The forehead lift (brow lift) is a facial cosmetic surgery procedure offered by our board-certified Savannah plastic surgeons. In the paragraphs below they describe the forehead lift procedure, the best candidates for a brow lift and the expected outcomes.
Forehead lift also known as brow lift helps to restore the appearance of the forehead and above the brow. The forehead lift focuses on the horizontal lines across the forehead, droopy eye brows and frown lines that occur with age. A brow lift will improve the appearance of being tired, sad or angry. In some cases, a forehead lift will substitute the need for an upper blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) or compliment a blepharoplasty in more serious cases of overhanging eyelids. A brow lift may be performed alone or in conjunction with a face lift and/or blepharoplasty (eyelid lift).
The ideal forehead lift candidate may be a woman or man typically between the ages of forty to sixty. People with excessive muscle activity, stress, or genetically low heavy brows may see improvement through a forehead lift. People who are bald, have a receding hair line or have undergone a previous brow lift surgery may still be candidates for the procedure. Forehead lifts offer a refreshed appearance and can enhance the natural beauty of your eyes.
Your consultation in our office will help set reasonable expectations for the outcome of the brow lift procedure. It is important to inform your surgeon if you smoke or are taking any prescription drugs, over the counter medications, vitamins or supplements. You should especially inform your doctor if you are taking aspirin or other drugs that affect blood clotting. Your surgeon will review your medical history to accommodate for any medical conditions that will require attention before, during or following the procedure. These medical conditions may include, but not be limited to: uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood clotting problems or the tendency to form excessive scars. You may be required to cease certain medications and/or take other medications prior to and after the forehead lift surgery procedure. You should feel refreshed with a more youthful look following a forehead lift procedure.
The forehead lift procedure focuses on improving forehead lines across the head. The procedure is performed at our state-of-the-art outpatient cosmetic surgery center in Savannah – The Plastic Surgery Center. Most of our patients spend the night in our overnight facility. The procedure is typically performed in one to two hours and you are usually under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation medication. This allows you to breath for yourself throughout the procedure and is safer that having it performed under general anesthesia. Most people can usually return home the day of the procedure. The procedure may be performed alone or in conjunction with a facelift when necessary.
There are two methods for the forehead procedure: open or endoscopic. During the open procedure, the incision is made across the top of the head just behind the hairline. Your surgeon will then remove the muscles and underlying tissue that causes drooping or furrows. In the endoscopic approach, several small incisions are made to allow an endoscope to be inserted under the skin to visually guide your surgeon through the surgery. Then, the muscles and underlying tissues that cause drooping or furrows are removed, the skin is tightened and finally, it is sutured into place. The incision area may be covered with gauze and your head may be wrapped with an elastic bandage for safe keeping.
You will need someone to drive you home following the procedure and may require assistance with daily living activities for the next couple of days. Stitches are usually removed within seven to ten days of the procedure. You will not be able to do strenuous activity for approximately one week following surgery, including no work. You will be advised to refrain from saunas and hot tubs for several months.
Complications may occur with any medical procedure. Complications include: hematoma (a blood clot), infection and an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Yet, complications can usually be managed by your surgeon. In addition, you may feel some temporary numbness after the procedure. Temporary hair loss or thinning of the hair may affect some individuals. Scars will usually fade over time. Complication risks are reduced by following the pre- and post-operative instructions provided by your surgeon. In the end, many patients are fully satisfied with the results of the procedure.
In addition to forehead lift, our surgeons at The Georgia Institute for Plastic Surgery have also treated many Savannah rhinoplasty, neck lift, facelift and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) patients. Please visit these other pages in our website to learn more about other facial cosmetic surgery procedures.