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As ageing progresses, wrinkles appear in the forehead area and cause drooping of the eyebrows, sometimes resulting in a sad, angry, or tired look. There may be deep, vertical frown lines between your eyebrows in the centre of the forehead. The forehead lift (brow lift) procedure at the Sydney-area plastic surgery office of Silkwood Medical can improve these problems and give a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance. A brow lift will raise your eyebrows to a higher and more aesthetic position. It is often performed in conjunction with eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, or a facelift. Our practice also offers male facelift surgery to meet the specific cosmetic needs and goals of men.
The brow or forehead lift procedure aims to minimise forehead creases, drooping eyebrows and frown lines by removing excess tissue and tightening the forehead skin and muscles. Incisions are generally placed behind the hairline to reduce the appearance of visible scarring. Forehead lift surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. However, local anaesthesia combined with a sedative can be administered by an experienced anaesthetist. Endoscopic facial surgery (keyhole surgery) is an advanced technique designed to minimise the number and size of incisions made during brow lift surgery.
You may experience a sense of tightness, numbness, or itchiness of the scalp and forehead after surgery. The extent of this and how long it lasts will vary with each individual. You should be up and about in a day or two, but take it easy for at least the first week following forehead lift surgery. You should be able to return to work after seven to 10 days. Please take some time to read our case studies and experiences of actual patients who have undergone brow lift surgery at our practice.
A brow lift is commonly performed on patients to help minimise the visible signs of ageing. Performing surgery on only parts of the ageing face can produce a disharmonious, unbalanced appearance. Therefore, the forehead / brow lift may be done in conjunction with eyelid surgery or a facelift.
A forehead or brow lift may improve your brow position, remove excess skin from the upper eyelid region, harmonise your facial features after eyelid surgery or a facelift, and help remove frown lines from the forehead and between the eyebrows.
A good brow position varies considerably and can be a matter of personal taste. Generally, for women (and there are many exceptions) a pleasing brow rises from near the top of the nose through an arch to a peak laterally before a very slight downturn. It is pleasing for the brow to be at or slightly above the bony rim of the eye socket, usually just over 2 centimetres above the pupil. Another very broad rule of thumb is the division of the face into equal thirds, with approximately one third from chin to the bottom of the nose, one third from the bottom of the nose to the eyebrow and one third from eyebrow to hairline. The position that best fits the harmony of your face can be discussed with our surgeons during your initial forehead lift consultation.
There are many variations of forehead / brow lift surgery, but the most common are the endoscopic (small incision) forehead lift, the small incision temple lift, and the coronal and anterior hairline variations. The coronal and anterior hairline forehead lift procedures require incisions that stretch from ear to ear across the scalp/forehead. The endoscopic forehead lift and small incision temple lift offer smaller incisions and are rapidly becoming the brow lifts of choice.
The major advantages of an endoscopic forehead lift and small incision temple lift are the smaller incisions, less likelihood of hair loss near the incision lines, and less likelihood of scalp numbness/itchiness after the procedure. Those with thin hair clearly benefit from smaller incisions.
While there have been cases of forehead descent after a brow lift, the need for a repeat forehead lift is rare. Formerly, one of the major complaints about the endoscopic brow lift was that it only lasted a short time. However, simple and reliable techniques are now available for fixing the forehead in an elevated position with limited risk of long-term descent.
As ageing progresses, skin wrinkling and loss of tone can occur in the forehead and brow area just as it does in the eyelids and face. This loss of tone may cause drooping of the eyebrows, resulting in a sad or tired look. There may be no need to remove upper eyelid skin if the brow is lifted, or alternatively, only a very minor skin trim may be necessary.
Any combination is possible. A brow lift may be done on its own, but is frequently combined with facelift, upper and lower eyelid surgery and laser resurfacing around the eyes. In your consultation, discuss the available options with your surgeon.
Any examples of the startled look are due to a misunderstanding of brow aesthetics on the part of the surgeon; what looks good on one person doesn't necessarily hold true for everyone. There is also a mistaken belief that if lifting the brow a little is good then lifting or pulling it a lot is better. This is the same for facelifts. In Australia, cosmetic plastic surgeons strive for a soft and natural look that is achievable with appropriate training. Because our surgeons are well trained, the brow or forehead lift procedures produce natural-looking results.
If you have thin hair, you should generally avoid the larger incision (from ear to ear) variants of forehead lift. However, you can have an endoscopic (small incision) brow lift and hide the incision lines very well. Generally, brow lift surgery is an uncomplicated procedure, but it may be slightly more difficult if you have very thin hair or a high hairline (that is, a very long distance between the brow and the hairline).
Heavy vertical frown lines between the eyebrows can cause a constant angry expression and are frequently treated with collagen or muscle relaxing injections. The lines are caused by a small muscle on each side fanning out from the top of the nose to the eyebrow underneath the skin. This muscle can be surgically removed with or without a forehead or brow lift. Various methods can be used, including a small incision behind the hairline, with the aid of an endoscope or partial removal of the muscle via an upper eyelid incision. Generally between 60 to 80 percent of the muscle is removed, so their effect is not totally eradicated. However most people find a 60 to 80 percent decrease in habitual frowning in this area very pleasing.
At Silkwood Medical, we offer a variety of cosmetic treatments designed to help you look and feel younger. For more information on brow lift (forehead lift) surgery at our Sydney practice, or to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced cosmetic surgeons, please contact our plastic surgery practice today.