The Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center
Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Brow Lift Facial Plastic Surgery
Cincinnati - Dayton - Ohio
Call 513.984.4700
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Brow Lift

Four types of brow lifts
FAQs
Preop Info
Postop Info

Many patients do not realize the importance of the upper third of their face. Many patients will note the cheek jowling, eyelid sagging, and pay little attention to the forehead furrows or sagging eyebrows. Women may camouflage this area with bangs. Cosmetic Botox has helped focus attention on the forehead area.
Quite often, when patients have heavy eyelid skin, the eyebrows contribute to this. On way to check is to place your finger against your eyebrow. In females, the eyebrow should be above the bony eye socket or orbital bone. In males, the eyebrow can be just at the orbital bone, but not below it.

Elevation of the brow can be performed with four approaches. The benefits and risks should be discussed during your consultation.

The four approaches are:

1. Direct Brow Lift
   Incision is made directly above the eyebrow and excess skin is removed to elevate the eyebrow. Unfortunately, this incision may be difficult to camouflage but it is the most straightforward to perform and the brow can be more exactly contoured.
2. Mid Forehead Lift
   The incision is made in natural horizontal skin creases in the mid forehead above each brow. These incisions usually heal in time and are an excellent option especially if the patient has deep forehead creases.
3. Full Forehead Lift
   There are two approaches for the full forehead lift. If the patient has an average or low hairline, the incision is hidden in the hairline approximately two inches from the forehead. This incision is completely hidden and the entire sagging brow and forehead skin is elevated.
   For those patients with high foreheads, the incision can be made at the hair and skin junction. The hair stays exactly in the same position and often an inch of forehead skin is removed. This hides the incision along the hairline and effectively lowers the high forehead.
4. Endoscopic Lift
   With this technique, four or five small 1 inch incisions are made in the scalp. A special instrument and small telescope are used to elevate the tissues. Since no excess tissue is removed with this approach, the surgeon anchors the loose tissue with a suture secured to a small screw placed in several locations in the outer skull or through a small bone tunnel made with a tiny drill.
   

FAQS Forehead

Q. How do you decide which approach is best for me?

A. Some surgeons don’t give you a choice. At the Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center we feel that you should know all the options and then the plastic surgeon and the patient can mutually decide which is most appropriate. Each approach has a benefit as well as some considerations, so the consultation definitely is helpful.

Q. Will I still have creases after a forehead lift?

A. Yes and no. During the lift, a laser can be used to cut or weaken the muscles that create the frown or deep creases located between the eyebrows and the nose. These are the same muscles that Botox weakens, but Botox works only temporarily. Some of the central forehead creases can be weakend but
will probably still exist.

Q. Do you shave the hair with the full forehead lift?

A. Absolutely not! With newer techniques, the hair is taped just before the procedure but no hair is shaved. In fact, the patients can wash their hair after surgery, since tiny surgical clips are used. These clips are removed @ one week after surgery.

Q. My friend had some procedure done on her eyebrows and you can really tell. She looks surprised or startled. Is this routine?

A. You need to know your plastic surgeon’s philosophy and aesthetic sense. Every patient is unique and so is every plastic surgeon. We strive for a natural look. In the Cincinnati Tri-State our patients want a rejuvenated appearance with out looking “overdone”
In New Your City for example, the surgeons tend to be aggressive. What I refer to as the “electric outlet look” would not be popular in the MidWest.

Preop Preparation: Brow Lift
So you have decided to have a brow lift or forehead lift surgery. How do you prepare for your procedure?
Before the surgery, Dr. Mandell-Brown’s office will send you a list of items to get and medicines
to avoid. The following should help.

Two weeks before surgery avoid the following:
1. Aspirin Products-
affects platelets and leads to more bruising

2. Advil, Motrin, etc…-
may affect platelets and can possibly cause bruising

3. Vitamin E-
studies show this vitamin can affect platelets

4. Herbal Products-
many of the natural occurring herbal items can affect platelets and bleeding factors, so stop 2 weeks before.

For example:
Ginseng-
can be associated with increased blood pressure and heart rate. It may also increase bleeding.
St. John’s Wort-
may prolong effects of anesthetic agents
Echinacea-
may reduce your immune system
Feverfew-
may increase bleeding
Garlic-
lowers blood pressure but may increase bleeding
Valerian-
may prolong anesthetic agents

One week before surgery start the following:

1. Dr. Mandell-Brown’s office should have sent a vitamin packet. Start taking Vitamin B and C each day for a week before and then continue for a week after the surgery. These two vitamins help the tissues heal after surgery. Do not take more than the one
   vitamin each day.
2. Purchase the following items to be used after surgery:
   • Peroxide or Witch Hazel (determined during consultaion)
   • Q tips
   • Johnsons Baby Shampoo
3. Purchase your prescriptions from the pharmacy.
4. Make sure you have your history and physical completed along with any recommended lab work.
5. Relax the night before surgery. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight.
6. The morning of surgery thoroughly wash your face and hair before arriving at
   The Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center. Remember, no coffee or other fluids.

Postoperative Instructions

Information coming soon...