If you believe your forehead is preventing you from looking your best, a forehead lift (or brow lift) may offer you the refreshed look you seek.
A forehead lift can diminish horizontal creases across the forehead, correct sagging or low-positioned eyebrows, and erase angry-looking frown lines for a more relaxed look.
View our Frequently Asked Questions below to find out more about brow lifts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Though most men and women who undergo brow lift surgery are between 40 and 60 years of age, the procedure can offer great results in older and younger individuals as well. Good candidates for a brow lift include healthy men and women with any of the following conditions:
– Deep horizontal forehead creases
– Frown lines between the eyebrows and across the top of the nose
– An unnaturally tired appearance created by sagging or low-positioned eyebrows
Though brow lift surgery offers great benefits to many who under go it, the procedure should to be approached with extra caution for those with any of the following medical conditions:
– Uncontrolled high blood pressure
– Blood-clotting problems
– The tendency to form excessive scars
Be sure to alert Dr McHugh if you are affected by any of these problems.
A personal consultation with your surgeon is the first step for any patient considering cosmetic surgery. Dr McHugh will assess your physical and emotional health, discuss your aesthetic goals, and address any questions or concerns you may have.
Issues you should be prepared to discuss during consultation with Dr McHugh include:
– All medical conditions, both past and present
– Current medications, including nutritional supplements and herbal remedies
– Past surgeries
– Other treatments you have received
Your physical evaluation with Dr McHugh will include an assessment of your bone structure and underlying facial tissues as well as your skin thickness, elasticity and texture. He will also need to evaluate your forehead contour, the muscle activity in the area, and the brow position, as well as the amount of redundant eyelid skin and the position of your hairline.
For a more complete rejuvenation, Dr McHugh may discuss additional procedures that can be performed along with brow lift surgery. Patients frequently combine a brow lift with:
– Eyelid surgery to address upper eyelid droop or bags beneath the eyes
– Face lift to remove excess skin and tighten facial muscles
– Skin treatments such as chemical peels to improve skin tone and minimize fine wrinkles
There are many variations to the brow lift procedure. The technique Dr McHugh uses for you depends upon your individual features and aesthetic goals.
Dr McHugh will discuss your options with you during your consultation.
Coronal Incision Technique
This common brow lift technique uses a long incision most often concealed with the hairline. The incision begins above the ears and runs along the top of the scalp. To avoid elevation of the hairline, the incision may be placed in front of the hairline instead. Either way, the incision is designed to be as inconspicuous as possible when healed. Through this incision, Dr McHugh can alter or remove parts of the muscles that cause furrowing, wrinkles and frown lines. He can also remove excess skin and lift your eyebrows to improve their position.
Endoscopic brow lift
This limited-incision option use and endoscope for viewing, a long, thin tube with a light on the end, which is attached to a video camera. Rather than using a long incision, the endoscope is inserted through several small incisions in the scalp for less scarring and faster recovery. In some instances, a combination of endoscopic and other techniques may be used.
Other limited-incision techniques
Some limited-incision options can be performed without an endoscope, using small temple incisions to adjust drooping eyebrows, and upper-eyelid incisions to correct frown lines.
Frown lines alone can be treated with small, upper-eyelid incisions-the same type of incisions used in blepharoplasty (eyelid surgey). An endoscopic procedure may be used in this instance as well.
Though thousands of people undergo brow lifts each year and experience no major complications, the procedure does carry some degree of risk. It is important you be well informed of these risks when considering a brow lift.
The discussion of potential risks and complications is one of the most important aspects of patient consultation. During your consultation, Dr McHugh will discuss these potential complications with you, listen to your safety questions, and offer recommendations on how to minimise your risk.
It is important to follow Dr McHugh’s instructions when preparing for surgery to ensure the best possible results. Those instructions may include:
– Refraining from smoking for several weeks before and after surgery
– Avoiding certain medications
– Arranging for help following surgery, such as a ride home and in-home care for the first 24 hours
– Growing your hair to cover your incisions as they heal
For your comfort and convenience, Dr McHugh operates either in his clinic under local anaesthetic with intravenous sedation or under general anaesthetic at various private hospitals.
He will carefully monitor your physical status throughout the operation and during your recovery.
Directly after surgery, you’ll be taken to a recovery area. A bandage may be used around your face to control swelling.
Post-surgical discomfort is typically minimal, and your pain may be controlled with medication.
Though everyone heals at a different pace, the following is typical of recovery from a brow lift:
The day of brow lift surgery
– You can expect to experience some bruising and swelling which can be reduced by keeping your head elevated.
The first week
– Bandages and drains will be removed
– Bathing and showering will be permitted
– Swelling in the cheek and eyelid area will reach its peak, then begin to subside
– Light activity will be permitted
– Sleeping with elevated head will continue to aid in the reduction of swelling
Within two weeks
– Most bruising will subside
– Stitches will be removed
– Applying makeup to hide bruising and discoloration will be allowed
– Normal activities and non-strenuous work will be permitted
After three weeks
– Swelling will continue to subside
– Numbness and itching will diminish greatly
– Exercise may be resumed
Direct sunlight should be avoided throughout the entire healing process. Sunblock should be used long-term to protect your skin.
Most people who undergo brow lift surgery are very pleased with their results. The healing, however, will take some time, so you may not see the final results of your surgery for several months.
How long your brow lift results will last depends upon a number of factors, including your genetics and the lifestyle you lead. Though a brow lift cannot stop the ageing process, patients are typically very happy with their facial appearance for many years following their procedure.
Follow-up visits are important to answer any questions you may have and monitor your healing process. Your first post-operative visit will be scheduled after the initial healing period, during the first few days after surgery.
In the following months, Dr McHugh may ask you to return for periodic checkups. Keeping these appointments is important to assess your long-term results and address any questions or concerns you may have.
His dual specialisations enable him to deliver excellence in surgical results, with an eye for aesthetic beauty.
With over 20 years of experience as a surgeon in the private sector and performing international aid work as a Surgeon Commander with the Royal Australian Navy, you can have confidence that Dr McHugh is uniquely qualified and trusted to deliver the results you seek.
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