Forehead lift can improve your look in the area above the eyes, it corrects drooping brows and improve forehead creases bringing a more youthful look to the face.  In the conventional surgical method the incision is hidden behind the hairline, with the endoscopic technique, this instrument allows the surgeon to perform the surgery with tiny incisions (about 1 cm). 

It is usually performed in 40 to 60 age patients to minimize some of the visible effects of aging, to treat inherited conditions or younger people who have developed furrows or frown lines due to stress or muscle activity. 

Posible Complications

Risks include nerve injury resulting in a loss of ability to raise the eyebrows or wrinkle the forehead, excess of scarring or hair loss, additional surgery may be required to corect this problems.  Another risks are infection, loss of sensation along or just beyong the incisions or bleeding.

You need to be aware that the endoscopic technique could end with the traditions one if some complication arise during the surgery, in general endoscopy has less complications risk than the traditional approach.

Before Browlift

Before the procedure, the surgeon will evaluate your face, skin and bone structure.  If your hair is very short you could let it grow a bit before surgery to hide the incisions while they heal.   You will need to decide, with the guidance of your plastic surgeon which approach is the best for you, the endoscopic or traditional one.

The Surgery

The procedure is done in an operating room under general or local anesthesia with sedation.  Your head won't be shaved, but the hair growing directly in front of the incision places may need to be trimmed. 

With the Classic/Traditional forehead lift usually a coronal incision will be used, starting about ear leven running across the top of the forhead and down the other side of the head, it is going to be long, but it will be made well behind the hairline to make it not visible.  If you have a high or receding hairline, hair loss or baldness, a mild scalp incision following the skull bones is sometimes recommended, in any case, your surgeon will perform the planning needed to make them the less visible posible. 

In the Endoscopic forehead lift 3 to 5 short scalp incisions will be made instead of the one long one of the traditional approach.  Then an endoscope (pencil like camera device connected to a television monitor) is inserted through one of them and different surgical instruments through the other ones.

With any of the techniques the skin will be carefully lifted and underlying tissue removed and the muscles of the forehead altered or released.  The eyebrows could be also elevated and internal sutures placed to keep them in position.  Finally, excess skin in the incision point (traditional approach) will be removed. 

The incisions will be closed with stitches or clips and yor face washed to prevent irritation.  According to your surgeon preferences dressings and/or an elastic band could be used.

The Results

Patients after traditional approach experience some numbness, swelling and temporary discomfort around the incision, it can be controled with prescription medication.  With the endoscopid approach you may feel less discomfort after the procedure.

You should keep your head elevated for couple of days, swelling will be less evident about a week after the procedure.  Stitches will be removed in 2 weeks approximately.  Normal hair growth around the incisions will rsume in several weeks. 

You should be able to go back to normal activities in about a weeks, in couple of days you may be able also to shower your hair.  More arduous activities should be avoided for several weeks.  Prolonged sun or heat exposure should be limited for several months. 

Results are permanent and most of the patients are pleased with them, but you should remember that it can not stop the aging process.