Brow Lift

Preface

Many factors contribute to aging of the upper face and brow. Whilst intrinsic factors, such as skin elasticity greatly influence the degree and rapidity of the aging process, extrinsic factors, such as gravity and sun exposure also increase the rate of skin aging, laxity and appearance.

Most people begin to develop horizontal wrinkles (rhytides), upon their forehead already in their late 20’s and early 30’s as the skin begins to lose laxity. Once the lateral tail of the brow (the edge of the eyebrow closest to the ear) begins to descend and sink further with age, so too does the medial brow (the part of the eyebrow closest to the nose). As the skin begins to lose elasticity, the brow continues to move downwards over time, often obstructing vision, and the frontalis muscle is used and relied on more heavily to lift the eyebrow and upper eyelid out of the field of view. Underlying soft tissues above the skeletal ridge of the eye socket (supraorbital rim), weaken and descend resulting in a drooping brow (brow ptosis). Forehead wrinkles become increasingly pronounced and deepen as ridges and creases are enforced through the folding of the skin and as excess skin accumulates in the upper eyelid (dermatochalasia), a tired and more aged appearance is formed.

At a Glance

Medical Term: Browplasty

Type of Anesthesia: Light Anesthesia

Surgery time: 60-90 minutes

Length of hospital stay: outpatient

Aftercare: Bandaging, Suture removal after 7-10 days, lymphatic drainage

Back to public: After 1-2 weeks

Back to work: After 1-2 weeks (dependent upon physical strain)

Time of recovery: 3-4 weeks

Fees: starting at 12.000 CHF

Browplasty Procedure

A brow lift is performed on an inpatient basis, under sedation or general anaesthesia if preferred.

Options considered in performing a browplasty procedure include the need to:

  • Elevate dropped and droopy (ptotic) eyebrows
  • Reduce excess and redundant upper eyelid skin (in combination with upper blepharoplasty)
  • Correct eyebrow asymmetry
  • Reduce forehead wrinkles
  • Reduce wrinkles on the bridge of the nose (glabellar)
  • Reduce crow’s feet (lateral canthal smile lines)

Considerations, including age, skin type and laxity also determine the type of surgical procedure most suited to achieve optimal brow lift results. In the direct brow lift, the position of the supraorbital nerve and vessels is identified and incision made along the marked ellipse. Staying within the subcutaneous fat layer to protect the supraorbital nerve and vessels, excess tissue is then removed from within the ellipse. Through the direct brow lift, forehead wrinkles are not addressed. Only the position of the browline is lifted, to alter the facial expression. The temporal brow lift is performed through an incision within the hairy temporal region of the head, which mainly addresses the lateral part of the eye brows and parts of the middle brow region.

Unlike the direct brow lift, the mid-forehead lift reduces deep forehead wrinkles and heavy, sagging eyebrows in addition to correcting the position of the browline. Excess fat, muscle and skin tissue are removed during a mid-forehead lift procedure and wrinkles on the forehead, including frown lines or furrows between the eyebrows are also corrected.

Recovery

Expected recovery times will vary dependent upon the type of browplasty performed and if additional procedures such as Upper Eyelid (Upper Blepharoplasty) should also be performed. Following surgery, you should notice an immediate improvement in the shape and contour of your browline. Incidents and complications are extremely rare in brow lift procedures, if performed by an experienced surgeon. However, you may experience some numbness and discomfort around the incision.

Post-Operative Care

Swelling and discolorations of the forehead area are only temporarily observed and significantly reduce within a few days. Extreme pain is not typical in brow lifts, although there may be some initial tightness and discomfort from ear to ear and across the top of the head during the first 24 – 72 hours post procedure. In the overwhelming majority of direct brow lift and mid-forehead lift procedures, any after-effects, including slight swelling that may extend to the cheeks and eyes should abate within 10 – 14 days following surgery. After such time, you should feel free to again resume work and normal daily activities.

Fees

The costs for brow lift surgery can vary widely dependent upon the patient, type and extent of browplasty performed as well as from how many other eye lid procedures are performed during the same surgery. For example, upper blepharoplasties are often combined with a forehead or brow lifting procedure. Naturally, all surgical fees related to the procedure and consultations are discussed and agreed with you beforehand. In general, most health insurance policies do not cover browplasty surgery.

Price for brow lift: from 12.000 CHF

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