FOREHEAD LIFT
A Forehead lift does just what it says - lifts the forehead, and with it the brows and tissues around the eyes, to give the patients a more relaxed, alert, youthful appearance. Until a few years ago, the technique resulted only in moderate improvement that didn't last very long. Today, however, the rapid progress in plastic surgery has made the forehead lift a relatively simple and painless procedure that promises significant results and can last anywhere for five to ten years or longer.
A forehead lift is most often used to improve such facial characteristics as drooping eyebrows, "hooding" or drooping tissue at the outer part of the eyes, furrowed forehead and frown lines at the top of the nose. The desired result is a more alert and less tired appearance, smoother forehead skin and softer lines between the eyes. Often, a forehead lift is performed in conjunction with a facelift.
Depending on what you and your surgeon choose, a forehead lift can be performed in an outpatient facility or in a hospital. For convenience and cost reasons, increasing numbers of plastic surgery procedures are performed in ambulatory facilities, in which you arrive at and leave the facility on the same day.
The surgery may take one to two hours. Unless you have a high or receding hairline, an incision will be made across the top of your head a few inches behind your hairline to minimize the possibility of the scar being visible. If you do have a high or receding hairline, the incision will be made at the hairline, in which case a thin line may be visible and may need to be covered with your hair.
The purpose of the operation is to interrupt the downward pull of muscles that cause facial features to droop. This is accomplished by removing several strips of your forehead muscle. Most plastic surgeons feel the removal of this muscle tissue helps maintain the lift and gives you a longer-lasting result. In addition, if you have deep, vertical furrows at the top of your nose, your surgeon will remove a portion of the muscles between the eyebrows.
When these steps are completed, the forehead skin will be gently pulled upward, and any excess skin at the point of incision will be removed. the surgeon will close the incision with a series of stitches or staples, wash your face and hair to prevent irritation. Gauze padding will be placed across the incision, and your head will be wrapped with a stretch or elastic bandage.
Following surgery, you may feel some temporary pain that can be controlled with medication, which your surgeon will prescribe. Bandages will be removed in the days following surgery. Stitches or staples used to close the incision will be removed in 10 days to two week following surgery. Until that time, they will be hidden within your hairline.
How soon after the operation you return to your normal routine depends on how you heal and how you feel. Most patients begin to resume their normal routines very quickly following a forehead lift, usually within a week of surgery. Generally, they are back to work within a week to 10 days. Sports should be limited to walks, short jogs or a few laps around the pool for about three weeks, and contact sports should be avoided for four to six weeks. Of course, how soon you face the public depends on you. You will be able to wash your hair one or two days after surgery. Any bruising or swelling can be hidden with makeup, which you can begin to use almost immediately after the bandages are removed.