Forehead Lifting
Forehead lift is a procedure that restores a younger, more refreshed look to the area above the eyes. It corrects drooping brows and improves the horizontal lines that make a man or a woman look tired or sad.
In a forehead lift, the muscles and tissues that create the horizontal lines are removed making the forehead feel smoother and the appearance look more relaxed and animated.
The best candidate
A forehead lift is most commonly done in the 40-60 age groups to reduce the visible effects to aging. However, it can also help people who have developed frown lines due to stress or inherited conditions. It can also be performed in conjunction with a facelift or blepharoplasty for a better result. A forehead lift is usually done in one of our private hospitals by using either general or local anesthesia in combination with sedation.
Techniques used
Your surgeon will help you decide which approach will best achieve your cosmetic goals, the open method or the endoscopic forehead lift.
The open method
Initially, a coronal incision will be used. It follows a headphone-like pattern, starting at about ear level and running across the top of the forehead and down the other side of the head. If your hair line falls higher than normal, then the incision may be placed just at the hairline to avoid adding even more height to the forehead. Working through the incision, we have the ability to remove the underlying tissue and muscle that create the lines while the eyebrows may also be elevated.
The Doctor may also choose to cover the incision with gauze padding and wrap in the head for around 24-48 hours.
Endoscopic forehead lift
Rather than making one long incision, your surgeon will make three-four short incisions, each less than 1cm in length. An endoscope, which is like a camera connected to a television monitor, is inserted through one of the incisions, allowing the surgeon to have a clear view of the muscles and tissues beneath the skin. Using another instrument inserted through a different incision, the forehead skin is lifted to remove tissue and muscle. The eyebrows may also be lifted and secured into their higher position by sutures and temporary fixation screws.
After your surgery
The post-operative experience may differ between the two techniques. With the first method, patients may experience some numbness around the incision. They may also show swelling which reduces after 3-4 days. Sutures are removed after 7-10 days. With the second method patient may experience the same symptoms but they are minimal. Sutures are also removed after 7-10 days.
Getting back to normal
Usually, a week or 10 days is an appropriate healing period. You should be able to wash your hair after the second day and exercise is allowed after 3-4 weeks.