Approximate Cost : $3,000 – $8,000 CDN
Recovery: 1 – 2 weeks
Possible complications: Bleeding and bruising are common, rare risk of: hematoma (collection of blood under the skin thats removed by the surgeon), infection, temporary or permanent injury to nerves, raised scarring, loss of hair.
A forehead lift (also known as a browlift) can improve the visible signs of
aging of the forehead. Most people interested in a forehead lift have drooping brows, horizontal lines and sagging skin on their forehead.
Forehead lifts involve the muscles and tissues that cause drooping and
wrinkling being removed or altered to create a smooth forehead, raise the eyebrows and minimize frown lines.
There are 2 methods of lifting the forehead: a classic forehead lift and an
endoscopic forehead lift.
The classic forehead lift: With this technique an incision is made across the
top of the head just behind the hairline, or if you have a high forehead the
incision can be made right at the hairline to avoid adding even more height to
the forehead. In patients with balding hair a mid-scalp incision may be used.
Before the surgery your hair may be trimmed in the incision area. Once the
incision is made the forehead skin is lifted, and the underlying tissue can be removed and the muscle can be released or altered to reduce frowning.
The skin is then draped back and brows are elevated slightly to create a more rested look. Excess skin is removed and then sutured or stapled into place. Your surgeon will probably put dressings on you and wrap you with a bandage
that compresses the area slightly.
The endoscopic forehead lift: This technique is the same as the classic
forehead lift, however instead of an incision across the top of the head the
surgeon makes three to five short scalp incisions, each smaller than an inch.
A device called an endoscope – a pencil-like camera device connected to a
television monitor – is inserted through an incision so the surgeon can view the
tissues and muscles. An instrument is then inserted through one of the other
incisions and used to lift the skin and remove tissue and alter the muscle.
The eyebrows can be lifted and secured and once the procedure is complete
the incisions are sutured or stapled. This technique results in less scarring,
however it’s not ideal for those with sagging skin as no excess skin is removed
like with the classic technique.
The surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis or some patients are
asked to stay overnight. After your surgery you will be asked to keep your
head elevated to avoid increased swelling. If you had a drain put in to drain
blood that will be removed in a day or two. You will feel discomfort and your
forehead might feel tight, but pain can be controlled with medication. You can
expect your forehead and face to be swollen and bruised and this can last for a
few weeks. Stitches may come out in 5 days, if staples were used in your
scalp they might stay in longer.
Women with longer hair find it easy to hide the incisions by wearing bangs.
If you are a male with short hair you may want to grow your hair a little
before surgery.
Your surgeon will give you specific recovery instructions but usually you
will be asked to rest for the first week. You will probably be instructed not
to participate in strenuous activities for 2-3 weeks.
In general, the goal of any forehead lift should be to provide a natural more rested youthful appearance which is not artificial in any way. It’s effects
typically last 5 to 10 years.
A forehead lift is often performed with a facelift or eyelid lift.