Brow Lift

Patients frequently seek correction of droopy eyelids not realizing that the eyebrow droop is causing part or majority of the issue. Since the eyebrow decent results in appearance of fullness and excess skin in the upper eyelids patients who need an eyebrow or forehead lift nearly always present requesting upper eyelid surgery. When they relax their eyebrows to their actual position extra fullness appears in the upper eyelids.

No. Patients who request upper eyelid surgery can be divided into three groups based on recommendations for forehead lift or eyebrow lift surgery. The first group does not have droopy eyebrows or forehead and does not need eyebrow or forehead lift.

The second group has mildly droopy eyebrows and would achieve a much better result from upper eyelid surgery if eyebrow or forehead lift surgery is done at the same time. In this group of patients an internal brow lift is often recommended.

The third group of patients have moderate to severe droopiness of the eyebrows. Close your eyes and put your fingers on your eyebrows. If your eyebrows fall below the boney orbital rim then you are in the third group. This group of patients will not get a good result from upper eyelid surgery unless something is done to elevate the eyebrow or forehead. If only upper eyelid surgery is done in this group of patients, it will lower the eyebrow while raising the upper eyelid. A low eyebrow with a high eyelid makes one look angry which is never a desirable outcome from facial surgery. In this group of patients, we typically recommend a forehead lift at the same time as eyelid surgery.

This is a method of lifting the eyebrows and reduce wrinkles in the forehead with the use of an endoscope. It is a small incision and rapid recovery procedure.

One set of incision sites is made behind the temporal hairline. Another set of incisions is made behind the central hairline. The incisions are half an inch long and are nearly invisible as they heal behind the hairline. This pattern of incisions is adjusted for men with male pattern baldness and the procedure can be performed on men with very little hair.

An endoscope is a surgical instrument that has a light source and a camera built into the same device. The instrument can be inserted through small incisions allowing surgery to be performed in a less invasive fashion. In addition to its use in cosmetic surgery, this device is utilized in sinus surgery and other functional procedures such as tear duct surgery and orbital decompression.

The attachments of the soft tissues to the bone are loosened with the use of an endoscope. The brows can then be lifted and fixed in a higher and more natural position.

The endoscopic forehead lift has high patient and surgeon acceptance because it allows surgery to be done with quicker recuperation and less chance of a visible scar.

Most patients undergoing endoscopic forehead lift surgery will simultaneously have eyelid surgery. Eyelid surgery typically causes more bruising and swelling than forehead lift surgery, so the recovery is limited by the three weeks it typically takes for the eyelid bruising and swelling to resolve. The small skin staples in the incision sites behind the hair are removed about two weeks after surgery without pain. Patients may shampoo the hair the day after surgery but should not scrub adjacent to the incision sites. We ask that patients avoid hair coloring or other harsh chemicals in the hair for three weeks after surgery. Many patients who have forehead lift surgery will temporarily get numbness of the forehead. The numbness typically resolves over a course of several months.

No. Both Dr.Ilya and Mark Leyngold are experts in forehead lifting procedures and understand the need for natural eyebrow appearance. Forehead lift surgery aims to reposition the droopy eyebrows to their normal anatomical position as well as reshape the brows to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The goal of the surgery is to reverse the look of sadness, fatigue, concern, or anger that results from malpositioned eyebrows and forehead wrinkles.

This is a method of lifting the eyebrow using the same incision used to remove excess skin from the upper eyelids.

Tissue that holds the eyebrow down is released allowing the eyebrow to move upward. Sometimes stitches are used to support the eyebrow in the higher position.

No. To remove wrinkles in the forehead one must lift the forehead as well as the eyebrows.

No.

In our experience insurance companies will pay for eyelid surgery when it impairs vision. Some insurance companies will pay for direct brow lift. A direct brow lift involves making an incision directly above the brow. While this is an effective procedure it can leave unacceptable scars. Therefore, a direct brow lift is not our preferred method for lifting the brows.

An internal brow lift can be performed through the same incision as the upper blepharoplasty surgery, so no additional incisions need to be made. It can be performed in the office setting while an endoscopic forehead lift surgery must be performed in a surgery center. The internal brow lift is less expensive.

An endoscopic forehead lift is a facelift of the upper portion of your face while an internal brow lift just elevates your eyebrows. An endoscopic forehead lift reduces forehead wrinkles, reshapes the brow to a more natural appearance, and provides a greater lift of the eyebrow in contrast to an internal brow lift. An endoscopic lift can also lift the crow’s feet area just adjacent to the outer corner of the eyelids. In contrast to an internal brow lift, endoscopic brow lift allows correction of the downward slanting eyebrows and asymmetrical eyebrows.

These are the muscles that create vertical wrinkles in the area between the eyebrows (glabella). Patients do not like these wrinkles as they can make one look concerned, intense, or angry.

These wrinkles can be reduced by weakening the corrugator muscles with either Botox or surgery. Botox requires repeat injections but no recuperation period. Surgery is typically only performed once but requires a period for recuperation.

The incision for upper blepharoplasty surgery is used to remove the corrugator muscles.

Most patients have upper eyelid surgery done at the same time. This results in bruising and swelling that typically resolves after three weeks. Patients may also get some numbness between the eyebrows, forehead, and scalp after this procedure, and this can take several months to resolve.

All medical procedures have some risk. You should discuss the risk of complications with your doctor prior to surgery so you can make an informed decision on how to proceed. Many patients select Leyngold Institute for Plastic Surgery for their procedure because they believe that the risk of complications with cosmetic and/or reconstructive plastic surgery may be less when the procedure is performed by very experienced surgeons with specialized training and expertise in plastic surgery of the eyelids and face.