How Is a Brow Lift Done?

• 1 March 2020
• MCC Marketing

Last updated on July 10, 2024

One of the most common complaints of people over the age of 30 is the appearance of their forehead and eyebrows. The forehead develops deep furrows and the eyebrows begin to sag. At My Cosmetic Clinic in Newcastle, NSW, we proudly offer several services to help our clients improve their self-confidence. Today, we discuss the brow lift.

How Is a Brow Lift Done?

There are several potential techniques that may be used to perform a brow lift, also known as a forehead lift. During your initial consultation for brow lift, we will review your facial structure, current aesthetic and aesthetic goals to determine which technique is best for you. Here are the three most common techniques used for a forehead lift:

Endoscopic Forehead Lift

An endoscopic forehead lift is by far the most common technique used for people who do not also need an upper eyelid lift at this time. This procedure is performed using tiny incisions roughly 19.05 mm in length. These are made just behind the hairline so they are not visible.

In these incisions, we insert a tiny camera and very thin instruments. They allow us to remove excess fat and skin tissue. They also allow us to reposition the underlying muscles and lift the skin tissue of the forehead. This results in a lifted brow.

Temporal (Limited Incision) Forehead Lift

A temporal forehead lift, also known as a limited incision forehead lift, is the most commonly used method for clients who also need an upper eyelid lift. This procedure is performed by creating small incisions measuring approximately 25.4 mm in length. The incisions are made discretely behind the hairline just above the temples.

Through these incisions, the underlying muscle tissues of your outer brows are lifted and repositioned. Frown lines are smoothed when the eyebrows are lifted through the upper eyelid lift incisions.

Classic (Coronal) Forehead Lift

The coronal forehead lift was once the most prominent technique. However, this technique is now only used when an extensive amount of skin and fat tissue need to be removed.

During this procedure, a single incision is made behind the hairline. However, it runs from ear to ear. Excess skin, fat and muscle tissue are removed, and the remaining brow muscles and skin are repositioned to sculpt a more youthful aesthetic.

What Happens After a Forehead Lift?

The Day of Your Procedure

After your procedure or procedures are complete, we will observe you to ensure you have come out from under general anesthesia as you should. We will review a comprehensive list of what you should expect in the weeks to come and what you can do to increase your chance of a smooth, comfortable recovery.

Once we are confident you understand everything, you are free to return home. However, someone must drive you. You may not operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery within 24 hours of being put under general anesthesia, intravenous or oral sedation, or certain prescription analgesics. Before your procedure, arrange for a loved one to spend the first night with you.

The Day After Your Procedure

The day after your procedure, your entire focus should be on hydrating, eating reasonable portions of nutritious foods, and resting. You should also take regular short walks to keep your circulatory system running strongly.

Take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed and take analgesics as necessary. Do not bend over, sleep on your side or stomach, or do anything that could elevate your blood pressure. Moreover, do not lift anything weighing more than 2.3 kilos.

The Week After Your Procedure

The week after your procedure, you are free to return to work if you have a sedentary job. Some of our clients return to work sooner. We recommend taking off six business days from work to ensure you have more than enough time to recover.

You may find that you tire easily, especially if you are taking certain analgesics. Communicate this with your supervisor ahead of time. You are free to wear makeup and resume driving if you are no longer taking prescription analgesics and feel comfortable in your mobility and alertness.

Two Weeks After Your Procedure

Two weeks after your procedure, you are free to resume exercise gradually. You will most likely want to focus on moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity. You will probably want to avoid resistance training and high-intensity cardiovascular activity until around four weeks post-op.

How Should I Prepare for a Forehead Lift?

Schedule Your Initial Consultation

The first step in preparing for your forehead lift is scheduling your initial consultation. During your initial consultation, we will review your medical history, assess your current health and review your aesthetic goals. To prepare for your initial consultation, bring in a comprehensive list of all medications and supplements you are taking.

We also need to know the pharmaceuticals and supplements, including their dosages, you have taken within the past couple of weeks. Certain medications and supplements can thin your blood, elevate your blood pressure or present other side effects that are not conducive to your procedure and recovery.

Prepare Your Home for Your Recovery

We strongly recommend that our clients clean their homes thoroughly before their procedure. The last thing you need to do after a forehead lift is to bend over to clean your baseboards. If your house is clean the day of your procedure, you won’t need to worry about cleaning it on the day of or after your procedure.

You should also stock your fridge and freezer with healthy meals that reheat well. These meals should include ingredients that are high in soluble fiber and protein, such as legumes, quinoa, and beans.

Get Your Recovery Room Ready

Once you have a week’s worth of meals and have cleaned your home, it is time to prepare your recovery room. Swing over to your local pharmacy and fill the prescriptions you have been given. These prescriptions, including analgesics and antibiotics, should be in your recovery room. You’ll also want plenty of water on hand.

You may feel drowsy after being put under anesthesia or sedation. We recommend downloading the Kindle app on your phone so you have an entire library at your fingertips. Buy a portable cell phone charger so you don’t have to worry about reaching your favorite book or accidentally losing power to your phone.

Schedule Time Off of Work

Are you long overdue for a holiday? If you are, schedule two weeks off of work. You shouldn’t need more than a week to recover from this procedure, however, if you don’t have to worry about going back to work next Monday, you can spend more time and energy resting, relaxing, and recovering. Give yourself a break: you deserve it.

Stop Consuming Alcohol

You’ll want to lay off the booze in the two weeks leading up to your procedure. We know it’s hard to watch a rugby match without a bottle of beer in your hand, but it’s important to follow this instruction. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning you’ll be hard-pressed to stay hydrated if you drink alcohol.

Make an Effort to Become and Stay Hydrated

Cutting out booze is a great first step in being hydrated, but it’s not nearly enough. Aim to drink 3.8 liters of water per day in the two weeks preceding your procedure. If you can’t drink that much water in a day, aim for two liters of water daily and then incorporate foods with high water content into your diet.

Foods that are great sources of water include soup, watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce. Inspect your urine after a bladder movement to ensure you are properly hydrated. Your urine should be very pale yellow if not translucent.

Stop Eating and Drinking Just Before

Do not eat or drink within eight hours of your procedure. It is very important that your stomach is empty when you are put under general anesthesia or sedation.

If your procedure is scheduled for noon, you must stop eating and drinking at midnight before your procedure. We recommend eating a healthy, filling, low-carb dinner around 10 hours to keep you feeling full when you come in for your procedure.

How Long Do the Results of a Forehead Lift Last?

On average, the results of a forehead lift last between 10 and 12 years. However, you may be able to extend the results of your procedure by taking steps to maintain your skin health and overall health. Here are some actionable steps you can take to potentially extend the results of your procedure:

Stop Smoking

If you smoke, quit. To be a good candidate for this procedure, you must be willing and able to abstain from nicotine for six weeks pre-op and six weeks post-op. You may need to start quitting several months before your procedure. Smoking cessation tools, such as gum or patches, contain nicotine.

If you can stop smoking for three months to undergo this procedure safely, you can stop smoking for life. Nicotine is one of the leading causes of premature aging because it damages your body’s existing collagen and further slows its collagen production process.

Wear Sunblock

Sun damage is the leading preventable cause of premature aging. It doesn’t just cause melanoma and sunspots. It also weakens collagen and elastin, causing the skin to wrinkle and sag while you are still young.

To preserve the benefits of a forehead lift, we strongly recommend that you wear a broad-spectrum sunblock with a sun protection factor of at least 35. The lighter your skin is, the more important it is to find and regularly apply a strong sunblock. Broad-spectrum sunblock protects you from both UVA and UVB rays.

Eat Plenty of Quality Protein

Nearly everyone has a general understanding that they need to include mostly healthy foods in their diet. But few people are aware that consuming adequate portions of high-quality protein will help them keep their skin looking young and beautiful. Collagen is a protein that helps your skin look youthful and is found in seafood, poultry, and beans.

Am I a Good Candidate for a Brow Lift?

Several factors determine if you are a good candidate for a forehead lift. These range from your medical history and current health to the results you are trying to achieve. Here are a few of the most important things we look at to determine candidacy for this procedure:

Your Heart and Lungs Are Healthy

Whether you are put under general anesthesia, intravenous sedation, or oral sedation, a healthy heart and lungs are crucial. Let us know during your initial consultation if you have a defibrillator or heart disease. We also need to know about any history of heart or lung problems and current heart and lung conditions, if applicable.

You Have Realistic Expectations About the Results

A forehead lift is not designed to drastically alter your appearance. You will probably find that you look like a happier, younger, friendlier, more alert version of yourself. You must also understand that the duration of the results is not guaranteed.

Several factors are at play here, including your genetics, exposure to the sun, and how well you care for your skin. If you understand all of these things and you’re in fairly good health, you are probably a good candidate for this procedure.

Your Eyebrows Are Asymmetrical

If your eyebrows are asymmetrical, your heart and lungs are healthy, and you have realistic expectations about the results, you are probably a good candidate for this procedure.

Even if both of your eyebrows need to be lifted, we can raise one eyebrow more than the other to make your eyebrows appear more symmetrical as well as rejuvenated.

You Have Eyebrow or Forehead Wrinkles

Even if you don’t have excess forehead skin or fat, you may find that your skin wrinkles because it is growing looser. You are a good candidate for this procedure if you want to erase wrinkles from your forehead and eyebrows for an extended period of time.

You Are Between the Ages of 25 and 65

Most of our clients are between the ages of 40 and 65. Most people in this age range are healthy enough to undergo this procedure and still have fairly healthy skin. However, your body starts to produce less collagen every year starting at the age of 30.

Particularly when less-than-ideal genes are involved, it’s perfectly normal for someone in their 20s or 30s to need this procedure.

You Have Fairly Healthy Skin

Skin that becomes increasingly inelastic is a perfectly normal part of the aging process. The corners of your eyes may develop crow’s feet and excess skin may cause the eyebrows to sag. Deposits of excess fatty tissue may develop above or below the eyes.

The point of a forehead lift or eyelid lift is to correct these problems. However, we look primarily for clients who still have a decent amount of elasticity in their skin. This increases the likelihood that you will be satisfied with the results of your procedure for a long time to come.

You Are Aware of the Risks

This procedure, as with all surgical procedures, comes with risks. Even though lifts are performed regularly with few complications, there is always the potential for anesthesia risks, bleeding, and other complications. When you schedule your appointment with us, we will go over all the risks and benefits in detail.

Discover How to Rejuvenate Your Face Today

If you’re concerned with the appearance of your upper face, a brow lift may be able to help. To learn more, contact us today at My Cosmetic Clinic in Newcastle, NSW to schedule your initial consultation. We can’t wait to meet you and help you work towards improving your self-confidence.
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