Forehead And Brow Lifts
A forehead lift or brow lift reverses the effect of ageing and gravity. The procedure tightens the forehead’s soft tissues to restore a more youthful appearance to your forehead skin, upper eyelids, and eyebrows.
TIME FRAME
3 Hours
ANAESTHETIC METHOD
General
STITCH REMOVAL
Required
OVERNIGHT STAY
Yes
BACK TO WORK
2 Weeks
BACK TO FITNESS
6 Weeks
PRICE: CUSTOM APPROACH
Schedule a consultation to get your exact cost for a brow lift.
What is a brow lift?
What is a brow lift?A youthful brow rests above the orbital rim with a gradual laterally arch, and the tail of the brow is positioned higher than the median end. As you age, it is common for the brow to assume a flat or horizontal position. A sagging brow can inhibit facial expressions. An eyebrow lift is a tested method of rejuvenating the upper third of your face. Thousands of people undergo successful brow lift surgery every year.
Forehead or brow lift procedures have evolved over the years to more complex short incision and endoscopic techniques. A brow lift typically involves incisions in the hair-bearing scalp, but sometimes incisions are made in the forehead or upper eyelids.
- Open brow lift – the surgeon makes a long incision across the forehead, around the hairline or one of the forehead’s creases, and lifts the skin away from underlying tissues. The surgeon will then loosen muscles and remove fat, and they may remove extra skin, pull the remaining skin down, and suture the brow into its new position.
- Endoscopic brow lift – the surgeon will insert an endoscope (a thin, long tube containing a light and video camera) through a few tiny incisions in the scalp, allowing the surgeon to see and work on various internal structures of the forehead. An endoscopic brow lift procedure requires minimal incisions but may not be as beneficial for all patients.
- Limited incision technique – this is a hybrid technique of both procedures. It uses a small portion of the coronal technique incision to elevate the outer part of the eyebrows under exact vision without using an endoscope. Scars are hidden in the temporal hairline. This procedure does not address the center areas of the brow, but it can reduce wrinkles around the eyes’ corners.
The type of technique you undergo will be based on your facial features and aesthetic preferences. Your surgeon’s goal is to help you achieve a beautiful, natural-looking result.
What to know about a forehead/brow lift
When to Consider a Forehead/Brow Lift?
You may choose to consider a brow lift if you notice any of the following appearances:
- Developing deep horizontal crease across the forehead
- Sagging or low eyebrow positioning, creating a sad, tired, or grumpy appearance
- You have frown lines across the top of your nose or between the eyebrows
- Extra skin or fatty tissue hanging over your eyes
Are You a Candidate for a Forehead/Brow Lift?
Here are common reasons why you might consider a brow lift:
- The center portion of your brow hangs down, making you look angry
- You have a sad appearance from sagging skin
- Drooping tissue around the eye makes putting makeup on the eyelid difficult
- Frown lines around and between your eyes
To determine you are a good candidate, you need to be evaluated by a certified plastic surgeon. The surgeon can decide if you would benefit from a brow lift, blepharoplasty, or both procedures. As long as you are in good health, have realistic expectations, and a positive attitude, you will most likely be a good candidate for a forehead and brow lift.
How Long do Results Last?
You will notice the final results of the surgery after six months. By six months, the scalp and hairline incisions will have healed entirely, and you should see a more youthful appearance. Gravity does take its toll as aging continues, but portions of the brow lift, particularly wrinkle lines in the brow and frown line area, should never be several and may return mildly over the years. Maintaining lifelong protection from the sun and a healthy lifestyle will help in maintaining a more youthful appearance.
How Much Does a Brow Lift Cost?
Costs of a brow lift vary depending on the surgeon, graphical area, and procedures performed. Typically you pay a surgeon fee and other fees such as surgical facility, medical tests, prescriptions, anesthesia, surgical garments, or additional miscellaneous costs related to forehead and brow lift.
Questions to ask Surgeon at Consultation
You must be active in your surgery. Here are some questions to use as a starting point in your consultation with your surgeon.
- Am I a candidate for a forehead or brow lift?
- Do you have before-and-after photos of others who have the procedure?
- Are the results I’m seeking realistic and reasonable?
- Will scars be visible?
- What anesthesia do you recommend?
- What is the cost associated with a brow lift?
- What is needed of me to get the best results?
- What is the recovery period? When can I resume normal activities?
- What are the risks and complications? How are they handled?
Preparing for a brow lift
Medical conditions, such as heart disease, hypertension, thyroid problems, diabetes or the regular use of certain medications might affect your surgery. If any of this applies to you, you should consult with a physician in our office first.
No smoking of any sort of nicotine, vape or marijuana products for approximately two to four weeks before your procedure. Continuing to do so might adversely affect your surgical outcome. We also advise not consuming alcohol at least a week prior to surgery.
Follow your physician’s instructions concerning diet, hygiene and medications. Before any kind of surgery, your stomach should be empty, which is why you should not eat or drink after midnight the day before the procedure.
Make sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes to allow easier change of clothes before and after surgery. Please arrive without any jewelry, makeup and nail polish on the day of the procedure. If you wear contact lenses, please switch them out for glasses.
Plan enough time for your recovery. Taking a few days off from work will be essential. Patients usually require between 3 and 7 recovery days.
Ask someone to drive you to your appointment and pick you up after surgery. By law, you cannot drive after your surgical operations, and you will need a ride, an uber, or a taxi to get home.
COVID-19 testing
In line with COVID-19 regulations, we have reassessed our cleaning and sterilization protocols. Upon arrival in our office we conduct symptom screenings with a questionnaire and check our patients’ temperature. We also require mask wearing for our staff and patients. COVID-19 testing before surgical procedures is mandatory in order to protect our staff. Please inform yourself regarding testing centers in your area and arrange for testing prior to your surgery.
Blood work
We require a number of lab tests, diagnostic tests and medical evaluations leading up to your surgery. The nature of these tests will vary according to the procedure, your age, health, history, and other key health factors. Make sure to run all the necessary blood work and receive clearance before any surgical procedure. Necessary testing may change based on procedure, age, health, history and other factors.
Two weeks before surgery
It’s of utmost importance to follow all of your surgeon’s instructions regarding diet, supplements and medications. Stop drinking alcohol and smoking of any kind. Avoid exposure to sick people and quit taking blood thinning medications, such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen and a number of supplements. Post-surgery preparations should be made, such as arranging transportation, getting time off from work, stocking up on food and anything else you will need post-surgery and making sure someone will stay with you during the first two days after the procedure.
Day before surgery
Figure out what you are going to wear, follow your surgeon’s instructions regarding pre-surgery fasting and any other preparation measures. Go to bed early and get well rested before your big day. We also recommend getting your house in order and buying ice packs to help with swelling after the surgery.
What is the scarring from a brow lift procedure?
Brow lift incisions are determined by the type of procedure performed by the surgeon. Incisions are generally placed to be concealed, typically within or at the hairline or in a deep forehead crease.
- Endoscopic forehead lifts – three short incisions along the top of the scalp and incisions on each side of the temple. All incisions are hidden within the hair.
- Open (coronal) technique – incisions across the top of the scalp, begins above the ears, and is hidden in the hair.
- Limited incision technique – incisions are hidden in the temporal hairline.
What to expect after forehead or brow lift surgery
Your surgeon will give you care instructions for your surgery, and you must follow them.
Immediately After Brow Lift:
- The surgeon will suggest icing or cold packs around your eyes for forty-eight hours to reduce swelling
- Keep your head and back elevated for five to seven days when sleeping
- The surgeon will recommend you come back to the office two days after surgery to evaluate your healing
- Temporary swelling, bruising, and numbness are common the first night after surgery
Recovery Time Frame
- Stitches or staples will be removed one week after surgery
- During your first week of recovery, movements and activity should be mild, such as going for walks to help aid circulation in lower areas.
- You can resume driving when you can respond, brake, and turn quickly
- You can return to work within a week but must avoid straining or heavy lifting
Complications from forehead/brow lift:
Brow lifts and forehead lifts have complications similar to any cosmetic surgery. Those include:
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Infection
- Temporary loss of feeling in areas
- Nausea from anaesthesia
RECOMMENDED SURGERIES WITH FOREHEAD/BROW LIFT
*INDIVIDUAL RESULTS MAY VARY
Contact Dr. Bray
Schedule a private consultation with Dr. Bray by submitting the form below or calling his offices directly at 416-323-1330.
