Brow lifting is a procedure that raises the outer part of the eyebrows and reduces wrinkling of the forehead. The lifting of the lateral eyebrows has the secondary effect of taking up excess skin of the upper eyelids and may obviate the need for doing an upper lid blepharoplasty.
Endoscopic brow lift appears to have supplanted the “open” brow lift which involved an extended incision across the top of the scalp. The effect of the brow lift is permanent and generally produces a very youthful aesthetic result. The endoscopic approach involves 2 – 4 very small incisions behind the hair line. A camera is then introduced via a scope underneath the forehead and the tissue is dissected right down to below the eyebrow level. Any deep wrinkling can be dealt with at this stage and the brow is then permanently fixed at a higher level. The operation is performed under general anaesthetic and often in combination with other procedures, such as face lifting or blepharoplasty.
What are the risks of a brow lift?
There is a small risk of bleeding when performing a brow lift and occasionally drains may be left in the forehead. Other complications include damage to the sensory or motor nerves that supply the forehead and sometimes very small areas of hair loss around the incision sites. These complications are usually only temporary. Unusual sensory symptoms can however be annoying in the recovery phase.