Brow lifts are designed to resuspend or elevate the brow and improve the hooding, or closure, of the outer aspect of the upper lid.
A brow lift surgery, sometimes referred to as a forehead lift, will help to raise sagging brows that land the patient a tired, aged, or angry appearance. It can be performed alone, or simultaneously with other cosmetic procedures such as blepharoplasty surgery. It is also an excellent complement to facial anti-aging procedures such as a facelift, which addresses skin laxity on the lower face and upper neck area.
The aging of the tissue around the eye is not isolated to the eyelid skin alone. Gravity and loss of skin elasticity affect the brow position to the same degree as the eyelid skin. Rejuvenation of the upper eyelid most often involves correction of the brow position, and it may be performed alone or with the upper eyelid in conjunction with other facial procedures such as facelift surgery in Tampa.
Landon Plastic Surgery specializes in cosmetic reconstructive surgeries that are designed to rejuvenate the appearance of the face and body. Our lead brow lift Tampa plastic surgeon and founder, Dr. Bruce Landon, MD, is adept in the latest facial surgery techniques that aim to enhance each patient’s face in accordance with their desired outcome. While surgical procedures may be combined, he will not suggest excessive procedures that are not in scope with the client’s particular signs of facial aging and individual cosmetic concerns.
Surgery time is approximately 1 hour, under general anesthesia or local with sedation. Brow lifts can be performed in various ways. Your surgeon selects the technique that is ideal for you by developing a treatment plan that caters to your specific signs of facial aging.
This may involve the use of an endoscope, which is a thin tube with a camera attached to the end, or special instruments that are inserted through small incisions placed at the patient’s hairline in a coronal brow lift incision. The existing loose facial skin and muscle in the forehead region are then tightened according to the individual cosmetic concerns displayed by the patient. The eyebrows are carefully elevated to an ideal position on the patient’s face, keeping aesthetics and proportionality in mind.
The incision may be closed with dissolving sutures or skin adhesives, depending on the exact procedure that was performed. Botox administration is often used in conjunction with the procedure to minimize muscle activity during the postoperative period. This approach gives us the opportunity to weaken some of the muscles responsible for forehead lines. This will be discussed with the patient during the consultation process.
In our practice, 95% of brow lifts are minimally invasive. The remaining 5% usually involve an open frontal hairline approach for women with excessive hairline recession.
The endoscopic approach is a camera-assisted procedure with access to the brow through three scalp incisions behind the hairline avoiding any visible signs of surgery on the forehead. The benefit of endoscopic brow lifts is that there are less surgical trauma and smaller incisions than traditional brow lift surgery. This enables your surgeon to improve the forehead and raise the position of the brows with a less invasive approach to surgery.
For patients that fear looking unnatural after brow lift procedures, there is no need to be concerned as it has a very natural-looking result. Once the surgery is complete, the eyebrows will appear in a more youthful position. It also helps to smooth horizontal forehead wrinkles by tightening skin across the forehead region. Heavy eyelids or hooded eyebrows may also be alleviated, but again, upper eyelid blepharoplasty may be needed to correct severe eyelid drooping and excessive fat accumulation beneath the brow bone and above the upper lash line.
The open frontal approach minimizes further elongation of the aging forehead resulting from a receding hairline in women and men. Hair loss around the forehead area is a common concern, whether due to genetics, lifestyle factors, certain medications or medical conditions, or the aging process itself. This technique involves carefully placed incisions at the hairline.
Dr. Landon makes every effort to neatly hide the incisions so that it is not obvious to the untrained eye that the patient had anything done. Forehead wrinkles take on a smoother and more youthful appearance, and it helps to take the heaviness away from sagging upper eyelids to a degree — all without taking the hairline back any further.
Older direct brow lifts required visible incisions above the hair-bearing brow skin. A newer technique, popularized by Dr. Landon at Landon Plastic Surgery involves two small incisions within the brow hair to facilitate improved brow position. This technique leads no unsightly scars and provides Dr. Landon with improved flexibility for managing different portions of the brow. This newer technique of direct brow lift is applicable to all age groups including patients with little hair and brow tattooing.
Showering is acceptable after 24 hours, and head elevation is encouraged during the recuperation period. Swelling of the upper and lower lid is common and cool compresses are suggested for comfort and swelling relief. No heavy aerobic activity for 3 to 4 weeks and a full recovery is expected by the 3 to 4-week mark.
Dr. Landon has more than 20 years of experience in face and body reconstruction plastics as a trusted board-certified Tampa plastic surgeon. Great care is taken to listen to each patient’s needs so that they achieve the cosmetic result they are hoping for by undergoing a surgical facial rejuvenation procedure such as a brow lift. His medical staff has been carefully hand-selected so that each patient has access to a team of ACLS-certified professionals that work hard to ensure the safety and efficacy of all the procedures we offer.
Our facility is outfitted with a private, state-of-the-art operating room that is fully accredited by the AAAASF (American Association of Accredited Ambulatory Surgical Facilities). This special designation means that our surgical practice provides the same level of care as a hospital facility, however here patients can enjoy far more privacy and comfort than is possible in a crowded hospital setting.
Schedule a consultation with Landon Plastic Surgery today at one of our two convenient Tampa area locations to learn how Dr. Landon can help you achieve your body goals.