What is a forehead lift?
A forehead lift, also known as a brow lift, is a type of surgery that aims to correct forehead skin and eyebrows. It raises the soft tissue and skin in the forehead and brow. So, it can improve wrinkle looks in the forehead and wrinkles between eyes.
Individuals choose to undergo forehead lift when they have sagging brow, low brow or asymmetry in the brow.
Aging typically causes bro sagging. Gradually, the skin and soft tissues lose elasticity and it shortens the distance between the eyebrows and eyelashes. The shorten distance makes you seem tired, sad, or angry. The forehead lift can solve this problem.
This surgery can be done alone or with other facial cosmetic procedures. Additional procedures can be blepharoplasty or facelift.
Forehead lift procedure
Some signs of aging on foreheads are sagging skin, sagging eyebrows, wrinkles, and sagging upper eyelids. A forehead lift procedure corrects these problems.
The forehead procedure can be done alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as a facelift. The surgeon can do it in his/her office, an outpatient surgery center or in a hospital. Forehead lift surgery is usually done in an outpatient center and does not need overnight stay. The surgeon uses local anesthesia. You will be awake, but you won’t feel pain. He/she may also give medicine to you to relax you. But, in some cases, the surgeon may use general anesthesia.
During the procedure your forehead will be stretched, so you may feel pain and discomfort.
First, the surgeon will hold away hair sections from the forehead surgery area. Then he/she will make a cut at ear level which continues across the top of the forehead at the hairline so that the forehead does not seem too high. But, if you are bald or getting bald, the cut will be done on your scalp to prevent the scar from being visible.
Sometimes several small cuts are used and an endoscope is used to perform the surgery. An endoscope is a long thin instrument that has a small camera on the end. The surgeon may use dissolvable implants to hold the lifted skin in place. Then, the surgeon removes excess tissue, skin, and muscle. Next, he/she closes the incisions with stitches or staples. Then the surgeon washes your hair and face. The last phase is to apply to dress so that the scalp skin does not get irritated.
Different types of a brow lift are categorized as below:
How should I prepare for the forehead procedure?
Initially, you need to talk to a qualified surgeon about the surgery. you need to ask the following question when you consult your surgeon about the forehead lift:
- What are the risks and complications of brow lift surgery?
- Will I have dressing or bandages?
- Will the scar be visible?
- When will the stitches be removed after the forehead lift surgery?
- What will the recovery be like?
- When will I be able to resume my normal activities?
Your surgeon will
Forehead lift recovery
The wound healing of the brow lift takes 10 to 14 days. The surgeon will remove sutures or clips when it is proper. Complete surgery may take several months. Following what the surgeon instructs you is essential to the recovery success. It will take almost 2 weeks for you to return to normal activities or work.
Your incisions are not subjected to excessive force, abrasion, swelling or motion during the brow lift recovery time.
Your surgeon will tell you:
- How to care for the surgical site and drains
- What medication to take
- Specific concern to look for surgical site
What are the alternatives to a forehead lift?
If you want to avoid a brow lift, two other alternatives can tighten the skin near the eyebrows to reduce wrinkles.
- Dermal fillers
The use of dermal fillers and Botox is one of the most common alternatives to a brow lift. The surgeon injects it into the specific area to eliminate the wrinkles and creases. Dermal fillers can be natural or artificial substances. Radiesse and Restylane are most common. This method requires repeated procedures.
- Laser peel
Laser peel involves focusing a beam of light towards the area in the forehead that has wrinkles.
It is an effective method, but costs more than a surgical forehead lift and carries a greater risk of scarring. It also does not take permanently and needs to be repeated every 3-6 months.
Does forehead lift have any postoperative diet?
You must stay on a liquid diet on the first day right after the brow lift procedure. From the second day, you may resume normal food. But the food should be soft and easily chewable.
You should eat balanced meals that are rich in nutrients since they help with the forehead lift recovery process. And, drink plenty of water and juices to stay hydrated. They make up for the fluid loss.
What are the forehead lift pros and cons?
- A forehead lift can treat drooping eyebrow that interferes with vision
- It treats sagging eyelid skin that makes you look tired and grumpy
- It removes frown lines between the eyebrow and forehead creases
- Brow lift makes you look alert and more pleasant
- Forehead lift makes you look years younger
- A brow lift may lead to some complications such as bleeding, eye irritation, scarring, and fluid accumulation. However, they subside within 3-5 days after the procedure.
- Those people who previously had suffered from heart conditions, the usage of anesthesia will be problematic. These people are not recommended to get the procedure.
- You may experience hair loss around the incisions.
What are the realistic expectations from the forehead lift surgery?
Keep in mind that you should have realistic expectations from a forehead lift surgery unless you will get disappointed from the surgery. The realistic expectations include:
- Brow lift procedure may have dramatically positive results on your look. So, it can increase your self-esteem.
- Do not wish people around you appreciate your physical appearance after the forehead lift. It will bring about a change just in your self-perception, not other’s.
- The scar result of a brow lift may be visible for some months and it will fade away if you take care of it well. However, it can remain permanently if you do not cater to it properly.
- You cannot turn back to work at least for a week and you cannot do physical activity, too.
- The effects of a forehead lift are permanent.
Dr. Salahi performs hundreds of abdominal and thoracic surgeries, abdominal lipatomics, lipomatic abdominal surgery, thighs and arms, breast prosthesis and minimally invasive surgeries and is one of the top-ranked doctors in Tehran in cosmetic surgery. They specialize in cosmetic surgery.
Who is a candidate for a forehead lift?
People that are in their 40s to 60s undergo the forehead procedure to slow the effects of aging, but it is not the only case. A forehead lift can also help people with inherited conditions including droopy eyebrow furrowed lines above the nose, etc.
Younger people also get the surgery to raise low eyebrows to make their face look happier and brighter. It can also be helpful for those the lowness of the brows causes upper vision problems.
In general, a candidate for a forehead lift is the one who has one or more of these:
- A nose that does not work properly
- Sagging brows
- Tissue that hangs down at the outer part of the eyelid
- Deep furrows between the eyes
- Horizontal wrinkles on the forehead
- The optimistic approach or realistic goals
Regardless of any reason, the candidate for the forehead lift should be physically fit and healthy.
Forehead lift risks
The forehead is done using anesthesia. In general, anesthesia has these risks:
- Reaction to medicines
- Breathing problems
- Bleeding, blood clots, infection
The surgery itself has some risks including:
- Hematoma that may need to surgically be drained
- Damage to the nerves that control facial muscles.
- Unhealed wounds
- Permanent pain
- Some changes in skin sensation such as numbness
- Asymmetry
- Hair problems
Sometimes, forehead lifts lead to difficulty in raising eyebrows or wrinkling forehead. In this case, you may need additional surgery to make both sides even. Also, if you have done upper eyelids lift before, you are not recommended to get forehead surgery since it can affect your ability to close the eyes.
If you have receding hair, the incision can be visible, unless you cover it with a hairstyle. Occasionally hair loss happens along the scar edges. The surgeon can treat it. He/she can remove the scar tissue or areas of hair loss. So, a new scar can form. But, hair loss rarely happens after hair loss.
Who is a qualified surgeon to do forehead lift?
The surgeon that you choose for brow lift should be extremely adept. He/she must be board certified. To be on the safe side you need to choose a surgeon that has enough background in terms of training, education. Also, he/she should have years of experience in doing forehead lift.
If the mentioned train is not enough, you will experience some complications such as:
- Elevated hairline
- Facial asymmetry
- Irritation or dryness in the eye
- Skin discoloration
Thus, make sure that you research well about the surgeon you choose for forehead lift. At the end of your consultation with the surgeon ask him/her to show before and after photos of the previous surgeries. Also, try to find some of the previous patients to know their opinion about the surgeon.
Forehead lift costs
The surgery costs between 3000 to 8000 dollars, but less experienced surgeons may charge less. Some factors such as the hospital facilities, the geographical area, and the surgeon’s experience affect the cost. Additional costs include:
- Anesthesia
- Garment
- Presurgical exams
