As women get older, they begin to show signs of their age—or their emotions—on their faces. A heavy, sagging brow can cause wrinkles, frown lines, and crow’s feet may cause a tired, worried expression. Brow lifts offer a way to improve those fine lines to achieve a younger, rejuvenated appearance.

What Is a Brow Lift?

A brow lift is a surgical procedure designed to improve signs of aging on the forehead and brow areas. To do this, excess skin in the area is tightened to subtly lift the brow, and muscle and tissue may be removed or repositioned to restore structure to the area. A brow lift can be customized to target each patient’s trouble spots.

Types of Brow Lifts

There are three types of brow lifts, so patients and their surgeon will decide the best option based on the patient’s anatomy and desired results. These procedures include:

• – Endoscopic Brow Lift: This is the most commonly used and least invasive technique. It involves a series of short incisions—less than an inch in length—behind the hairline. Muscle, tissue, and skin will be removed or repositioned through these incisions.
• – Temporal/Limited Incision Brow Lift: This procedure uses slightly longer incisions (about one inch long) made above the temples, behind the hairline. It’s often done in junction with eyelid surgery. The surgeon uses these incisions and the incisions made for the eyelid surgery to adjust muscle, tissue, and skin.
• – Coronal/Classic Brow Lift: This procedure isn’t used often anymore, but it may be necessary for some patients depending on their desired results. This one relies on one long incision running from ear to ear behind the hairline to achieve desired results.

Side Effects

Patients might experience dry eyes and swelling, bruising, or irritation around the eyes following the procedure. It may take up to 14 days to fully recover, and longer for incision lines to fade to show full results. Patients may experience additional side effects if general anesthesia is given.

Who is a Candidate for Brow Lift Surgery?

The best candidates are non-smokers in good health who simply want to improve their outward experience. People of all ages, including men and women, are eligible for the surgery, but most tend to be over 35 and show signs of aging. The right candidates also have realistic expectations about the outcome. While results will be noticeable immediately after the surgery, the impact will become more apparent as swelling goes down and incision lines fade over the coming weeks and months.

William Franckle, MD, FACS is a board certified plastic surgeon with experience performing brow lifts on women and men in New Jersey. If you’re interested in a restorative surgical procedure, Dr. Franckle can help you decide if a brow lift is right for you or speak with you about non-surgical alternatives. Call our office at 856-772-6500 today to schedule a consultation.