Facial Cosmetic Surgery
Browlift

• What is a Brow Lift?		• Am I A Candidate?
• Your Consultation		• The Procedure
• Insurance Coverage		• Risks
• Recovery		• Your New Look
• FAQ's		• Before & Afters

What Is A Brow Lift?

The eyebrows play a vital role in an individuals appearance. The emotions of surprise, doubt, curiosity, sadness, anger, concern, and laughter are all played out across the stage of the forehead. The descent or sagging of the eyebrows as we age often produces a "tired" or sad, angry appearance, and may cause fullness or "hooding" of the upper eyelid. In many cases, the eyelids are perceived to be the problem area, when in fact, descent of the brow causes the eyelid skin to appear excessive.

By re-positioning the brow in the proper location, a Brow Lift may reduce or eliminate the need for removal of upper eyelid skin (Blepharoplasty). Conversely, removal of eyelid skin alone may not be sufficient to correct the tired appearance of the eyes. Proper re-positioning of the brow through the Brow Lift procedure exposes the sulcus (hollow) of the upper eyelid, producing a more attractive, youthful appearance.

Dr. Cambre performs brow and Forehead Lifts to restore the youthful position of the eyebrows and to reduce ridges and furrows on the forehead, creating a smoother, more youthful appearance. Additional procedures that may enhance the effect of a forehead or Brow Lift include Face Lift, Upper and/or Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty, or Facial Resurfacing.

Am I A Candidate?

Proper patient selection is critical to the choice of a particular technique. If you have one or more of the following conditions, you may be a good candidate for Brow Lift:

• A sagging or low position of the eyebrows, creating a sad or tired appearance
• Deep horizontal creases across the forehead
• Deep frown lines between the eyebrows and/or across the top of the nose
• An appearance of excess skin in the upper eyelid area (hooding), which may obstruct the peripheral vision

Your Consultation

Dr. Cambre will discuss with you your goals for the surgery and the areas of improvement you would like to achieve, and take your complete history with respect to any previous cosmetic facial and eyelid surgery and any medical conditions which might influence your recovery. He will then perform a comprehensive evaluation of your face, forehead, and eyelids, to determine the appropriate recommendation of a procedure or combination of procedures designed specifically for you to help you achieve your goal. This may include other procedure in addition to the Brow Lift, such as Blepharoplasty, Face Lift, Injectable Fillers, or Botox treatments.

Will Insurance Cover My Brow Lift Procedure?

For the majority of patients, brow or Forehead Lifting is strictly a cosmetic procedure. Although we require payment in advance, your insurance company may reimburse part or all of the cost of brow or Forehead Lift surgery in the rare situation in which the procedure is deemed medically necessary because of visual impairment. This condition will usually need to be documented by your ophthalmologist, who will perform visual field testing. Because every insurance carrier is different, we recommend that you check with your own insurance company to determine the level of coverage. Our office will assist you in obtaining reimbursement from your carrier, if applicable.

The Procedure

A variety of technical approaches can be used to achieve the goals of the Brow Lift, depending on your individual characteristics and examination. Traditional techniques involve making an incision in the scalp, hidden behind the hairline. For patients with a high or receding forehead hair line, the incision is often located precisely at the frontal hair line, so that the hair line will not be further elevated. Alternatively, minimally invasive techniques now allow us to perform Forehead Lifting through small incisions placed behind the hairline. Using an endoscope (a surgical telescope probe connected to a specialized light source and video camera) and specialized instruments, the procedure is performed while monitoring progress on a television screen. The results of endoscopic Forehead Lifting are generally equal to those of traditional techniques. Through the chosen incision, the forehead muscles which are causing the wrinkling and frown lines are addressed and modified, and any excess skin is corrected, allowing elevation of the eyebrows to a more youthful, pleasing level.

Recovery

Antibiotics may be prescribed for several days following surgery. Dr. Cambre’s patients are usually permitted to shower and wash their hair within 24-48 hours after surgery. Sutures or staples used to close the incisions are generally removed within one week to ten days. Swelling and some bruising may occur in the forehead or upper eyelid areas, which should subside within a few weeks. Women may use eye cosmetics approximately ten days after surgery. You can proceed with your normal daily activities within 1-2 weeks.

Risks

Fortunately, significant complications from Forehead Lift are infrequent. However, potential early complications include hematoma (an accumulation of blood under the skin that may require removal), infection (rarely), and pain. Delayed complications, such as minor hair loss at the location of the incisions, numbness or itching of the scalp in the vicinity of the incisions, or poor healing of incisions may occur, but these are usually temporary and easily treatable.

Your New Look

Our patients are invariably pleased with the results of the Forehead Lift. The results can be expected to last for many years, depending upon individual patient lifestyle and hereditary characteristics, even though the aging process continues in everyone. Occasionally, patients find that they wish to make additional improvements at a later time in order to maintain their rejuvenated appearance following the Brow Lift.

Dr. Cambre is committed to helping you to maintain the best possible long-term results of Brow Lift and all other facial rejuvenation and cosmetic surgery procedures, to keep you looking your best.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Q: Why would I need a Brow Lift as opposed to Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Tuck)?

A: In many cases, the position of the brow contributes to the appearance of excess skin in the upper eyelids. A heavy brow which sags low on the forehead will make the upper eyelids look more wrinkled. Elevation of the brow to the proper level may improve the appearance of the upper eyelids without any need for surgery on the eyelids themselves.


Q: Can Blepharoplasty be done at the same time as Brow Lift?

A: Yes. If Brow Lift is required along with Blepharoplasty in order to achieve the best result, the two procedures can be done simultaneously. Generally, the Brow Lift is done first, and the (more conservative) upper Blepharoplasty procedure is done second, since there will be less relative excess upper eyelid skin after the Brow Lift.


Q: Will a Brow Lift make me look surprised?

A: Careful planning and execution of the Brow Lift will improve the appearance of the forehead and eyebrows, and will not result in a “surprised” look.


Q: Why would I not be a candidate for Endoscopic Forehead lift?

A: If you have a very high forehead or receding hairline (or if you are bald), the necessary incisions for Endoscopic forehead lift may not be able to be placed inconspicuously. Also, lifting the forehead in these circumstances may result in the hairline appearing to recede even further. In such cases, placing the incision at the frontal hairline (or rarely in a mid-forehead crease) will allow the brow to be lifted properly without displacing the hairline.


Q: When can I shampoo or have my hair colored after Brow Lift?

A: Patients are permitted to shampoo and condition the hair 24-48 hours after the Brow Lift. You may plan to visit your hair dresser for color or hair trimming when the incisions have healed completely (2-3 weeks).


Q: Will my hair be shaved in order to do the Brow Lift?

A: No. With Endoscopic Brow Lift, the small incisions are placed within the hair, and no scalp or forehead skin is removed. With Coronal or frontal hairline incisions, the hair will be parted, and after the lift has been completed, the scalp will be re-approximated without any gap in the hairline.