A forehead lift is a procedure that corrects drooping, sagging brows and smoothes forehead lines. When your brow sags, it can create dark, tired eyes and furrows on your forehead that may make you appear angry even when you are not. A forehead lift raises the brow to improve the look and feel of your eyes and erases a furrowed brow and nearby lines and wrinkles. A forehead lift may also be combined with a blepharoplasty, or eyelift, to further refresh your eye area, or with laser resurfacing to additionally diminish lines and wrinkles.

In a forehead lift, the muscles and tissues that cause the furrowing or drooping are removed or altered to raise the eyebrows and diminish lines. The conventional surgical method places the incision just behind the hairline, where it is well hidden. It can also be performed with the use of an endoscope, a viewing instrument that allows the procedure to be performed with minimal incisions. Both techniques yield similar functional and cosmetic results.

There are several options to raise the eyebrows and refresh the forehead. One surgical technique is the indirect brow lift or "brow pexy." A second surgical method is called a direct brow lift. Lastly, and perhaps the most impactful, is the endoscopic forehead lift using the Endotine fixation device.

One of the most common brow lift procedures is called the indirect brow lift, or "brow pexy." This is done most often in conjunction with an upper eyelid ptosis repair, or blepharoplasty. The brow pexy procedure is performed through the upper eyelid. An incision is made along the natural crease of the eyelid, and the brow area is accessed through incision. Once the eyebrow area is reached, the brow is raised to the desired height and sutures are placed to firmly secure it in place.

A second option is the direct brow lift. In a direct brow lift, a wedge of excess skin is excised directly along the outermost hairs of the eyebrow. By removing excess skin, the brow can be elevated. The incision is then closed with sutures. The incision line may appear red and prominent for several weeks, but will disappear within the next 6-8 weeks. A direct brow lift is particularly effective for male patients; typically men have more dynamic expression lines along their brow and forehead which allows any visible trace of the incision lines to blend naturally with the forehead. The procedure does, however, have great functional and esthetic benefit for female patients, as well.

A third option is the endoscopic brow lift also known as a forehead lift. The endosopic brow lift is done by first creating 4-5 incisions along the hairline. An endoscope is inserted through the incisions. An endoscope is a medical instrument housing a camera that, once inserted into the incisions, allows the surgeon to view the muscles and tissues below the surface of the skin while operating. After inserting the endoscope, the surgeon loosens the area muscles from the skull and elevates the forehead to the proper height. Several small bio-absorbable implants, called Endotine fixation devices, are inserted into the outer layer of the skull. They act like "tacks" to firmly secure the forehead in place. In time, the Endotine implants dissolve harmlessly, and forehead remains in its newly elevated position.

All of these procedures are done in an outpatient surgical facility. Most will require local or monitored anesthesia. This kind of anesthesia places you in a "twilight" state; you are not completely asleep but will remember little, if any, of the procedure. Sedated consciousness is preferred so your surgeon can accurately adjust the brow line. Recovery time is relatively short. For most people, pain is minimal, but medication will be prescribed to relieve any discomfort.

As with any surgery complications may occur. Talk to our surgeons about the risks involved. Not everyone is a candidate for a brow lift, and our surgeons can help you determine your best options for treatment.