As you age, your skin begins to lose its elasticity and gravity takes its toll on your facial features. Whether it’s your eyebrows that look baggy, asymmetrical, and/or low, or pesky forehead wrinkles and frown lines that won’t go away, these signs of aging can have a serious impact on your appearance.

Luckily, you don’t have to deal with this problem every day thanks to a procedure called a brow lift. Also referred to as a forehead lift, a brow lift is a cosmetic procedure designed to lift your eyebrows and get rid of forehead wrinkles, which ultimately makes your skin look younger and rejuvenated.

With this procedure, you can improve the aesthetics of the area around your eyes, eyebrows, and forehead. Think of it as an all-in-one solution to your facial-feature problems.

Who Should Consider Getting a Brow Lift?

Low or saggy eyebrows can make you look grumpy, sad, or tired, and can also make you look old. If you have low, uneven, or droopy eyebrows, vertical frown lines between your eyebrows, and/or forehead wrinkles, then a brow lift may be the perfect procedure for you.

The best candidates for a brow lift are men and women ages forty to sixty, although patients of other ages can benefit from the procedure as well.

The Procedure

There are two types of brow-lift procedures: classic and endoscopic. Both of these techniques take one to three hours to complete.

During a classic brow lift, Dr. Steele will make one continuous incision starting at your ears and up along your hairline. An endoscopic brow lift is less invasive than its classic counterpart and involves three to five smaller incisions.

Before your brow lift, you will be administered either local anesthesia with IV sedation or general anesthesia; talk to Dr. Steele about the best option for you. During the procedure, the targeted tissue areas are trimmed or removed. The remaining skin is then repositioned, which results in removing wrinkles and tightening the area.

The incisions made during the procedure will then be closed with stitches, staples, or surgical tape. Your surgeon will also place bandages over the area(s).

Recovery and Aftercare

You can expect some swelling and bruising after your procedure, although within seven days, the swelling should start to go down. It is important to keep your head elevated for at least two days after your brow lift, as this will help keep swelling to a minimum. You may also carefully use cold compresses to alleviate swelling.

You will also most likely return to Dr. Steele’s office one to two weeks later, depending on whether you opt for a classic or endoscopic brow lift, to get your stitches removed.

In one to two weeks, you should be able to go back to your normal routine; however, it is paramount that you stay away from strenuous activities for at least four weeks after your procedure. You should avoid heavy sunlight for a few months after your brow lift. Follow all post-surgical care instructions given by Dr. Steele.

Once you fully recover from a brow lift – about three months after your procedure – you will notice a significant improvement in the appearance of your facial features and skin. You will appear younger and your skin will look rejuvenated. You can expect to enjoy the benefits of a brow lift for five to twelve years after the procedure.

Scheduling Your Brow-Lift Procedure

Although you cannot stop the aging process, you still have access to tools that can help you obtain a youthful look. If you think you’re a prime candidate for a brow lift, schedule an appointment for a consultation with double-board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Steele today.