with brow laxity.

Endoscopic Brow Lift with Suture Suspension

This type of brow lift works much like an endoscopic brow lift. Small incisions are made, an endoscope is used to manipulate facial tissues. However, in addition to this, sutures are made which help to lift and position muscles and other facial tissue. These sutures help to keep the facial muscles suspended in the correct position.

Temporal Brow Lift

Temporal brow lift (also known as "lateral lift" and "lateral brow lift") receives its name because the main incisions are made at the temple. These incisions are hidden behind the hairline. Through the incisions, the surgeon will tighten the face to help to remove folds and wrinkles in the forehead. It can also help to remove signs of facial aging between the eyes, and it can help to combat "crow's feet." It can also help to remove the appearance of wrinkled upper eye skin and help to lift the cheeks.

It can help people who have developed outer eye droop. However, if the skin is tightened too much, it can produce an unusual and exotic appearance. Because this surgery involves significant tightening of the facial skin, it can sometimes cause facial scars and blemishes to stretch and appear larger.

Temporal Brow Lift with Suture Suspension

Just as in a temporal brow lift, incisions are made at the temples, and the brow is tightened. However, in addition to this, sutures are added which help to keep the muscles and other facial tissues in the right place.

Subcutaneous Brow Lift

A subcutaneous brow lift is also sometimes called a "pretrichial brow lift" or a "hairline brow lift." In this procedure, the incision is made at the top of the forehead, near the hairline. One of the downsides of this type of brow lift is that the scar is not actually hidden behind the hairline. This can create scars that will be visible if one wears one's hair pulled back.

Trychophytic Brow Lift

This form of brow lift is a lot like the subcutaneous brow lift. However, unlike the subcutaneous brow lift, the trychophytic brow lift places its incisions just behind the hairline. This hides the scars from view.

Corrugator Excision

Corrugator excision (also called "corrugator myotomy" and "corrugator myectomy") is a procedure which either partially or completely severs the corrugator muscle. The corrugator muscle is the muscle which wrinkles the brow and squeezes the eyebrows together. Removing a part of this muscle can help to make the brow appear more relaxed. On the other hand, in some cases it can yield unusual results. It can create a depressed area between the brows, and it can sometimes keep patients from moving their faces in natural ways. Some people have expressed the opinion that patients of this procedure perpetually look surprised.

Transpalpebral brow lift

This form of brow lift uses an incision in the creases of the upper eyelid. Although this technique does not remove skin, it can help to improve the appearance of the brow and forehead by smoothing them out. This technique is useful for men who have long foreheads or who are bald, because it allows them a way to hide the surgical incisions that they wouldn't otherwise have.