When you look at yourself in the mirror and see the appearance of your face, does it reflect the way you’re feeling? Our eyes and forehead play a big role in the way our emotions are communicated with those around us. As we age, the skin on our forehead begins to sag and can give the appearance that we are always tired, angry or worried. We can develop deep horizontal creases across our forehead and frown lines often appear between our eyebrows or across the top of our nose. You may have extra and/or fatty tissue hanging over your eyes as well. A brow lift can give you a lasting solution to these problems.
This procedure is also called a forehead lift and is done to the upper third area of the face. It will restore a look of youthfulness and vibrancy to the patient. There is a removal of extra skin that is sagging on the forehead and repositioning of the muscles and tissues underneath the forehead. The result is the elimination of a sagging and heavy brow and the elimination of deep furrows.
Depending on the results you want, your anatomy, and the level of changes desired, there are different types of brow lifts. An Endoscopic Brow Lift is less invasive then other techniques but can produce great results. Incisions will be made just behind your hairline and tiny cameras and thin instruments will be used to complete the procedure. Temporal or Limited Incision Brow Lift will have slightly larger incisions and is normally done when accompanied with eyelid surgery. Incisions are made above each temple, behind the hairline for the procedure. The brow lift will also be done through the incision that is made for the eyelid procedure. Classic or Coronal Brow Lift was the standard procedure but has become unfavorable because improvements can be made with less invasive methods. A long incision is made behind the hairline and will run from ear to ear. This method may be required to procedure results that the patient wants. A modification of this is the Trichophytic Brow Lift where incision is placed directly in the hairline in a wavy fashion. There are also Chemical (non-surgical) Brow Lifts where botox is placed in the muscles which depress the eyebrows and lasts 3-4 months.
Brow lifts are outpatient procedures that are done under general anesthesia or IV sedation with local anesthesia. The method used and the work required will determine how long the procedure will take. The incision will be closed with staples or sutures that will be removed about a week post-surgery. There is little pain associated with a brow lift but there may be some discomfort or a feeling of pressure throughout the forehead. You will most likely have swelling or bruising in the first 10 days that will dissipate after about two weeks. It is important to follow your doctor’s instructions after surgery as far as activity that can be resumed. Start with light walking around the house and gradually resume activities over a period of four weeks after surgery.
Benefits of a brow lift are having eyes that appear more naturally alert and brighter, becoming more approachable to others because you don’t look so angry. Brow lifts provide a feeling of self-confidence because you don’t look worried all the time! If you’re feeling self-conscious about the appearance of your forehead and would like to make some improvements, consult the professionals at ENT Specialists to go over the brow lift procedures available to you.
