The Questions You Should Be Asking Before Your Brow Lift/Forehead Lift

The Questions You Should Be Asking Before Your Brow Lift/Forehead Lift

If you’ve looked in the mirror recently and noticed a few too many wrinkles across your forehead or have seen vertical lines forming between your eyes, you may be a good candidate for a brow lift.

What Is a Brow Lift/Forehead Lift?

A brow or forehead lift can help to reduce the wrinkles that form on the forehead or between the eyebrows. As we age, the skin in that area can wrinkle, making us look older than our actual age, and even tired or angry. The eyebrows can also start to droop, causing hooding around the eyes due to the excess skin. These changes in your features can make you look much older than you are. 

If you’re thinking about getting a brow lift or forehead lift, there are several questions you should ask your plastic surgeon before going through with the procedure. Let’s take a look.

How Is the Procedure Done?

Before you decide to do the procedure, you should know and understand what it entails. A brow or forehead lift can be done several ways and is usually performed in a way that will complement the shape of your forehead and the position of your hairline.

Your plastic surgeon will review the different methods with you, but most patients are good candidates for an endoscopic brow lift. This procedure uses small incisions that are carefully hidden at or in the hair. The forehead tissue and brow are elevated and released off of the underlying connective tissue as well as the underlying muscle. When this is done, the lines that formed between the eyes begin to relax, resulting in a more gentle look. The brows are then re-suspended in their ideal location and the incisions are closed.

A brow or forehead lift usually takes under two hours to complete and can be done under general anesthesia or conscious sedation.

What Is the Recovery Time?

Patients can typically go back to work within a week of having the surgery. Swelling and bruising associated with brow and forehead lifts is usually minimal and goes away within 10 days.

Are There Any Side Effects?

As with any surgery, there are always potential side effects. Not all patients have the same experience so it’s important to remember that this will differ from patient to patient. Some patients do have minimal headaches after having a brow or forehead lift. These can usually be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications.

Will the Brow Lift Improve Other Areas of My Face?

The purpose of a brow or forehead lift is to improve the appearance of the skin in that area. If you are looking to improve the skin on your eyelids or any other part of your face, you may want to consider a different procedure. It’s best to have a general idea of what you hope your surgery will accomplish and present those goals to your plastic surgeon so that they can determine whether your expectations are realistic. 

If your plastic surgeon tells you that your desired outcome isn’t realistic, you may want to consider another type of surgery to achieve the results you want. If you’re still unsure about what a brow or forehead lift can do for you, ask your plastic surgeon if you can see before and after photos of previous procedures. This will give you a better idea of what is realistic with this type of procedure.

Is My Plastic Surgeon Experienced?

There is always comfort in knowing that the plastic surgeon performing your procedure has not only done the procedure before but has done it more than a couple of times. Ask the surgeon how many brow and forehead lifts he’s done before and ask to see the results. Some surgeons will also provide referrals. If you don’t feel comfortable with the answers you’re getting, it’s a good idea to keep looking until you find someone who makes you feel 100% comfortable.

How Long Will the Results Last?

If your surgery is done by an experienced surgeon, the results of a brow and forehead lift should last for years to come. But, the aging process will continue, so you need to keep that in mind. If you want to extend the results, you can live a healthy lifestyle by wearing sunscreen, not smoking, and eating a vitamin-rich diet.

Are You Ready for a Brow Lift?

If you think you’re ready for a brow lift or want to learn more about the procedure, contact Dr. Keith Ladner. Dr. Ladner is double board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. He can answer any questions you have about the procedure and can provide before and after photos of the previous brow lifts he has done. Call today at (303) 253-7686 or go online to schedule a consultation.