With aging, the outer portion of the eyebrow skin often begins to slide down and crowd the upper eyelid area. In this case a forehead lift or brow lift performed by James M. Shaw, MD is indicated. Sometimes people who don’t like the appearance of their upper eyelids actually need a brow lift instead of upper eyelid surgery. A facelift treats the cheek, jaw line and under the chin. A forehead lift addresses the upper third of the face.
The Surgery
Forehead lift surgery is typically performed by Dr. Shaw with general anesthesia. Short incisions are placed where they can be hidden by the hairline. This can be a limitation if there is a high receding hairline. In such patients, the incision can be made in the upper eyelid. This incision is usually well hidden, but the degree of elevation is less than what can be achieved by pulling from above.
There is always swelling after the brow lift surgery and this will cause numbness on the top of the scalp. This numbness improves very gradually as the swelling resolves. It may take a few months for the sensation to fully return.
The forehead lift is done to elevate the outer half of the eyebrow area. Frown lines between the eyebrows are best treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic.