Is a Brow Lift Right for Me?

Most brow lift patients are between the ages of 40 and 70. The best candidates are healthy people seeking a solution to unwanted furrows and deep forehead lines. Other good candidates may include younger people suffering from premature aging signs such as drooping eyebrows. Brow lifts may be used in conjunction with hair transplants to treat a receding hairline or baldness; or with fat transfers to create volume; or with blepharoplasty or facelift to achieve a fully satisfactory outcome.

The Brow Lift Procedure

A forehead lift is performed in an outpatient medical facility, office surgical suite, or hospital. You should discuss the appropriate type of anesthesia with Dr. Pippin. A forehead lift usually requires only local anesthesia (awake but sedated), though occasionally general anesthesia (asleep).

Time in surgery is about one to two hours, and you return home the same day.
Brow lift may be performed through a conventional-incision method. Alternatively, Dr. Pippin may use an endoscope tool that acts as a visual guide, which requires a smaller incision. The advantages of an endoscopic method can include a smaller incision, no general anesthesia, reduced bruising, quicker recovery time, and less scarring.

Conventional Forehead Lift

Before the procedure, your hair is trimmed and tied back from the area where the incision will be made. Dr. Pippin will choose the least visible area to make the incision, such as along your hairline, within the scalp, or along the natural bone structure lines on the scalp.
For a conventional forehead lift, one long incision is made.
The incision begins at one ear, cross the forehead region, and ends at the other ear. The forehead skin is lifted, excess tissue is removed, muscles are repositioned or removed, and the eyebrows are lifted. Extra skin in any of these areas will then be trimmed. The incision is stitched or clipped and gauze is applied. A bandage is often wrapped around the head following the procedure. Bandages may be removed within two days of surgery. Stitches and clips are generally removed within two weeks.

Endoscopic Forehead Lift

For an endoscopic forehead lift, several tiny incisions are made within the scalp. Dr. Pippin inserts the endoscopic instrument to produce a visual map of the inside of the forehead and eyebrows. Dr. Pippin then inserts another instrument into the other incisions to lift the skin and to remove excess fat, muscle, or skin on the forehead and eyebrows. Temporary screws or sutures may be fastened to hold the position of the altered skin or muscle. The incision is stitched or clipped and gauzed. After surgery, a bandage is often wrapped around the head. Stitches and staples are removed within a week, and screws are removed in about two weeks.

Brow Lift Complications and Risks

Complications are rare; however, there are risks associated with any medical procedure. Some patients may not be able to move their eyebrows or forehead. Additional surgery may correct this problem. Scar formation and permanent hair loss within the scar area may occur. Permanent lack of sensation at the incision line is also a rare complication. Infection, bleeding, and other minor complications are possible. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, endoscopic patients experience less frequent complications — reporting an incidence of less than 1 percent.