Orange County Browlift & Newport Beach Eyebrow Lift

Candidates for the forehead lift include men and women who are looking to improve an aged, tired or droopy appearance of the forehead area. Patients often complain of forehead lines which make them appear angry, tired or sad. The majority of patients are in the forty to sixty age group, though surgery can be performed on younger patients if necessary. A consultation with Dr. Kapoor in Orange County will help to determine if the forehead lift is right for you.

Dr. Kapoor performs the forehead lift onsite at the state-of-the-art AAAHC-certified facility, The Wellness Surgery Center. Though surgical times will vary, the forehead lift takes an average of one to two hours to complete and is often performed with local anesthesia combined with a sedative.

A traditional browlift usually involves a coronal incision which is one long incision hidden made just behind the hairline following a headphone-like pattern. Working through this incision, Dr. Kapoor will carefully lift the skin to allow him to remove some of the underlying tissue and alter or release the forehead muscles. He may also elevate the eyebrows and trim excess skin along the incision. The skin will then be replaced and stitches or clips will be used to close the incision.

The endoscopic browlift involves  several short incisions, each about one-inch in length, made just behind the hairline. Dr. Kapoor will then insert an endoscope, which is a pencil-like camera, through one of the incisions which will allow him to view the muscles and tissues beneath the skin. Working through the other incisions, the doctor will lift the forehead skin and remove or alter the underlying muscles and tissues. If necessary, he will also elevate the eyebrows before closing the incisions with stitches or clips.

Once the surgery is complete, the incision may be covered with gauze padding and an elastic bandage will be applied to the head. These bandages will be removed within a day or two after surgery. Patients may feel tired at first and they may experience some discomfort and numbness along the incision site. Prescribed medication can help to control discomfort. Swelling is also common and will fade within about a week. Keeping the head elevated for the first two to three days after surgery will help to reduce swelling.

Itching may occur following a classic forehead lift as the nerves heal and this can last as long as five or six months. Some temporary hair loss or thinning may also occur around the incision, though normal hair growth typically resumes within a few weeks or months
The endoscopic approach often involves less pain and a faster recovery. The stitches or clips will be removed within two weeks after a classic forehead lift and within one week after an endoscopic lift. Patients can expect most visible signs of surgery to fade within three or more weeks, though most patients are able to return to work within about one week. Strenuous activities that increase blood pressure will need to be avoided for several weeks, and prolonged exposure to heat and sun will need to be avoided for several months.

Forehead Lift Questions

Q. Who can benefit from this procedure?
You can-if you'd like a more youthful and refreshed look for the area above your eyes, or want to correct drooping eyebrows, or are anxious to get rid of those furrows and horizontal lines that make you look angry, tired or sad. Typically, a forehead lift is performed on women and (to a lesser extent) men in the 40-to-60 age group, to make them look younger and have a more animated appearance.

Q. What is it?
During a forehead lift, the cosmetic surgeon removes or alters the forehead tissues and muscles that cause furrowing or drooping, raises the eyebrows, and minimizes frown lines. The incision may be hidden just behind the hairline. Or, if a precise viewing instrument called an endoscope is used, there are minimal, virtually invisible incisions.

Q. What are the risks?
Like any surgery, there are certain risks, such as potential damage to the nerves that control eyebrow-raising or forehead-wrinkling, formation of a broad scar (a rare complication), temporary or permanent loss of sensation along or near the incision line, infection, or bleeding. Statistics show that these complications occur in less than 1% of all endoscopic procedures.