With aging, the upper third of the face develops frown lines, wrinkling across the forehead and a drooping and increased heaviness of the brow. This leads to the face appearing tired, angry or sad. A brow lift, also known as a forehead lift, is a surgical procedure performed to reduce signs of aging in the forehead area. Its goals are to remove or minimize deep horizontal creases across the forehead and the bridge of the nose and to reduce the frown lines between the eyebrows. It also gently lifts, corrects asymmetries and repositions the eyebrow to a more natural position making the eye area look more open, vibrant and refreshed.
This procedure is often combined with upper eyelid blepharoplasty or laser skin treatments for optimal results. Dr. Lowry, our cosmetic oculofacial plastic surgery specialist, will help you develop a customized treatment plan for you based on a thorough evaluation of your skin, eyelid and eyebrow anatomy and your goals and desires for treatment.
Technique
Dr. Lowry performs state of the art minimally invasive endoscopic brow lift surgery which only requires 3 to 5 near invisible incisions hidden within the hairline of the forehead. These tiny endoscopic incisions mean a shorter recovery time than those from a traditional coronal brow lift. Dr. Lowry uses delicate microsurgical instruments to lift the forehead and brow region and smooth the tissues. Dissolvable implants are typically placed to keep the skin and brow in correct position as the area heals.
The Brow Lift Procedure
Brow lift surgery usually takes about 1 to 2 hours to perform, and is performed in our AAAHC accredited outpatient surgery center. Either general or intravenous sedation anesthesia is used for patient comfort.
These procedures are comfortable and well tolerated, but patients will experience some mild discomfort, temporary numbness, bruising and swelling. These symptoms usually subside after a few days and can be managed with medication prescribed by Dr. Lowry. As compared to the traditional coronal brow lift procedure, Dr. Lowry’s endoscopic brow lift patients experience significantly less bruising, swelling and enjoy a faster recovery time with the endoscopic approach.
The results of the endoscopic brow lift are noticeable right away and will continue to improve as swelling and bruising subside. Most patients are able to return to work and other normal activities within 3 to 7 days, although heavy physical activity should be minimized for 2 weeks. The eyelid area will appear more “open”, and creases across the forehead, the bridge of the nose and between the eyes will be much less prominent. Significant facial asymmetries and contours of the upper third of the face will be corrected.
