It’s important for you to talk about your cosmetic surgery with a board-certified surgeon. When considering a brow lift, it’s important to make sure that the procedure is done by a skilled and trained cosmetic surgeon. A brow lift is a common procedure to reduce signs of aging on the face.
You may find it hard to access the right information on the internet, so we are here to help you in the following article, providing the best and updated information on is a brow lift major surgery, different types of brow lift surgery.
Read on to learn more about Is A Brow Lift Major Surgery
Is A Brow Lift Major Surgery
A brow lift, or forehead lift, is the surgical lifting and smoothing of the forehead to create a more rested, youthful appearance. Most people have a brow lift for cosmetic reasons. A brow lift reduces the signs of aging, including creases and fine lines on the forehead and between the eyebrows. Brow lift surgery can also reposition low or sagging brows that hood the upper eyelid.
A brow lift is a common but major surgery that has risks and potential complications. You may have less invasive treatment options, such as Botox injections. Consider getting a second opinion about all of your treatment choices before having a brow lift.
Other procedures that may be performed
Your doctor may recommend additional cosmetic procedures to enhance your appearance. Common combinations include a brow lift and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), which removes excess skin at the upper or lower eyelids. Brow lifts are also combined with a facelift (rhytidectomy) to reduce the signs of aging in the face and neck.
Why is a brow lift performed?
Your doctor may recommend a brow lift to minimize creases and lines on your forehead and between your eyebrows. A brow lift also repositions eyebrows slightly to create a more awake, refreshed appearance. Your doctor may also recommend a brow lift if you are considering eyelid surgery. A brow lift can help reduce sagging and drooping eyebrows that can make you look tired.
You may have other options for improving the appearance of your forehead and eyebrow area. Ask your doctor about all of your treatment options and consider getting a second opinion before deciding on a brow lift.
Your doctor may recommend a brow lift if:
You are bothered by the creases in your forehead or furrows between your eyebrows.
You have sagging or low-set eyebrows.
You are dissatisfied with the appearance of your eyes due to excess skin above your eyelids.
You are physically healthy, don’t smoke, and have realistic expectations of improvement, not perfection.
Who performs a brow lift?
A plastic surgeon performs a brow lift. A plastic surgeon is a specialist in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. Facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons may also perform brow lifts. FPRSs are either otolaryngologists or plastic surgeons with further training in plastic surgery and reconstruction of the face.
How is a brow lift performed?
Your brow lift will be performed in a hospital, office, or outpatient surgery setting. It is usually an outpatient procedure.
Surgical approaches to a brow lift
Your doctor will perform brow lift surgery using one of the following approaches:
Minimally invasive brow lift surgery uses small incisions in the hairline, behind the hairline, above the brow, or in the mid-forehead to achieve the desired results. Minimally invasive surgery generally involves a faster recovery and less pain than open surgery. This is because it causes less trauma to tissues and organs. Your surgeon will make a small incision(s) instead of a larger one used in open surgery. Surgical tools are threaded around muscles and tissues instead of cutting through or displacing them as in open surgery.
Open surgery (coronal brow lift) involves making one large incision that runs from ear to ear across the top of your head near your hairline. It smoothes the forehead and lifts the eyebrows by removing excess skin from the scalp. Open surgery generally involves a longer recovery and more pain than minimally invasive surgery. Open surgery requires a larger incision and more cutting and displacement of tissue than minimally invasive surgery. Despite this, open surgery may be a safer or more effective method for certain patients.
Your surgeon will advise you on which procedure is best for you and how long you need to stay in the hospital based on your diagnosis, age, medical history, general health, and possibly your personal preference. Learn about the different brow lift procedures and ask why your doctor will use a particular type for you.
Types of anesthesia that may be used
Your surgeon will perform your brow lift using either general anesthesia or regional anesthesia, depending on the specific procedure.
General anesthesia is a combination of intravenous (IV) medications and gases that put you in a deep sleep. You are unaware of the procedure and do not feel any pain. A breathing tube is placed in your throat to breathe for you.
Regional anesthesia is also known as a nerve block. It involves injecting an anesthetic around certain nerves to numb a large area of the body. To numb a smaller area, your doctor injects the anesthetic in the skin and tissues around the procedure area (local anesthesia). You will likely have sedation with regional anesthesia to keep you relaxed and comfortable.
What to expect the day of your brow lift
The day of your surgery, you can expect to:
Talk with a preoperative nurse. The nurse will perform an exam and ensure that all needed tests are in order. The nurse can also answer questions and will make sure you understand and sign the surgical consent form.
Remove all clothing and jewelry and dress in a hospital gown. It is a good idea to leave all jewelry and valuables at home or with a family member. Your care team will give you blankets for modesty and warmth.
Talk with the anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist about your medical history and the type of anesthesia you will receive.
A surgical team member will start an IV.
The anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist will start your anesthesia.
A tube may be placed in your windpipe to protect and control breathing during general anesthesia. You will not feel or remember this or the surgery as they happen.
The surgical team will monitor your vital signs and other critical body functions. This occurs throughout the procedure and your recovery until you are alert, breathing effectively, and your vital signs are stable.
Different Types Of Brow Lift Surgery
Through natural aging many people experience sagginess throughout their eyebrow area. Over time the forehead can droop to the point where the effect gives the appearance of a permanent scowl or constantly looking tired or sad.
Brow lift surgery (sometimes called a “forehead lift”) can instantly correct sagging of the brow area, resulting in a total rejuvenation of the upper face. Brow lift procedures make the eyes appear larger by raising the eyebrows and reducing frown lines (vertical creases between the eyebrows).
Did you know there are different types of brow lift techniques? The technique used is important for the outcome of the procedure.
CORONAL BROW LIFT
The oldest used brow lift technique, a coronal lift (sometimes referred to as an “open brow lift”) involves a single incision made from ear to ear that is placed across the forehead. Coronal lifts are ideal for individuals with smaller foreheads who are also interested in lifting their hairline. However, they can sometimes cause permanent numbness from behind the incision to the vertex of the scalp, and so has fallen out of favor for less invasive techniques.
TRICHOPHYTIC BROW LIFT
This type of brow lift, commonly used for patients with higher hairlines, removes a portion of forehead skin (rather than raising the hairline) to elevate the eyebrows. The procedure uses an incision made just behind the hairline. The incision is performed so that hair will grow right through it, camouflaging it.
ENDOSCOPIC BROW LIFT
This type of brow lift has become the procedure of choice for most surgeons as it only requires small, less invasive incisions. During an endoscopic brow lift a small endoscope is used, often attached to a camera, to enable the surgeon to view and dissect the tissue of the forehead. The camera allows the surgeon to safely identify any nerves close to the eyebrows and protect them during the surgery. Since incisions are minimal, endoscopic lift patients typically experience less pain, shorter recovery periods and no numbness of the scalp.
Many surgeons incorporate the same techniques as were initially described in endoscopic brow lifts to perform the same dissection without a camera or endoscope. With this modification the muscles of the glabella (the “11’s” between the eyes treated typically with Botox) cannot be cut to lessen the creases there, but otherwise the results are the same as with the camera and endoscope.
TEMPORAL BROW LIFT
Questions to ask your doctor
Facing surgery can be stressful. It is common for patients to forget some of their questions during a doctor’s office visit. You may also think of other questions after your appointment. Contact your doctor with concerns and questions before surgery and between appointments.
It is also a good idea to bring a list of questions to your appointments. Questions can include:
- Am I a good candidate for a brow lift? Are there any other options for treating my condition?
- What type of brow lift procedure will I need?
- How long will the procedure take? When can I go home?
- What restrictions will I have after the surgery? When can I return to work and other activities?
- When can I shower after brow lift? How should I care for my incisions?
- How will I look after the surgery?
- What kind of assistance will I need at home?
- How do I take my medications?
- How will you treat my pain?
- When should I follow up with you?
- How should I contact you? Ask for numbers to call during and after regular office hours.