Browlift

Specifics

Let’s start at the beginning. Just who makes a good candidate for a browlift? While each plastic surgeon’s evaluation may include criteria of his own, there are basic, common “requirements” that should be met.

Browlifts to minimize the visible signs of aging are most often performed on persons in the 40 to mid 60s age group. But they can be performed on persons of any age to remove or alleviate lines and creases. Even persons who have inherited a trait such as heavy brows or crinkles above the nose can benefit.

Some people request a browlift in addition with a facelift for an allover smoother, more youthful look. Others might want both a browlift and eyelid surgery to lift the brow area and correct puffy, sagging skin along the upper eyelids. In this case, a browlift alone can often achieve the desired results.

People who have a receding hairline or are bald can still make good browlift candidates. While the incision is usually made behind the hair line (to hide scar tissue), incisions can also be made at the base of a receding hairline, or mid-scalp on a bald head where it will be less noticeable.

The surgery itself is most often performed either in a surgeon’s office-based facility, or as an outpatient in a hospital or surgery center. Local anesthesia enhanced by a sedative is usually used during the procedure. Persons prone to headaches may be given a longer-acting local anesthesia to help dull after-surgery discomfort.

There are two different methods used during a browlift: “classic” “and endoscopic.” Preparation for both is typically the same. The patient’s hair is tied back on either side of the incision line using rubber bands. Hair directly in front of the incision line may be trimmed.

A classic browlift entails a “coronal incision.” Starting at ear level on one side of the head, an incision is made behind the hairline (so the scar will not be visible) and runs across the top of the head, down to the other ear.

The skin is carefully lifted, underlying tissue removed, and exposed muscles altered or released. The eyebrows might also be lifted. Excess skin at the incision point is trimmed for a smoother look, and the skin stitched or clipped closed.

During an endoscopic browlift, several scalp incisions are made instead of one long one; each less than one inch long. A pencil-like camera device called an endoscope, connected to a television monitor, is inserted through an incision. This enables the surgeon to see the muscles and tissue beneath the skin.

Another instrument is inserted through a nearby incision, and the forehead skin lifted. Muscle and tissue are either removed or altered to produce the desired results. The eyebrows may be lifted and secured with sutures, or temporary “fixation screws” may be placed behind the hairline.

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