A forehead lift, also known as a brow lift, is a cosmetic surgery procedure often done in conjunction with a facelift to give the face a smoother, more youthful appearance. In most cases, a
facelift is done to help smooth and stretch the bottom half of the face, while a brow lift is used to smooth the top half. It isn't unheard of for a brow lift to be done by itself, but in most cases, it is one half of a single cosmetic procedure.
What to Expect
During the
brow lift, a person will have the skin on the forehead smoothed out. Lines, wrinkles, and imperfections are removed with a lifting of the eyebrow line. The result is often a younger, healthier appearance that most folks are quite happy with. Like with most plastic surgery, the cut line and scar are hidden behind the hairline so when your hair grows back, you won't even notice a scar. The cut line is made across the top of the forehead and the skin is pulled up, excess fat is removed and muscles are reshaped.
Recovery and Results
If you are concerned about scarring and the overall appearance of such a cosmetic procedure, you can always ask your
plastic surgeon about an endoscopic procedure that often times accomplishes similar results without the scarring. With this procedure, several small cuts are made into the skin and instruments are inserted to accomplish the same fatty tissue removal and muscle reshaping.
The recovery time associated with this procedure is difficult to gauge, mostly because it is often done with other procedures at the same time. In general, the pain associated with a brow lift can be taken care of with simple non-prescription strength painkillers and the total recovery time can be as short as a week. When done with facelifts and other surgeries, the recovery time can be longer.
Just like with most surgeries, the biggest risk associated with this cosmetic procedure is infection. Other than that, there are often very few complications from forehead lift surgeries, but that doesn't mean you should agree to get one without seriously weighing the risks and benefits first.
While this procedure is mostly done with women, an increasing number of men are interested in brow lifts, as well. Talk to your doctor about how a forehead lift could give you a younger-looking appearance.