If forehead wrinkles and drooping eyebrows are making you feel self-conscious about your appearance, a procedure such as a brow lift can help you look years younger. As a surgical procedure similar to a facelift, this surgery focuses on lifting and tightening the skin on the upper face. Before you schedule your consultation with Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA, learn everything you need to know about this procedure.
How Does a Brow Lift Work?
A classic brow lift works by removing excess skin and tightening muscle tissue on the upper face. This procedure is designed to erase the deep horizontal lines on the forehead, as well as the lines between the eyebrows. Sometimes, this treatment can also be paired with an eyelid lift to address concerns about sagging eyelids.
A brow procedure can be performed in a few ways. The technique used for your procedure will depend mainly on the size of your forehead, the placement of your eyes and eyebrows, and your preferences. Your surgeon will also pay attention to the muscle activity in your upper face and the amount of excess skin you have on your upper eyelid to determine which surgical technique is most appropriate for your aesthetic goals.
Endoscopic Technique
An endoscopic technique allows your plastic surgeon to subtly lift the skin and muscles within your hairline. For this procedure, an endoscope camera is used to guide the surgery so skin tissues can be lifted precisely to adjust the main source of lines and wrinkles on the forehead.
Coronal Technique
Most surgeons like to use a coronal technique for this procedure since the results last much longer. For this technique, an incision will be made beyond the hairline from ear to ear. A small strip of the scalp will be removed to lift the skin on the forehead, which will also lift the hairline slightly.
Subcutaneous Technique
The subcutaneous is similar to the coronal technique, except the ear-to-ear incision is made before the hairline. This procedure may be a better option for those who have large foreheads or receding hairlines.
How Are Incisions Closed?
Incisions after this procedure are closed in a variety of ways, all designed to minimize the likelihood of scarring and speed up your healing. For a procedure using the coronal technique, absorbable sutures or traditional stitches can be used since the sutures will be hidden within the hair. For other techniques, special skin adhesive tape, glue, or clips can be used.
Is Anesthesia Used for This Procedure?
Yes, this procedure can be performed under general anesthesia. Since it will take a couple of hours to perform this surgery, general anesthesia is the most reliable way to make patients comfortable during the surgery. However, some patients may be able to use local anesthesia and sedation instead, such as patients who are unable to use general anesthesia.
How Should You Prepare for the Procedure?
To prepare for this procedure, you may need to adjust the medications you may be taking, such as blood thinners. You should avoid smoking for a few weeks before the surgery and abstain from drinking alcohol for at least 48 hours. It’s also a good idea to prepare a recovery area in your home so you are comfortable after the procedure.
Will You Have Aftercare Guidelines?
Your aftercare guidelines will include instructions on how soon you can wash your hair and how you should clean the surgical site. You will be instructed to keep your head elevated, even when you are sleeping, and to avoid physical activity for several days or weeks. You will also need to follow directions on how to take any medications that have been prescribed to you, such as antibiotics.
How Long Is the Recovery Process?
While the initial healing process happens during the first 10 to 14 days after your procedure, your total recovery time may take a few months. Nevertheless, most people can return to work after two weeks and resume most normal activities, including moderate exercise. You will need to attend a few follow-up appointments to check on your recovery process.
How Long Will Results Last?
The results of a brow or forehead lift will typically last a lifetime. Many patients who have this procedure in their 40s or 50s will still be able to see results for decades, even as the natural aging process causes some fine lines and wrinkles to return. Factors such as your unique biology, stress, and the elasticity of your skin can also contribute to how long your results will last
Can You Help Results Last Longer?
Even though the results of your procedure should last for decades, it’s still a good idea to adopt habits that will make your results last longer. Not only will these habits slow down the aging process on your upper face, but many of these habits can also improve the aging process on the rest of your face and even your body. The best methods to help your results last as long as possible include:
Healthy Lifestyle
Leading a healthy lifestyle is essential for slow, graceful aging. People who drink enough water, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly will have healthier skin and healthier bodies that can keep the skin supple, hydrated, and tight. It’s especially important to ensure your diet has plenty of important vitamins and nutrients for good skin health, such as vitamins D, E, C, and K.
You can also significantly slow down the aging process by moderating your consumption of alcohol and tobacco products. Tobacco products that contain nicotine are strongly associated with slowing down skin healing and speeding up collagen depletion. Likewise, emotional and physical stress can also cause collagen to break down prematurely, so reducing stress can also help your results last longer.
Good Skincare
Good skincare habits are vital for maintaining long-lasting results. To slow down the aging process, it’s best to use skincare products that are formulated to regenerate new skin, encourage collagen production, and maintain skin hydration. These ingredients can include vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, retinol, and many others.
For the best results from your skincare, you should use these products daily (if your skin can tolerate it). Once you find products that work for your skin, you will usually notice the best anti-aging results about eight to 12 weeks after starting OTC skin care products, while it may only take as little as four to eight weeks to see results when you use prescription-strength products.
Consistent Sunscreen
Finally, using sunscreen consistently is also key for slowing down the aging process. The UV rays in sunlight can create free radicals in your skin that cause skin cells and collagen to break down prematurely. When you apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your skin every day, especially on very sunny days when you are spending a lot of time outside, you will be able to protect the collagen in your skin so your skin remains firm and tight.
Using sunscreen consistently can also help reduce other signs of visible aging, such as dark spots and other blemishes. Wearing sunscreen may be especially important if you are using skincare ingredients that can cause photosensitivity, such as retinol. You should wear sunscreen on cloudy days, beneath make-up that contains sunscreen, and even if you are sitting near a window.
Are You a Good Candidate?
You are generally considered a good candidate for a brow lift if you have moderate to severe skin laxity and wrinkles on the upper face. If this skin laxity is also contributing to drooping eyebrows, you may be a good candidate. Candidates for this procedure also include those who want to enjoy long-lasting anti-aging results, but who may not be able to use neurotoxin injections to reduce forehead wrinkles.
To assess your candidacy for this procedure, you will need to attend a consultation with Dr. Bruce Kadz. During your consultation, you will discuss your aesthetic goals, your skincare habits, and your general health. Because this procedure may require the use of general anesthesia, you may need to complete labs to ensure you are healthy enough for the surgery.
Achieve Your Aesthetic Goals With a Surgical Brow Lift