What is a Brow Lift?
A brow lift, also referred to as a forehead lift or forehead rejuvenation, is a popular surgical procedure used to correct sagging or asymmetrical eyebrows by raising the forehead. The surgery is also effective for smoothing forehead lines and wrinkles, depending on the type of brow lift.
There are many different techniques for brow lifts. While results are long-lasting, they are not permanent. Your skin continues to lose elasticity as you age. Some techniques are more invasive than others, and the right choice will depend on your specific needs. The procedure is helpful for those with deep forehead lines, as well as for people with low-set brows.
Brow Lift FAQs
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What are the different types of brow lifts?
Surgical brow lifts tighten the skin, reduce wrinkles, and make your eyes look larger to help you look younger. There are different types of brow lifts to consider, and the best choice will depend on the type of results that you want, as well as your hairline.
Coronal Brow Lift
A coronal brow lift is the longest-standing technique, and it is still used by plastic surgeons. The procedure involves a single incision that made from ear to ear along the hairline along the top of your forehead. Coronal brow lift is a good option if you have a smaller forehead. There is a risk of nerve damage with this technique that may cause facial numbness. This risk is why plastic surgeons prefer endoscopic lifts over coronal brow lifts. The technique, though, is more effective for correcting asymmetrical eyebrows, adjusting the length of the forehead, and for correcting deep frown lines.
Endoscopic Brow Lift
An endoscopic brow lift is the procedure that is favored by most surgeons. It is less invasive and requires only a series of small incisions. The surgeon makes four to five incisions behind the hairline. A small endoscope with a camera allows the surgeon to evaluate the forehead tissue and determine the best location for another incision. This subsequent incision is used to gently pull the skin taut and lift the forehead area. The endoscopic brow lift technique allows the surgeon to avoid the nerves that are close to the eyebrow area. Incisions are minimal, so patients experience less discomfort and have shorter recoveries. The technique also reduces the risk of numbness after the procedure.
An endoscopic brow lift can’t be used for treating horizontal wrinkles or asymmetrical eyebrows. It is not a good option if you have skin laxity.
Temporal Brow Lift
Also referred to as a lateral brow lift or limited incision lift, a temporal brow lift is a technique that only targets the outer third of the eyebrows (not the full brow area). This is the area where drooping tends to be most significant as we age. The procedure is often combined with an upper eyelid lift. The same incisions may be used to lift the area between the brows to smooth out frown lines. The incisions are slightly larger than with an endoscopic lift, and they are placed immediately behind the hairline. This is a low-risk procedure with a shorter recovery time, but the results aren’t as dramatic as other techniques.
Trans-Blepharoplasty Brow Lift
A trans-blepharoplasty brow lift is similar to a temporal brow lift. The brow is lifted through a blepharoplasty eyelid incision. This is considered a minimally-invasive technique, and it typically requires a shorter recovery time.
Trichophytic Brow Lift
A trichophytic brow lift is a popular option for patients who have higher hairlines. It involves removing part of the skin in the forehead area to lift the eyebrows. The incision is made behind the hairline to camouflage the scar.
Browpexy
Browpexy is a relatively new technique. It is used to raise the brow slightly, and it is usually performed in conjunction with an eyelid lift. There are two types of browpexy.
- Internal browpexy: Small incisions are made in the upper eyelid. Excess tissue and muscle is removed from the brow bone to lift the area.
- External browpexy: The incision is made over the eyebrow and excess tissue and muscle is removed.
As part of browpexy, the brow tissue is secured in place with sutures. Scarring is minimal, and a browpexy offers a significantly more affordable alternative to other brow lift techniques.
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What can I expect from the surgery?
Your surgeon recommends the best brow lift technique based on your facial structure and your aesthetic goals. Factors that are considered include any asymmetry in the brow area, depth of horizontal lines, forehead height, and your hair color and type.
All brow lift techniques involve incisions and lifting the skin, although the size and location of the incisions vary. Therefore, you are sedated for the duration of the surgery. Most brow lift techniques take under two hours. You go home the same day after a short time in recovery, but you will need someone to drive you home.
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What is the recovery period like?
After brow lift surgery, you will need to take approximately two weeks off from work to recover. The pain associated with a brow lift is typically minimal. Your surgeon may recommend non-prescription pain medication or prescribe a pain medication.
Expect to have some swelling and bruising. Your surgeon may recommend using cold compresses to manage the swelling. You may have bandages over the area that your surgeon may remove after one to two days. The sutures may be dissolvable, or you may need to return to the surgeon’s office to have them removed approximately seven to ten days after the surgery.
While you are healing, keep your head elevated. Avoid moving around too much for the first week. Avoid exercise for the first month.
Recovery from a brow lift takes approximately two to three weeks. As the incisions heal, you will see scars start to develop. Initially, the scars will be slightly pink. Over the next 12 months, the scars will change to closely match the natural color of your skin. Once the area is completely healed, the scars are slightly darker than the surrounding skin, yet barely noticeable due to the location.
You will see the initial results of your brow lift immediately after the surgery. The skin will be slightly tight due to swelling, so the results may look a bit too dramatic. After a few weeks, the tissues relax and swelling subsides. This is when you can start to see the final results of the surgery.
If you have had a coronal lift, you may experience some numbness on your scalp for a few months.
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How long does a forehead lift last?
An endoscopic browlift lasts approximately five years or less. The results of an endo-temporal lift may last five to seven years. Coronal brow lift surgery offers the longest-lasting results of more than ten years. Your skin continues to age, even after a brow lift. You may need a secondary brow lift to maintain the results. Your surgeon explains how you can maximize the longevity of the procedure.
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Are there any risks?
The risks involved with a forehead lift are considered low. There may be some visible scarring, temporary or permanent numbness, brow asymmetry, and hair loss at the incision site. Brow asymmetry typically resolves during the initial healing period. Other potential side effects include hematoma, nausea and vomiting from the anesthesia, and higher risk of infection or nerve damage.
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What is the best age for a brow lift?
Most people opt for a brow lift between the age of 40 and 65. The procedure is also performed on younger patients who have heavy brows or pronounced furrowing between the brows.
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What is the cost of a brow lift?
In AR the average cost of a forehead lift is approximately $4,000. The total cost depends on the cosmetic surgeon you choose, the technique, fees for the anesthesia and medical facilities, and other factors. Brow lifts are elective cosmetic procedures; therefore, the cost is not covered by health insurance. Because of this, many people consider the cost of the surgery as a high priority when choosing a plastic surgeon. While finding an affordable option is important, balance quality of care and results with the cost.
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Are there alternatives to a brow lift?
Brow lifts are performed in conjunction with an upper eyelid lift and/or a facelift to maximize the anti-aging benefits of the surgery. You may save money by having these procedures in the same surgical appointment, but the downtime and recovery will be longer.
Botox® is an alternative to a brow lift. The injections work by temporarily relaxing the muscles that cause lines in the forehead and eye area. The results are more subtle than a brow lift and last only four to six months. Your plastic surgeon may determine that your lines and wrinkles are too severe for Botox® injections and recommend a brow lift to correct a sagging brow and forehead area.
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Patient Testimonials
Read real reviews from the Anzolo community
Beat, best, best doctor and staff both at his clinic and surgical center. Treated my like a Queen. No judgement made me feel at easy. Had a Fluer de lis just today. If the result are anything like the fantastic staff I’m going to look like a fine sculpted goddess. Will post attitude toward result after I heal enough to tell. But I went to him by word of mouth on the quality dr Atwood’s work in the first place. Smooches to Dr A and his fabulous staff at both locations!!!!! Lisa M
Lisa Mckee on H. Daniel Atwood via Google Reviews
I am 4 weeks post op and I couldn't be any happier with my results. I had blepharoplasty, fat graphs and an endoscopic brow lift. It looks fantastic!!! Dr. Atwood & his staff are simply the best, very kind, caring, Top notch and professional. I would never go anywhere else.
Valerie Nichols on H. Daniel Atwood via Google Reviews
Dr. Atwood is so easy-going, charming, with an excellent bedside manner-as long as you are the perfect patient. Which I was, until I wasn’t.
I was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma Feb 17th, 2016. Dr. Atwood recommended a latissimus dorsi flap surgery, which takes the largest muscle in the upper back and loops it under the skin to the chest wall, improving blood flow and allowing faster healing after bilateral mastectomy. When asked what the side effects of this were, he smiled in response and stated “you won’t be able to row a canoe as well, or drive a golf ball as far”. Which sounded fine to me! The concept of not having breast reconstruction at all was never mentioned. And Dr. Atwood’s considerable easiness and charm made me trust him.
Months later, in agony of severe chronic nerve pain, I found a medical journal from the UK showing a statistic of 74% of women who have a latissimus dorsi flap surgery end up in chronic life-altering pain.
At my one year follow up, I was crying and begging for his help, asking when the pain would go away. He smiled and lied to me again. “It will,” he says.
It took me 18 months of my own research to discover a condition called CRPS, nicknamed The Suicide Disease, due to the powerful levels of pain, graded at about amputation level. I was diagnosed with this condition by a pain management doctor. I also learned that other women who have had this procedure done also suffer greatly, and this practice is considered barbaric.
When in discussion with Dr. Atwood regarding reconstructive surgery, if you ask him if implants are safe, he will say unequivocally “yes!”.
Ah, but what he doesn’t offer you is the information regarding the ingredients in breast implants (even saline have silicone shells).
The heavy metals and toxins on breast implants are pesticide level poisons. But women are not given this basic information, like a warning that we get with any prescription drug and its side effects.
And don’t dare go see Dr. Atwood again, complaining of not only extreme pain, but also illnesses that gradually pile up and weigh you down until you cannot speak for the brain fog, and you cannot walk for the pain in your bones, joints, muscles. The autoimmune disorders that pile up like dirty laundry around you. The complete inability to take care of yourself, depending on others to bring you food and water and even to help you sit in the shower and wash your hair for you. And yet, you still go see this doctor, hoping he has some insight to what turned your slender, beautiful 42 year old body into a mass of useless bone and tendon, glowing with pain.
When you cry in his office, he leaves the room without speaking, questions unanswered.
Somehow, through the pain and the fog, you find other women suffering in online forums about breast cancer, reconstruction, and BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS. When you mention those 3 words in yet another appointment, hoping for answers, Dr. Atwood will deny it is real. And leave the room again.
Then you discover a gene called the HLA-B27 gene that rejects silicone. You ask your oncologist to test for this. You find out that you test positive. At this point those toxic bags of pesticide chemicals have been in your body for 4 years. They have caused lesions on your spleen, pancreas, liver, kidneys, and lungs. Your lymphatic system glows like a lit Christmas tree in MRI’s, showing sarcoidosis (inflammation). Your brain, spinal cord, lungs and heart have also accumulated damages. You even show Dr. Atwood the angry red skin around your reconstructed breasts, and he mumbles “that’s just blood flow” and vacated the room without answering your questions, yet again.
Ladies, do your research. Get on social media forums and discussions about your health. Find women who live in huge urban areas where the “Good” doctors are. Find out what the procedures they suggest could do to your life, and don’t trust the doctors to answer you honestly. It might save your life.
Lilah Stiger on H. Daniel Atwood via Google Reviews
Words cannot express how happy I am with the results of my surgery! The experience had me so nervous, but Dr. Atwood's staff eased my anxiety and made sure I was as comfortable as possible. Thank you for helping me feel comfortable again!
Melanie Fugit on H. Daniel Atwood via Google Reviews