Is Brow Lift Risks

Is Brow Lift Risks

A brow lift is a surgical operation that lifts and repositions the eyebrows. This surgery has a high success rate and is well received by patients. Blood loss, edema, numbness, and infections are all potential adverse reactions. Facial muscle weakness and lasting changes to your natural brow form may occur extremely seldom.

More than one million people in the United States have plastic surgery every year. There has been a 19% growth in the number of plastic surgeons in the US over the previous decade, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. A brow lift is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries, and it is performed to correct sagging eyebrows and frown lines.

Brow Lift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that involves making incisions in the hairline to get rid of wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyelids. Wink Surgery is one of the most popular methods used in the US for a cosmetic brow lift. The surgery leaves you with virtually no scars on your face. Read on to learn more on temporal brow lift and endoscopic brow lift complications.

Is Brow Lift Risks

A brow lift is a cosmetic procedure to reduce the visible signs of aging and is most often performed on people ages 40 to 60.

There are several types of brow lift surgery: common techniques include the classic forehead lift, the endoscopic forehead lift and the temporal lift.

It is important for plastic surgeons to approach cosmetic procedures of the face in a holistic manner, looking for balance and harmony between each area of the face and its proportions. The surgeon may recommend a forehead lift along with a facelift for a smoother facial appearance.

Expert skincare is essential in conjunction with a forehead lift or other facial cosmetic procedure.

The decision to have plastic surgery is extremely personal. You will have to decide if the surgery will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications of a brow lift are acceptable.

You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications.

Brow lift surgery risks include:

• Anesthesia risks
• Bleeding
• Elevated hairline
• Eye irritation or dryness
• Facial asymmetry
• Facial nerve injury with weakness or paralysis
• Fluid accumulation
• Infection
• Loss of hair around the incisions
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation or intense itching
• Pain, which may persist
• Poor wound healing
• Possibility of revision surgery
• Rare risk of deep venous thrombosis (blood clots) that can result in pulmonary embolism with chest pain and shortness of breath
• Skin loss
• Unfavorable scarring

These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It’s important that you address all your questions directly with your plastic surgeon.

Endoscopic Brow Lift Complications

A brow lift poses several risks, including:

• Scarring. Scarring might be visible after a brow lift.
• Changes in skin sensation. A brow lift can cause temporary or permanent numbness on the forehead or top of the scalp.
• Asymmetry in the position of the brows. A brow lift can result in uneven brows (asymmetry), with one or both eyebrows appearing too high. However, asymmetry may even out during the healing process. Persistent brow shape or position problems can be treated with injections such as Botox or through additional surgery.
• Hair problems. A brow lift can cause an elevated hairline or hair loss at the incision site. If hair loss doesn’t resolve on its own, it can be treated with a procedure to remove part of the scalp experiencing hair loss or using a hair graft.

Like any other type of major surgery, a brow lift poses a risk of bleeding, infection and a reaction to anesthesia.

How you prepare

Initially, you’ll talk to a facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon about a brow lift. During your first visit, your surgeon will likely:

• Review your medical history. Be prepared to answer questions about current and past medical conditions. Talk about any medications you’re taking or have taken recently, as well as any surgeries you’ve had. Tell your surgeon if you’re allergic to any medications.
• Do a physical exam. To determine your treatment options, your surgeon will examine and measure different parts of your face with your eyes open and closed. Photographs might be taken for your medical record.
• Discuss your expectations. Explain why you want a brow lift, and how you want to look after the procedure. Make sure you understand the benefits and risks.

Before a brow lift you might also need to:

• Stop smoking. Smoking decreases blood flow in the skin and can slow the healing process. If you smoke, stop smoking before surgery and during recovery.
• Avoid certain medications. You’ll likely need to avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements, which can increase bleeding.
• Arrange for help during recovery. Make plans for someone to drive you home after you leave the hospital and stay with you for at least the first night of your recovery at home.

What you can expect

A brow lift is done in a hospital or an outpatient surgical center. During a brow lift, you’ll typically be comfortable with the aid of sedation anesthesia given through an IV in your arm. Or you may be given general anesthesia.

During the procedure

Brow lift techniques vary depending on your desired results. The specific technique your surgeon chooses will determine the location of the incisions and the resulting scars.

Your surgeon might use one of the following techniques:

• Endoscopic brow lift. In this procedure, several small incisions are made behind the hairline. A long thin tube with a light and a tiny camera mounted on its end is inserted through one of the incisions to view the underlying muscles and tissues.Using an instrument inserted through another incision, the surgeon lifts the forehead tissues and anchors them in place with sutures, small screws or another technique. The incisions are then closed with stitches or small clips.
• Temporal brow lift. This procedure is done through small incisions just behind the hairline near the temples.
• Direct brow lift. This procedure is done by removing the skin above the eyebrows. A direct brow lift is typically done in people with bushy eyebrows. It’s also a shorter surgery and can be done with local anesthesia, which numbs only part of the body.
• Coronal brow lift. This procedure involves making an incision behind the hairline across the top of the head, from ear to ear or primarily on the top of the head. Then the forehead is lifted into its new position, with the scalp in front of the incision overlapping the scalp behind it.The overlapping scalp is then removed, and the remaining scalp is sewn together. This technique is not typically done in people who have high hairlines, thin hair or who are likely to lose their hair.
• Hairline brow lift. For this procedure, an incision is made between the top of the forehead and the beginning of the hairline. A small amount of skin and tissue is removed from the top of the forehead, rather than your scalp. This can correct a high hairline.A hairline brow lift is often used if someone has a high, receding hairline. However, a scar might be visible along the hairline, depending on the placement of the incisions, scar healing and hairstyle.

Brow lift surgery typically takes about 1 to 2 hours.

After the procedure

After a brow lift, your forehead might be loosely wrapped to minimize swelling. A small tube might be placed along the incision site to drain any excess blood or fluid.

Your health care provider will give you specific instructions on how to care for your incisions. In the first few days after a brow lift:

• Rest with your head elevated and take pain medication as recommended by your provider
• Apply cold compresses to relieve swelling
• Avoid exposing your incisions to excessive pressure or motion

As your incisions heal, you might experience itching and numbness, which will likely lessen over time. If your incisions are covered in bandages, they’ll likely be removed in 1 to 3 days. Sutures typically will be removed within 7 to 10 days of surgery.

Ask your health care provider when it’s OK to resume daily activities, such as washing and drying your hair and bathing. Keep in mind that the swelling might last several weeks.

Incision lines will fade over time. You might use makeup to conceal any prolonged bruising.

After a brow lift, contact your doctor immediately if you have:

• Sudden swelling
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Irregular heartbeats.

Adverse Response to Anesthesia

Some people experience nausea or vomiting after waking from anesthesia. If you have experienced an adverse response to anesthesia in the past, please let your doctor know. There may be other options available or medications your doctor can prescribe to make your recovery more comfortable.

Numbness and Tingling

It is not uncommon to experience numbness and a tingling sensation after a brow lift. This is generally short-lived and normal sensations will return in about one to two week as the incisions heal.

Hair Loss

Because the incisions made during a brow lift are along the hairline, it is possible that you may experience some hair loss after the procedure. This is typically temporary and once the incisions have completely healed, the hair will start to grow back within a few months.

Nerve Injury

Due to the nature of the procedure, it is possible for nerve damage to occur. These nerves are responsible for raising and lowering your brows. If this occurs, you may be unable to properly move your brows. In most cases, facial paralysis is temporary and normal movement will resume after the nerves have healed.

Infection

As with any surgery, there is always a risk for infection. If this occurs, you may experience excess bleeding, increased pain and swelling, redness around the incisions, and prolonged recovery. This is why it’s so important that you follow your post-op instructions carefully. If you notice any of these side effects, please contact our office immediately.

Swelling and Bruising

Swelling and bruising are a normal part of brow lift surgery and recovery. The amount of bruising will depend on how well you follow your post-op instructions and how your body responds to surgery. After surgery, you will be encouraged to wear a compression garment and apply ice packs. Both of these will aid in limiting swelling and reduce the amount of bruising.

Scarring

Scarring is typically inevitable, but because the incisions are made discreetly along the hairline, they are generally easily hidden. Dr. Sherris will also make the incisions as small as possible to limit the size of your scars.

Temporal Brow Lift

A brow lift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that is done to lift sagging eyebrows, and correct eyelid hooding. This procedure can give you a more alert and youthful appearance by addressing visible signs of aging in the upper third of the face. A temporal brow lift is also a popular procedure amongst younger women who seek the “foxy eye” look.

With age, most people develop changes in the upper face that give away their age. The skin and supporting muscles in the forehead and brow region become lax, forming deep creases and wrinkles and leading to sagging of tissues above the eyes. This can make men and women look tired, angry, or sad. 

A brow lift can elevate and reposition the eyebrows, restore a more youthful arch to the brows, smoothen a furrowed brow, reduce sagging in the upper eyelids, and remove excess loose skin from the upper face.

At Venus Medical, we are the only clinic in Ireland that performs a non-endoscopic temporal surgical brow lift purely under local anaesthesia.  Our specialist plastic surgeons make a small incision hidden behind the hairline.  Then special instruments are used to release the brow and elevate the tail of the brow to a more pleasing position.  A compression bandage is applied for 3 days. 

Surgical approaches to a brow lift

Your doctor will perform brow lift surgery using one of the following approaches:

• Minimally invasive brow lift surgery uses small incisions in the hairline, behind the hairline, above the brow, or in the mid-forehead to achieve the desired results. Minimally invasive surgery generally involves a faster recovery and less pain than open surgery. This is because it causes less trauma to tissues and organs. Your surgeon will make a small incision(s) instead of a larger one used in open surgery. Surgical tools are threaded around muscles and tissues instead of cutting through or displacing them as in open surgery.
• Open surgery (coronal brow lift) involves making one large incision that runs from ear to ear across the top of your head near your hairline. It smoothes the forehead and lifts the eyebrows by removing excess skin from the scalp. Open surgery generally involves a longer recovery and more pain than minimally invasive surgery. Open surgery requires a larger incision and more cutting and displacement of tissue than minimally invasive surgery. Despite this, open surgery may be a safer or more effective method for certain patients.

Your surgeon will advise you on which procedure is best for you and how long you need to stay in the hospital based on your diagnosis, age, medical history, general health, and possibly your personal preference. Learn about the different brow lift procedures and ask why your doctor will use a particular type for you.
Types of anesthesia that may be used

Your surgeon will perform your brow lift using either general anesthesia or regional anesthesia, depending on the specific procedure.  

• General anesthesia is a combination of intravenous (IV) medications and gases that put you in a deep sleep. You are unaware of the procedure and do not feel any pain. A breathing tube is placed in your throat to breathe for you.
• Regional anesthesia is also known as a nerve block. It involves injecting an anesthetic around certain nerves to numb a large area of the body. To numb a smaller area, your doctor injects the anesthetic in the skin and tissues around the procedure area (local anesthesia). You will likely have sedation with regional anesthesia to keep you relaxed and comfortable.