Forehead Lift

Concepts in facial rejuvenation over the past five years have changed dramatically. In the past, all that was considered was a facelift. As time went on, eyelid surgery and brow elevation became part of the standard surgical treatment. Forehead lift is actually also considered a brow lift. The reason for this is that the brow is usually the anatomic region that frequently begins to sag due to gravity and aging. Repositioning the brow into a more anatomical and youthful position, with a lateral upsweep of the curve of the brow, gives a fresher and more youthful image.

At the time of a brow or forehead lift, the muscles that contribute to wrinkling in the space between the brows and of the forehead, can be weakened in such a way that wrinkles will tend to diminish and become less noticeable. While Botox can accomplish the muscle weakening, it is a temporary alternative. A startling new finding is that 30% to 40% of patients with headaches appear to have had significant improvement in their headaches following a brow lift in which the muscle action has been diminished surgically. While this should not be considered a treatment of choice for migraines or headaches, it may be an advantage that many patients will experience with surgery to improve their image.

Brow lift or forehead lift is a procedure that is occasionally done through an open technique in which an incision is made directly across the top of the skull and skin is removed. This can be advantageous for certain patients with a particular hairstyle or appearance to their forehead. Some surgeons feel that this gives the best possible result. Other alternatives for elevating the brow include a more limited incision laterally or it can be performed to a lesser extent through an incision that is utilized for an upper lid blepharoplasty or eyelift. Finally endoscopic surgical techniques can be used, which is the technique that I have come to prefer for most patients.

Either procedure is performed under a local anesthesia with I.V. sedation. The patient is in a twilight sleep state and does not feel anything during the operation. There is a period of numbness to the forehead in the postoperative period although other significant complications are rare. There can be some thinning of the hair around the sites of the incisions but they are rarely noticeable.

If you believe that your forehead and brows contribute to an appearance of aging, please consider a confidential consultation at the Johns Hopkins Cosmetic Center at Green Spring Station. Improving your image is our mission at Johns Hopkins.