Forehead and Brow Lifts
With age comes a natural loosening of the skin surrounding the forehead. Add gravity and the cumulative effects facial muscles responsible for expressions and the face may change. The outcome varies for each individual and some find that they develop a sagging or tired look that belies their inner youthfulness. For others, naturally occurring deep furrows in the brow seem to send a misleading message of stress, anger or a sense of worry. To reverse this process and restore a more youthful appearance, more people are choosing elective forehead and brow surgery. Alone or combined with eyelid procedures, forehead and brow lifts can provide a more permanent alternative to non-surgical procedures. With advances in technology and a skilled surgeon devoted exclusively to faces, recovery from these procedures has never been faster or with better results. As an ASOPRS trained oculofacial plastic surgeon, Dr. Gonzalez has an intimate knowledge of the underlying structures surrounding the brows and orbits of the eyes and is well versed in the latest surgical techniques. The type of procedure that you and Dr. Gonzalez choose will depend on your current anatomy, eyebrow position and desired results. The main types of procedures are as follows:
Lateral Brow Lift
A less invasive procedure, a lateral brow lift involves making a small incision in the hairline above the lateral brow. Any scarring is well hidden by the hair. A suture is passed from the lateral brow to the scalp to pull the brow and may decrease eyelid heaviness. This procedure takes approximately 90 minutes and is performed on an out-patient basis. The immediate recovery time is approximately one week.
Endoscopic Forehead Lift
Endoscopic eyebrow/ forehead lifts are quite popular. Requiring very small incisions hidden by the hair, any potential scarring is hidden. This procedure can lift everything from the hairline to the eyebrows. It tightens and smoothes the entire forehead while lifting the eyebrow area which “opens up” the entire upper face. Eyebrow shape and asymmetry can be addressed with this type of lift. This procedure takes 120 minutes and is performed as an outpatient. The immediate recovery time is approximately 1 week.
The Pretrichial Eyebrow/Forehead Lift
This procedure is ideal for patients who want to both lift the eyebrows and raise and shorten the forehead. It is well suited for those with a high forehead and lifts everything from the hairline down to the eyebrows and can address eyebrow shape and asymmetry. this type of surgery powerfully corrects forehead furrows. Any scaring from the incision, once healed, is extremely subtle. This procedure takes about 120 minutes and is performed on an out-patient basis. The immediate recovery time is approximately one week.
The Direct Brow Lift
This procedure is ideal for those who do not want to involve the hairline but would like to lift sagging brows. A direct brow lift also addresses eyebrow shape and asymmetry. Care is taken to position the incisions just along the eyebrows so that all scaring is maximally camouflaged. The procedure takes approximately 60 minutes and can be performed in the office. The immediate recovery time is approximately one week.
Who Should Perform The Eyebrow and Forehead Lift?
When choosing a surgeon to perform an Eyebrow/Forehead Lift, look for a surgeon who specializes in the eyelids, orbit and adjacent structures such as the eyebrows, forehead, cheeks, mid-face and neck. As an ASOPRS trained surgeon, Dr. Gonzalez is not only a board certified ophthalmologist who knows the anatomy and structure of the eyelids and orbit, he also has had extensive training in oculofacial plastic surgery. Dr. Gonzalez and his team would be delighted to answer your questions about forehead and brow procedures during a consultation or at an upcoming seminar.