BROW LIFT

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

Your eyes are often the first thing that people notice about you, and are an important aspect of your overall appearance. Your eyelid skin is smooth, but over time, the eyelid skin stretches, the fat bulges forward, and the muscles weaken. The eyebrows may also droop and sag (a condition called brow ptosis). Age, heredity and sun exposure all contribute to this process.

Loose or baggy lids detract from your overall appearance and make you look tired or older. When the brow droops, it crowds more skin down over the upper lids and exaggerates the hooding and crow's feet at the outer corners of the eyes, making you look sad, tired, or angry. When severe enough, the upper eyelid skin may hang over the lashes and obstruct peripheral vision.

SURGICAL TREATMENT

Brow lift surgery has undergone an evolution in recent years. While direct brow lifts (incisions made at the upper edge of the brow hair line) are occasionally performed, other procedures such as mid-forehead and coronal lifts have been mostly abandoned. These older surgical approaches have been replaced by endoscopic techniques (with indirect brow suspension via sutures fixated into the outer table of the skull) and upper eyelid incision techniques (with the brow directly secured to periosteum which covers the bone). The latter technique is often successfully combined with upper eyelid blepharoplasty.

AFTER SURGERY

Cold compresses are applied to reduce swelling and bruising. Antibiotic ointment will be prescribed. Strenuous activity should be minimized for several days. Discomfort is generally mild. Non-aspirin pain relievers are usually all that is necessary postoperatively. Aspirin products, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen, and other blood thinners should be avoided before and after surgery as they may increase the risk of bruising and bleeding. Most patients are able to return to regular activities within several days.

RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS

Excessive pain, bleeding, infection, or visual loss are extremely rare and have never occurred in any of Dr. Kohn's surgeries. As with any medical procedure, there may be other inherent risks that should be discussed with your surgeon.

CONCLUSIONS

Brow lift surgery can provide both a more youthful appearance and functional improvement with minimal risk.