Radiate Your Face With a Brow Lift

A brow lift, also known as a forehead lift, is designed to raise sagging eyebrows and improve the appearance of frown lines. Mansfield Cosmetic Surgery Center’s Dr. Michael L. Thornton, a board certified cosmetic surgeon, explains the benefits and overall process of a brow lift procedure.

Brow lift is a facial cosmetic surgical procedure that improves the upper 1/3 of the face – between the hairline and eyebrows.  Most patients benefit from complete upper facial rejuvenation, whereby multiple procedures are performed simultaneously including, upper blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) and/or laser skin resurfacing.  The ultimate goal is to reposition the arch of your eyebrow and to a create a more youthful and feminine appearance.

A brow lift can be performed in one of several ways from subcutaneous trichophytic brow lift, temporal brow lift, “classic” full coronal brow lift or endoscopic brow lift.   The “classic” coronal brow lift is considered the “gold-standard” and utilizes a technique whereby a continuous cut is made from one ear to the other.  Excess scalp is permanently removed while the forehead and frontal hairline is elevated.  Due the invasiveness of this technique, it is not performed often unless there is significant brow droopiness. 

In contrast, more cosmetic plastic and oculoplastic surgeons are performing the subcutaneous / trichophytic brow lift by elevating the forehead skin by making a precise incision just behind the frontal hairline, thus preserving the delicate hair follicles. This technique is easier to perform and less invasive as a full coronal brow lift.  Lastly, the endoscopic brow lift allows the surgeon to make several small incisions in the hairline and use a camera (endoscope) to perform the scalp dissection to elevate the brow. 

Brow lift procedures may be performed in our private operating room using local anesthesia and oral sedation.  Recovery is complete within 5 to 7 days, though mild swelling may last 6 to 8 weeks.  However, if more complex facial plastic surgery procedures are required, your surgery will be performed under general anesthesia at Baylor Surgicare at Mansfield, an outpatient surgery center located in Mansfield.