Browlift

(Forehead lift)

A browlift (also called a forehead lift) can give a person a more animated, pleasant appearance by raising the eyebrows and reducing the creased, drooping brow that people interpret as weariness or frowning.

Browlift is often performed in conjunction with a facelift to provide a smoother overall look to the face. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) may also be performed at the same time as a browlift, especially if a patient has heavy or drooping upper eyelids. In some cases, patients who believe they need upper-eyelid surgery find that a browlift is a more efffective option.

Dr. Sheng performs browlifts using general anesthesia, and you will be asleep through during operation.

There are, generally speaking, two surgical techniques for browlifts.
The classic procedure uses a long incision running across the top of the forehead from the top of one ear to the other. Dr. Sheng will plan the location of the incision to take advantage of your hairline to hide any resulting scars.

Through the incision, the surgeon lifts the skin of the forehead so underlying excess tissue can be removed and the skin can be parted from the muscles of the forehead. The eyebrows might be positioned higher, and excess skin along the incision will be trimmed away.

Another type of procedure uses a shorter incision on both sides of the scalp behind the hairline through which much of the lateral forehead can be lifted with excellent results. This procedure is generally recommended for people who require less radical repositioning of the eyebrows and forehead muscles. Since this procedure requires smaller incisions, your recovery time will be shorter with less post-operative discomfort.

In either case, when the browlift is complete, the incisions are closed with stitches or clips, and bandages might be used to protect the area.

You should be up and about in a day or two, but you should take it easy for at least the first week after surgery. You should be able to shower and shampoo your hair within two days, or as soon as the bandage is removed. You can probably return to work in a week or two. Strenuous activity that increases your blood pressure should be avoided for a few weeks. Most of the swelling and bruising that results from surgery should fade within one or two weeks.

This has been only a general overview of browlift surgery. To find out more, you should talk over the specifics of your case with Dr. Sheng. Simply call his office at (310) 288-0269 to make an appointment. He will be happy to take the time to make sure you are fully informed.

Copyright © 2003 Francis C. Sheng, M.D. All rights reserved.