Brow Lift

Brow lift (forehead lift) is a plastic surgery procedure which will raise your eyebrows to a higher and more aesthetic position. It will also improve lateral hoods which are the droopy flaps of skin that hang over the outside corner of your eyes. Plastic surgery of your forehead will also soften your horizontal forehead wrinkles and the scowl lines between your eyebrows. A brow lift will not  improve baggy eyelids, puffy eyes, or crows feet. There maybe a small amount of scarring on top of the head or in front of the hairline, depending on the technique chosen. Brow lift may be performed in several ways. There are three commonly used techniques coronal lift, endoscopic lift, and subcutaneous lift.

A coronal forehead lift involves an incision across the top of your head, from ear to ear. Through this incision, your surgeon can alter the muscles (frontalis, procerus, and corrugators) that cause horizontal forehead wrinkles and scowling.
After doing this, your surgeon will actually remove about a 1-2 cm strip of your scalp and sew the remaining scalp together.
Although this may sound gruesome, it is the oldest and most reliable technique in brow lift surgery. The main disadvantage is that you will be numb on the top of your head for about six months, after which time the sensation usually returns. This technique also raises your hairline, which can be a problem for those with a high forehead who also wear their hair back. The advantages of this technique are that it is lasting (it will not have to be repeated as you age, with very rare exceptions). Also the scars are concealed behind the hairline and are not seen after they heal (unless you are a man with a receding hairline, in which case you should not have this kind of brow lift).

Endoscopic forehead lift involves four to six short (one inch) incisions behind your hairline. Through these small incisions, your plastic surgeon inserts and endoscope which has a tiny camera on the end. This allows her or him to see under your skin without making a long incision across the top of your head. Through this technique, your plastic surgeon will be able to do most of the things that can be accomplished through a coronal lift with a few notable exceptions. Your plastic surgeon will be able to weaken the scowl-causing muscles but will not be able to directly alter the muscle that causes horizontal wrinkles. Also, your plastic surgeon can lift your forehead, but does not remove the excess scalp. She (or he) merely shifts it upward and backward on your skull. To secure your scalp into its new position, your plastic surgeon may drill small hole into your skull and place tiny screws (which later are removed or which are absorbed by your body). Even with these screws, because excess scalp is not removed, there exists greater potential for your forehead and brows to droop
after an endoscopic lift. (Relapse is most common in those with very droopy brows and very deep creases.) Because endo lifts have only been performed since 1995, no one knows exactly how long the results last. Finally, endo lifts, like coronal lifts, raise your hairline, but (unlike coronal lifts) they do not cause temporary numbness on top of your head.

Subcutaneous forehead lifts an incision is made across the top of your forehead, where your hairline begins. All of the muscle alterations that are performed through a coronal lift are possible through this operation. Also, your excess skin is removed. Because the incision is in front of the hairline, your hairline will not be moved higher (unlike the other two techniques). Also, you will not have numbness on top of your scalp. The major disadvantage of this technique is that it leaves a scar across the top of your forehead. To conceal your scar, you will need to wear your hair forward. If you are wearing your hair forward, then it doesn't matter as much how high your hairline is because your hairline will not be visible. 

Swelling and bruising: Improve in 10-14 days. You can reduce swelling through constant head elevation and frequent application of ice. You may develop black eyes temporarily.

Bandages: Removed in 1-3 days.

Stitches: Removed in 7-10 days.

Contact lenses: May be worn in one week.

Make-up: May be worn in 3-5 days.

Presentable in public: 7-14 days, with the help of make-up.

Work: You may feel capable of returning within 3 days, but your appearance will be the limiting factor.

Exercise: May be resumed in 2 weeks.

Final result: Seen in 2-4 weeks.