Brow Lift Surgery in Atlanta

A brow lift is a surgical procedure to raise sagging eyebrows to a more youthful position. There are a multitude of techniques that can be used to accomplish this.

Brow lifts work by repositioning the sagging tissue and muscles beneath the skin to restore the brows to a more youthful position. Some brow lift techniques remove skin while others simply lift the brow. Depending on the technique that is right for you, Dr. Stong will reposition and tighten these sagging tissues and remove excess skin when needed. The corrugator and procerus muscles that cause the furrow between the eyebrows are divided during a brow lift. This releases the inner portion of the brow and allows for better repositioning while at the same time softening an angry expression. A blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) is often combined with this procedure to improve hooded eyelids or bags beneath the eyes.

As with any facial plastic surgery, patients should ideally be in overall good health, non-smokers and have positive, realistic goals for their facial plastic surgery procedure. Ideal candidates for a brow lift are patients that have heavy brows. Low eyebrows (brow ptosis) can produce a sad, tired, or angry facial expression. Restoring a more youthful brow position can create a much more attractive and youthful facial appearance.

In short, no. Men have naturally heavier and lower brows, and this is often considered an attractive, more masculine feature. Therefore, lifting or raising the brows too much in men can make them look more feminine.

To rejuvenate the eyes and brows in men, a conservative brow lift in conjunction with upper eyelid blepharoplasty are more commonly performed. Dr. Stong uses a much more conservative approach to raising brow position in men compared to women. In addition, men are generally less concerned with less concealed scars so there are more brow lift techniques available to appropriately address their concerns.

The recovery timeframe for forehead or brow lift surgery differs greatly based on the procedure they have. Dressings are removed the day after surgery. Bruising and swelling is common and peaks within the first 3 to 4 days after surgery. With minimally invasive techniques, such as an endoscopic brow lift, the bruising and swelling clears more rapidly with results equivalent to traditional, more invasive techniques. Following a forehead or brow lift, most patients experience numbness in the forehead or scalp. This diminishes quickly with a return to normal within a few months. Wearing concealing makeup can be acceptable almost immediately after brow lift surgery, but certainly within the first week. Patients can return to work within 7 to 10 days and resume normal activity within 2 to 3 weeks.

Dr. Stong performs an endoscopic brow lift by making a few small incisions just behind the hairline. A small, sophisticated camera or scope is used to assist in the procedure. The brow is delicately elevated and fixed in a more youthful position. An endoscopic brow lift procedure takes about 1 to 2 hours to perform.

The endoscopic brow lift uses the least amount of incisions compared to widely used brow lift techniques. They are placed in the hair-bearing area of the scalp. Following healing, these incisions and scars are inconspicuous. This type of brow lift is less invasive and is associated with a reduced risk for visible scarring and permanent scalp numbness, as opposed to more classical or open brow methods that involve longer scars running along the entire hairline. Dr. Stong has proven success using the endoscopic brow lift technique, with the ability to create results that are just as effective as more invasive, traditional brow lift techniques and a recovery that is far more favorable to the patient.

The pretrichial or trichophytic brow lift is an open brow lift technique that places an incision along the entire forehead hairline. Many surgeons still perform this technique with excellent results. A major advantage of this approach is the optimal exposure for the surgeon and the ability to lower the hairline if desired. Notable disadvantages are an increased risk of numbness and the length of the incision and potential for visible scars despite good surgical technique. The trichophytic or preterichal brow lift requires a plastic surgeon with great attention to detail and gentle soft tissue management to create the most natural hairline with inconspicuous scars.

A trichophytic or pretrichial brow lift uses incisions made just in front of or a few millimeters behind the hairline and works well for patients with adequate hair density and who can style their hair to cover the incision, if necessary. Incisions are beveled so that follicles in front of the initial incision are preserved and hair can grow through the incision and thus camouflage the resulting scar.

A lateral temporal brow lift is designed to lift the outer half of the brow only, specifically the peak of the brow arch. It does not address the inner half of the brow. This technique has the fewest incisions, which are strategically placed in the hairline of the temples. Because the lateral temporal brow lift is less invasive, it involves a shorter recovery or healing time than more invasive techniques.

In a direct brow lift, the incisions are placed just above the brows in a modified elliptical fashion. It is generally only recommended in men with heavier set brows and deep forehead wrinkles or rhytids to hide the incisions in or for patients with facial paralysis.

The mid-forehead brow lift places the incisions for the brow lift in deep wrinkles or rhytids in the mid forehead region. The mid-forehead brow lift is most commonly used in men with deeper forehead wrinkles or in cases of facial paralysis.

After tissue is removed from the forehead, the incision is closed with non-absorbable sutures, which are designed to diminish scarring and require removal 4 to 5 days after surgery. Makeup can be safely used on the incision sites three weeks after suture removal. In this technique, Dr. Stong ensures that the scars are well concealed in the deep wrinkles of the forehead skin.

A trans-blepharoplasty brow lift is an excellent technique for patients who need a more subtle lift with much faster recovery. Patients looking for a modest lift can especially benefit from a trans-blepharoplasty technique due to its conservative approach and ability to help patients avoid an over-pulled feminizing look that can result when the brow is over lifted. This type of brow lift is uniquely performed through upper eyelid blepharoplasty incision. Although the results may not last as long as other techniques, the trans-blepharoplasty approach certainly involves less dissection and quicker healing.

A coronal brow lift is largely of historical note only. It was the original technique described to lift the eyebrows as a unit. It places a scar directly across the top of the forehead, essentially from ear to ear. Although this technique allows for excellent exposure, it gives the surgeon less control over brow repositioning compared to newer techniques. The coronal brow lift does remove hair-bearing scalp and consequently raises the hairline. In the past, raising the hairline with this technique was a consideration; however, it has become much less of a concern as newer techniques have taken favor.

If there is a drooping brow or brow ptosis present, then a brow lift must be performed before or at the same time as an upper eyelid blepharoplasty. If an upper eyelid lift is performed before a brow lift, there is a risk for lagopthalmos, which is a permanent shortening of the upper eyelid so that it cannot fully close which results in dry eyes and tearing.