Feeling good about yourself usually means that you think you look good. If you’re unhappy with looking older than you really are and have a wrinkled forehead and sagging eyebrows, a brow lift can solve that problem. This procedure can remedy those problems and make you look years younger.
About a Brow Lift
A brow lift is a procedure that will tighten the skin on your forehead, lift your eyebrows, and erase some of your aging lines. It may also lift your eyelids. If you’ve looked in the mirror lately and not enjoyed the view, there’s help for you.
Both men and women can benefit from a brow lift. It will produce similar effects on both, letting anyone enjoy a more youthful appearance and a less-worried look.
The Benefits of Brow Lift Surgery
As you age, your skin begins to lose its elasticity. This leads to sagging skin on your upper face, which will cause wrinkles on your forehead and sagging eyebrows and possibly sagging eyelids. Your lower face will also show similar sagging. Together, the effect is that you look older and possibly sadder or angry. A brow lift can remove those upper forehead wrinkles, open your eyes, and make you look younger.
The Factors Influencing the Surgery
Not everyone will be able to get the same results. Several factors may influence the results. They include your age, the extent of sagging, the shape of your face, and the thickness of your tissue.
Types of Brow Lifts
This surgery enables you to choose between different methods. After discussing it over with the surgeon and understanding the options, the plastic surgeon will likely recommend one method over another. This helps to ensure that you’ll receive the best treatment.
Several treatments may be involved when getting a brow lift. They may include:
- The Traditional Method
In the traditional method, also called a coronal lift, the surgeon will make a cut that extends from ear-to-ear, going over the top of the head. Going this way enables the scarring to remain hidden by your hair. After the cut is made, the scalp is pulled back until the skin is at the desired tightness, and the wrinkles are gone, and the eyebrows raised to the desired position. The extra fat and skin are removed, and the scalp is stitched in place to retain the tightness. This particular method isn’t so common these days because other methods are less invasive. This method isn’t recommended for men or women with receding hairlines.
For women that have high foreheads, the cut is made just forward of the hairline. This technique ensures that the hairline isn’t elevated more, but it will leave a scar. Bangs can be used to hide the scar.
- Endoscopic Brow Lift
This less invasive procedure requires that the surgeon make several incisions behind your hairline. They are small. An endoscope (a lighted thin tube with a camera) is inserted into the cuts. The tissues are pulled into place from the inside, and excess tissue is removed when necessary. Once completed, the skin will be held in place with sutures or small screws. The cuts are then stitched closed. This procedure reduces your healing time.
- Temporal Brow Lift
The temporal brow lift is best used on people that have eyebrows that are sagging on the outer third portion. It only requires local anesthesia, and it can be done in the office. All incisions are made beyond the hairline. An endoscope is used, but in a more limited way. It requires less recovery time than other procedures, and it’s considered to be a safer option.
Combining It With Another Surgery
A brow lift is often combined with other types of cosmetic procedures. This will give you faster results and will cover more areas. Each type of surgery will reduce more symptoms of aging on your face. A facelift, for instance, will improve the appearance of your face, from your cheekbones to your chin. An eyelid lift enhances your appearance around the eyes, from the cheekbone to your eyebrows.
Recovery
Brow lift surgery is conducted on an outpatient basis. General anesthesia or sedation through IV is typically used. If you just have the brow lift surgery, you can engage in walking around the house once you get home. You’ll need to keep your head elevated while sleeping, and cold compresses can be used to help reduce swelling. In some cases, a drainage tube may be placed, but it can be removed after one or two days.
After one week, you can go back to a job that’s sedentary, but you’ll likely find that you get tired easily. You’ll still have visible bruising, but makeup can cover it.
You shouldn’t resume driving until after one week, and you’re no longer taking pain medication. You can begin exercising after two weeks, but you should start easy.
Before the Procedure
Before getting a brow lift, you’ll need to meet several requirements. These are to ensure that you can be given general anesthesia, which will render you unconscious. The temporal brow lift doesn’t require this because you’ll only need local anesthesia. An exam will be given along with a review of your medical history, and the plastic surgeon will want to know what kind of results you expect from the surgery.
After learning what medications you’re taking, the surgeon may require that you stop taking certain ones before the surgery, such as those that will increase bleeding. You’ll also need to stop smoking because it can slow down your healing.
Alternative Procedures
If you want to choose a non-surgical approach, Botox can produce similar results. The difference is that Botox treatments must be repeated three or four times a year.
How Long It Takes
The different types of surgery require different amounts of time. The traditional type will take between one and two hours. An endoscopic brow lift will take around 45 minutes, and the temporal lift takes about half that time – about 25 minutes to get a more beautiful look.
With a brow lift, you can get a more youthful appearance that will eliminate wrinkles and give you greater confidence. For a consultation, you can contact Dr. Theo Gerstle at Lexington Plastic Surgery at 859.279.2111.
