Everyone expects to develop a few well-earned wrinkles, creases, and lines and they get older, but the other effects of aging — you know, the loose skin, lost tissue volume, and sagging facial features — tend to arrive as an unwelcome surprise for the average adult.
If this natural and unavoidable process has left you with a furrowed, sagging brow that makes you look older, perpetually tired, or even less approachable, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to accept these unwanted facial changes as they are.
Here at Pasadena Plastic Surgery, we know that nothing beats a well-done brow lift when it comes to achieving subtle facial rejuvenation and a more youthful, energized appearance. Find out how this simple cosmetic procedure can help you turn back the hands of time in an instant.
As one of the most expressive areas of your face, your forehead is particularly vulnerable to the most common effects of aging, including deep wrinkles, fine lines, poor skin laxity, and sagging tissues.
Repeated facial expressions can give rise to deep vertical furrows (frown lines) between your brows and prominent horizontal creases (worry lines) across your forehead that make you look unhappy or less than enthusiastic; at the same time, hormonal changes and genetic influences can leave you with a sagging forehead and a lower brow that make you look tired all the time.
Brow lift surgery, also known as a forehead lift or forehead rejuvenation, aims to reverse the effects of aging (and gravity) by tightening loose tissue, smoothing out deep wrinkles and lines, elevating your forehead, and restoring a more youthful, lifted contour along your brow.
Every year in the United States, thousands of adults choose to have a brow lift and are thrilled with the results. Raising a sagging forehead opens your eye area and places your eyebrows in a more youthful position to make you appear more energized, content, and approachable.
By diminishing the appearance of the deep wrinkles and furrows that make you seem anxious, sad, or upset when you’re not, a brow lift can also help restore a more neutral expression that puts you back in charge of the emotions you wish to convey.
When you no longer worry about “looking worried” all the time, you may feel more confident in your appearance as well as how others perceive you based on your appearance.
Although the brow lift technique that’s best for you (endoscopic, temporal, or classic) depends on your unique facial anatomy and specific cosmetic goals, we like to take a minimally invasive endoscopic approach whenever possible.
As a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in most advanced minimally invasive techniques, Michael Schwartz, MD, prefers the endoscopic approach because it uses much smaller incisions, comes with fewer risks, and promotes faster healing and a quicker recovery.
After making a series of small incisions around your forehead and just behind your hairline, Dr. Schwartz inserts an endoscope, or a long thin tube that’s fitted with a light and a tiny camera, through one of the incisions.
As the camera transmits a magnified, high-definition view of your underlying tissues onto a nearby monitor, Dr. Schwartz uses tiny, specialized surgical instruments to gently release and elevate the brow tissue through the other incisions.
Once the tissue is properly repositioned, he anchors it in place with small, absorbable “tacks” that dissolve in three to six months. Your incisions are closed with stitches or small clips.
Although you can expect some mild post-surgical swelling and bruising for up to two weeks following your endoscopic brow lift, you can also expect to see a rejuvenated forehead contour, brighter, more open eyes, and smoother, more youthful-looking skin right away.
Your brow lift results may last for many long years before the normal aging process causes your tissues to settle once again; you can prolong your results by using sunscreen, eating a nutrient-rich diet, keeping yourself hydrated, and avoiding tobacco.
A brow lift may be performed in conjunction with eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) if extreme forehead sag has caused excessive upper eyelid droop; it can also be done at the same time as a facelift if you’re interested in achieving total facial rejuvenation.
If you’re ready to take years off your appearance in an instant, we can help. Call our Pasadena, California, office today, or click online to schedule a consultation with Dr. Schwartz at any time.
