How Is A Brow Lift Done?

A brow lift, or forehead lift, is a cosmetic procedure that restores a more youthful appearance. It targets wrinkles, frown lines, and heavy brows. A well-executed brow lift restores a youthful brow position using three primary techniques created to specifically address different types of aging at the brow.

How To Tell You're Ready For A Brow Lift 

You're experiencing heaviness at the brows and eyelids

Your Botox treatments aren't giving you the lift you want

Your brow has lost its arch and curves around the eye

You're tired of looking tired, and eye makeup is impossible

The Different Types of Brow Lift Surgery

There are three cosmetic surgery techniques for lifting the forehead and brow area. They are the:

-Endoscopic forehead lift
-Temporal Lift
-Coronal brow lift

Temporal Lift

A small incision is made in the temporal (just above the temples) hair-bearing scalp, dissecting just below the skin to preserve nerves of facial expression.

This direct approach specifically targets the lateral brow and can also address upper eyelid “hooding.”

This approach has gained popularity due to it’s simplicity, safety, direct effect on the lateral brow, and quick recovery.

Coronal Brow Lift

The coronal, “open,” or hairline brow lift is the most invasive and most powerful brow lift procedure.

An incision is made from ear to ear to elevate the entire brow. Muscles of facial expression and be directly visualized and treated to improve dynamic wrinkles.

The degree of brow elevation is significant as redundant scalp can be easily removed with this technique.

Endoscopic Brow Lift

The endoscopic forehead lift is a surgical technique that uses 5 small incisions that are discreetly placed within the hairline. An endoscopic lift allows visualization through the use of a small camera attached to a probe. The brow is then elevated and secured.

In addition, the muscles that cause facial expression can be surgically addressed to decrease the dynamic wrinkles in the forehead and between the eyebrows.

Before and After Brow Lift by Dr. John Burns

Surgical Versus Nonsurgical Brow Lift

The surgical options above represent the gold standard for brow elevation, delivering reliable and reproducible results that last approximately 10 years. Patients with minimal brow ptosis can first try correction with more minimally invasive treatments like Botox injections.

What is a Botox Brow Lift?

A Botox brow lift is the most popular noninvasive method where Botox is carefully injected to elevate the brow and improve the appearance of forehead wrinkles. Energy devices such as Ulthera® or Thermage® use ultrasound or radio frequency respectively to heat the underlying tissues to stimulate collagen production, thereby improving the brow aesthetic.

Does  A Brow Lift Get Rid of Forehead Wrinkles?

Yes. The primary function of a brow lift is to address gravitational aging or brow ptosis (drooping). However, the muscles that cause forehead wrinkles can be weakened thereby improving fine lines and wrinkles. These would include marked horizontal wrinkles extending across the forehead as well as glabellar wrinkles. Some refer to these wrinkles as the 11’s.

How To Prepare for Surgery

Brow lifts, like other forms of facial rejuvenation surgery, are patient-specific and require a polished and experienced surgeon.

-Make sure your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

-Your surgery should be done in a fully accredited facility (AAAASF or equivalent).

-You should have a board-certified anesthesiologist to administer your anesthesia.

-Make sure your surgeon has a lot of experience which is evidenced by many before and after photos demonstrating their results.

-Make certain those results are in line with your goals and expectations.

-Ideal candidates should be healthy, non-smokers, and have a good support system to assist them with recovery. Most surgeons will review your medical history and require baseline labs. If necessary, your plastic surgeon will order pre-surgery medical clearance from a primary care physician.

After The Procedure

Recovery is relatively quick and painless. Some report a headache from tightness, incision site pain, swelling, and bruising. Most feel comfortable in public about one week after surgery. The bruising has been dramatically improved by using tranexamic acid (TXA) during surgery. Swelling is mitigated with oral steroids, ice, and elevation.

Recovery Expectations

Procedure Length: 1-2 hours
Anesthesia: General (occasionally local with sedation for smaller procedures)
In/Outpatient: Outpatient
Eyelid Surgery Side Effects:  Temporary swelling, bruising, and some discomfort
Risks: Pain, bleeding, infection, rare damage to nerves or eye muscles, incomplete improvement
Recovery: Back to work with makeup: 1 week. 
More strenuous activity: 2 weeks.
Final Appearance: 1-2 months for swelling to completely resolve.
Duration of Results: About 10 years.

Are The Scars Visible?

Brow lift scars are easily hidden in the hair-bearing scalp. Scars from the endoscopic technique are even less visible as they are all quite small.

When Can I Expect My Final Result?

The brow position should stay constant after surgery. The bruising has generally resolved at about one week and swelling in several weeks.

Brow Lift FAQs

• How much does brow lift surgery cost? The cost of a browlift includes surgeon’s fees, operating room fees, and anesthesia fees. For an endoscopic browlift the cost is about $7500 for everything.
• Does a brow lift make your forehead look bigger? Neither the temporal nor endoscopic technique will make the brow appear larger. However, a coronal browlift can elevate the anterior hairline thus making the brow appear somewhat bigger. This can be alleviated by adjusting the incision at the hair and non-hairbearing junction: hairline browlift.
• How long do the results last? Like a facelift, a browlift will eventually succumb to gravity. It is reasonable to expect your browlift to last about 10 years and sometimes longer. 

Other Procedures Performed With A Brow Lift

Common procedures often done in conjunction with brow procedures are:

Eyelid surgery: A blepharoplasty addresses excess skin and baggy eyelids. Rejuvenating the eyelids often precedes a facelift. It is very common to have your upper eyelids done with brow lift surgery.

Facelift and neck lift: It is common to combine brow surgery with a face and neck lift. A facelift will address gravitation aging in the face and neck correcting deep nasolabial folds, marionette lines, excess skin, jowls, and neck contour.

Laser skin rejuvenation: Often lasers are used to tighten the skin of the face and correct skin tone, texture, clarity, color, pore size, and pigmentation. Lasers can also be used as an alternative to surgical skin resection of eyelids skin.

Fat grafting: As we age, we lose volume in the face. Fat grafting is done to replace and restore lost facial volume. Typical areas for fat grafting are the temples, lower eyelids, cheeks/mid-face, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and lips.

Upper lip lift: A long upper lip is a common concern for older patients. The lip can be shortened and lifted using a well-concealed incision in the crease at the bottom of the nose. A lip lift will rejuvenate the upper lip and is often combined with filler, fat grafting or laser resurfacing.

Buccal fat removal: For patients with round or full faces, cheek fat can be easily removed using an incision inside the mouth. Removal of buccal fat gives a leaner look to the face and accentuates the facial bones.

Plastic Surgery Financing

The surgery is considered elective and not covered by insurance. The cost of surgery is determined by the surgeon's fee, anesthesia fee, and operating room fee. For those who prefer to review financing options, Dr. Burns' practice recommends financing with CareCredit, Alphaeon, and PatientFi.

Schedule Your Consult with
Dallas Plastic Surgeon,
Dr. John Burns

Schedule your private consultation with Dr. John Burns.  Dr. Burns offers both virtual and in-office plastic surgery consultations for men and women seeking cosmetic rejuvenation in Dallas, throughout the United States, and the world.