Forehead Lift

Conveniently located to serve the areas of Corpus Christi and South Texas

Age, heredity, and exposure to the elements all contribute to a loss of elasticity in our skin. This can cause the skin to droop, especially on the forehead and eyebrows. When these areas begin to sag, it creates the appearance of deep horizontal creases on the forehead and furrowed brows. It can make you look tired and angry, even though you aren’t! A forehead lift counteracts all these problems, smoothes the forehead, lifts the brows, and allows your eyes to really shine.

Dr. Herve Gentile is one of the foremost plastic surgeons providing forehead lifts in Texas.

Contact A Better You Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center today to request a consultation and see how a forehead lift can help you achieve a better you!

About Forehead Lifts

The goal of a forehead lift is to restore the youthful nature of the forehead, minimizing the appearance of forehead wrinkles and lines.

A forehead lift can be performed on patients with smaller foreheads to make the size of the forehead more proportional to other facial features. It can also be performed on patients with wider foreheads who want to decrease the size of their forehead. Generally, a forehead lift will also include a brow lift, raising the position of the brows to a more attractive and youthful position.

Using various techniques, the procedure can correct the appearance of:

  • Horizontal creases across the forehead
  • Frown lines (also known as the angry 11s)
  • Sagging brows or brows that appear constantly furrowed
  • Excess skin drooping from the forehead or obstructing vision

Good Candidates

If a patient finds that their eyebrows have begun to droop, they have deep creases across their forehead, or they have excess skin around their forehead and eyebrows that is impairing their vision, then they may be a good candidate for a forehead lift. Brow lift candidates should only be experiencing these symptoms in the upper third portion of their face. If the problem extends to their eyelids or lower face, then they may be better suited candidates for eyelid surgery or a facelift. Dr. Gentile will help the patient determine the best procedure for them at the time of the consultation.

It is important that patients be in good mental and physical health before undergoing any cosmetic surgery. Changing one’s appearance can be psychologically difficult, especially when altering the appearance of the face. Furthermore, it is important that the patient’s goals for surgery are realistic. These factors will be discussed more in depth during the consultation.

Forehead Lift Techniques

There are different brow lift techniques that are used to smooth forehead wrinkles and lift the upper third portion of the face to a more attractive and youthful height. Techniques can also be performed to increase or decrease the size of the forehead, depending on the patient’s goals.

Classic Lift

The classic forehead lift utilizes an incision that runs from ear to ear along the hairline. This technique is standard for patients who have significant skin laxity in the forehead and deep, furrowed creases across the forehead. They may also have significant ptosis of the brows. This technique gives the doctor the greatest access to the forehead region, allowing him to tighten and reposition the underlying tissue and musculature for long-lasting results.

Endoscopic Lift

The endoscopic technique is getting more and more popular, as doctors find ways to achieve the desired results with smaller incisions. This technique utilizes an endoscope, or a small probe with a camera, in order to help visualize the underlying tissues and muscles throughout the procedure. This will result in less scarring. However, the tradeoff is that the doctor will have less access to the surgical area, which means that this technique cannot treat more severe cases of ptosis.

Forehead Extension

In order to increase the size of the forehead, Dr. Gentile will make an incision behind the hairline, running from ear to ear. In order to perform this procedure, it is important that the patient has good skin elasticity. However, this procedure can typically only extend the forehead by a few centimeters. In some cases, a tissue expander can be utilized to increase the size of the forehead even more.

Reverse Forehead Lift

A reverse forehead lift, which makes the patient’s forehead smaller, may be performed on patients who have excessively wide or high hairlines. This is performed by making an incision at the hairline and repositioning the hairline lower on the forehead. Another alternative to this surgery would be getting hair transplants to lower the hairline.

How to Prepare

In order to prepare for the surgery date, patients may be asked to alter any medications or supplements that they take. In particular, they will be asked to stop taking anti-inflammatory medications that can cause bleeding during surgery and recovery. Smokers will be asked to quit, at least temporarily, in advance of the surgery. This will also be requested for a period after surgery. Dr. Gentile will provide the patient with more detailed instructions on how to prepare in advance.

Surgery Process

The forehead lift is a highly customizable procedure. Depending on the patient’s concerns, Dr. Gentile will utilize one or more of the aforementioned techniques.

In general, a forehead lift is performed on an outpatient basis and under local with sedation or general anesthesia.

After an anesthesiologist administers the desired anesthetic, Dr. Gentile will begin by making the appropriate incisions following the decided upon technique. If necessary, he will adjust the tissue and muscles underneath the skin for a more attractive and long-lasting outcome. Then, he will then excise any excess skin and close the incisions with sutures.

Following surgery, the patients will be properly bandaged and taken to the recovery room. Upon their release, the patient should have somebody there to drive them home from the surgery.

Recovery

The recovery from a forehead lift procedure will vary depending on the technique utilized. Endoscopic forehead lifts, for example, will require the least amount of downtime because it is the least invasive of the three procedures.

The surgeon will provide the patient with detailed information regarding their recovery, including how to clean and replace their bandages. It is important to follow this information closely.

Furthermore, we recommend keeping the head elevated to minimize bruising and swelling and to not bathe, only shower, for at least the first two weeks.

Most stitches are self absorbable and all the others will be removed at the time of the first follow-up appointment, approximately one week after surgery. At this time, Dr. Gentile will also check-in to make sure that the patient is healing properly and on schedule.

Alternative Procedures

In some instances, an alternative procedure that delivers similar outcomes may be most appropriate.

Botox

Botox is very effective at treating lines and wrinkles around the forehead and eyes. It contains the neurotoxin botulinum toxin A, which in small doses temporarily suspends muscle contractions. These muscle contractions are what cause facial lines and wrinkles, especially around the eyes and forehead. By temporarily freezing them, the face will relax and the lines and wrinkles will soften. It’s particularly effective on frown lines, horizontal forehead lines, and crow’s feet.

However, Botox is not considered a long-lasting treatment like a forehead lift. The results from Botox are usually strongest for about 3 months following the initial injection. Then, the results begin to wear off. Patients who wish to maintain the results of their Botox treatment should schedule routine appointments for future injections. Nonetheless, this makes it a good alternative for patients who are not yet ready to commit to an invasive, long-lasting cosmetic change.

Brow Lift

A brow lift is not the same as a forehead lift. Patients whose only concern is low positioned eyebrows may opt for a brow lift instead. A brow lift only focuses on the positioning of the eyebrows. Using one of three different techniques, Dr. Gentile can raise the position of the brows and create a more arched, contoured appearance. The procedure and recovery from a brow lift are similar to that of a forehead lift.

Consultation

Dr. Gentile will meet with all patients for a lengthy consultation prior to scheduling any treatments. This is an important time as he will answer all of their questions and concerns, and determine whether or not they would benefit from the procedure they are interested in.

Patients should feel comfortable bringing in a list of questions they have for Dr. Gentile, as one of the goals of the consultation is to make sure the patient feels confidently informed about the procedure.

Dr. Gentile will also have his own list of questions. The patient should arrive, ready to speak about:

  • Why they are interested in having the procedure
  • The goals for the outcome of the procedure
  • Medical history, including past surgical procedures, chronic illnesses, and medications
  • Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use

Dr. Gentile will perform a physical examination in order to determine whether or not the patient would be a good candidate for a forehead lift and which technique they would benefit from most. Using his expertise, Dr. Gentile will make a recommendation to the patient on how they could achieve their desired results. At the end of the consultation, he will also be able to provide a cost estimate.

In order to request a consultation, contact A Better You Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center in Corpus Christi, TX.