Brow Lift (Forehead Lift) in Houston, TX
At Premier Plastic Surgery, we specialize in facial cosmetic surgery. Dr. Christopher Hankins is a plastic surgery specialist. His clinic offers brow lift surgery (forehead lift) to reduce wrinkles, frown lines, and sagging eyebrows to rejuvenate and enhance your entire facial appearance. With two clinic locations, Dr. Hankins and his team serve Houston, Pearland, Lake Jackson and the surrounding areas of South Houston.
What is a Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)?
The position of the brow can determine how we are perceived by others. As a result of the aging process, the brows tend to descend. Lowering of the brows combined with glabellar wrinkles can make us appear tired, frustrated, and irritable. A brow lift – also commonly called a forehead lift – can help restore a more natural appearance to your eyes and face.
Brow Lift vs. Eyelid Lift
As discussed elsewhere, the brow is intimately interrelated to the upper eyelids and both brow ptosis, as well as excess upper eyelid skin (or blepharochalasis) can result in lateral hooding of the upper eyelid skin. Therefore, it is incumbent on the plastic surgeon to correctly diagnose the cause of the deformity and differentiate between the two possible causes. Oftentimes, both processes are present simultaneously and both require correction in order to obtain an optimal result.
Failure to correctly diagnose brow ptosis will result in further descent of the brows following an upper blepharoplasty, as much of the apparent redundant skin is removed, allowing the frontalis muscle to relax. In addition, the orbital skin is a very specialized area of the epidermis. Once it is gone, it is irreplaceable. For this reason, we leave a minimum of 20 mm of skin from the lashes to the brow so that an ample length of this precious skin remains, even if some skin redundancy remains as the resection of too much eyelid skin is irreversible.
Types of Brow Lifts
In the case that a brow lift is recommended for you by Dr. Hankins, it is important that the right brow lift option is selected. There are three types of brow lift:
- Coronal Brow Lift
- Hairline Brow Lift
- Endoscopic Brow Lift
- Direct Brow Lift
The option that is selected depends on the level of the hairline. Ideally, the human face is divided into thirds so that the length from the chin to the base of the nose is equal to the length of the base of the nose to the brows and from the brows to the hairline. In the case that the hairline is low and the brows are redundant, a coronal lift is ideal, as this raises the hairline to the optimum level.
In the case that the hairline is in the ideal position, either an endoscopic or a hairline brow lift may be used. If the hairline is too high, a hairline brow lift may be utilized to lower the hairline to a more optimum level.
In men who have lost much of their hair and have a receding hairline, an endoscopic approach is ideal, provided that the patients are willing to accept the small scars that would result from the procedure.
Lastly, in the elderly who are not candidates for a general anesthetic, an excision of skin directly above the brow can be done to elevate the brow to a more desirable level. Oftentimes, this can be done in the office with a local anesthetic.
What is a Coronal Brow Lift?
In coronal brow lift, an incision is made near the top of the head from above one ear to the other. The scalp and forehead are undermined. The procerus and corrugator muscles are divided under direct vision, the scalp is advanced, the excess scalp is excised, and the skin edges are then sewn together. The advancement of the scalp results in elevation of the brows.
What is an Open Hairline Brow Lift?
In the open hairline brow lift, a beveled wavy incision is made at an angle just behind the hairline. This incision technique is used so that the growing hair follicles pass through the scar, making it less conspicuous. The forehead is undermined in a deep plane to the level of the brows. The procerus and the corrugators are then divided under direct vision. The forehead is then advanced. At this stage, some will resect portions of the frontalis muscle to weaken it in the areas of the forehead creases to prevent their recurrence. The excess skin is excised and the skin edges are then approximated.
In a hairline lowering procedure, the same process is used, except that the scalp is undermined for several centimeters and several partial thickness incisions are placed thru the galea (a sheet of tough, non-elastic connective tissue) of the scalp to allow it to come forward. The excess skin of the forehead is then removed and the skin edges are approximated. In this way, the hairline is lowered.
What is an Endoscopic Brow Lift Method?
In this technique, four to five small incisions are placed in the scalp behind the level of the hairline. The forehead is then elevated at a plane directly above the bone at the subperiosteal level. The entire scalp is also elevated blindly to a level near the occiput or the back of the head. At a level 5 – 10 mm above the level of the brows, the periosteum is divided and the procerus and corrugator muscles are partially divided in order to weaken them, taking care to preserve the nerves that course through the corrugator. A small partial thickness hole is drilled into the skull near one of the upper incisions and an endotine, which is an absorbable tack, is snapped into place. The forehead is lifted and pressed onto the endotine to engage it on both sides of the forehead and the incisions are closed.
How much does a brow lift cost? Premier Plastic Surgery proudly offers financing options for our patients – call our office for pricing information.
We use up-to-date, advanced procedures, along with cutting-edge technology, to help you achieve your aesthetic goals. Contact our friendly, professional staff today to find out more about a forehead lift or to schedule your personal complimentary consultation. Our service area includes Houston, Pearland, Lake Jackson and the communities in and around South Houston.