Continue
The effects of aging are inevitable, and often, the brow and forehead area show the first signs. With aging, the skin begins to lose its elasticity. Sun, wind, and pull of gravity all affect the face, resulting in frown lines, wrinkling across the forehead, and an increasing heaviness of the eyebrows and the upper eyelids, increasing the amount of skin between the brow and the lash line. Even people in their thirties may have faces that look older than their years. Successful plastic surgery is a result of good rapport between patient and surgeon. Trust, based on realistic expectations and exacting medical expertise, develops in the consulting stages before surgery. Your surgeon can answer specific questions about your specific needs.
As with all elective surgery, good health and realistic expectations are prerequisites. When a surgeon tightens loose skin and removes the excess, forehead wrinkling and drooping brows are modified. The procedure is called a forehead lift or brow lift. If necessary, the surgeon removes part of the muscle that causes vertical frown lines between the brows. The result can be smoother brow and a more youthful expression. To see what a forehead lift can do for your face, put your hands above your brows and outside the edges of your eyes and gently raise the skin upwards. Forehead lifts are an option if you have a sagging brow or deep furrows between the eyes. This procedure is usually done between age forty and sixty-five., although it may be necessary at an earlier age. Incisions can be placed at the hairline, behind the hairline, or in some cases, above the brow or in the mid-forehead. Your surgeon can help you select the best technique suited to your particular situation.
The main difference among the various options for forehead lifting consists of the placement of the incision. Based on variations in how men and women age and on new advances in medical technology, different methods are used to perform this procedure. If you are wondering how a forehead lift could improve your appearance, you need to know how these procedures are performed and what you can expect. The newest approach is endoscopic surgery. Several small one-half inches to one-inch incisions are placed just behind the hairline. Although this technique may require more surgery time, it is less invasive and results in the smaller chance of temporary scalp numbness. This procedure takes between one to two hours to perform. It is most commonly performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia.
You will experience a certain amount of swelling and bruising in the 10-day period following the surgery. In some patients, this condition may include the cheek and the eye area as well as the forehead. You will be advised to keep your head elevated in order to reduced swelling. Cold compresses may further reduce swelling. As the incisions heal, you may experience some numbness as well as itching, both of which will diminish with time. The sutures are usually removed within 7 to 10 days following the surgery. If bandages have been used, they are removed in one to three days. It is important to follow the advice of your surgeon on resuming normal activities. For most patients, the recovery time will not exceed two weeks, but patients may still be advised to avoid strenuous activities for longer periods.
Individual results may vary. A personal consultation with your plastic surgeon is the best way to gain information about your particular complaint, and about potential treatment options to address the same.
