Brow Lift
We believe that one of the ways to see the most in one’s quality of life is to feel at your very best. With cosmetic surgery, such as a brow lift in Miami, we provide patients with a way to counter signs of aging and instill a sense of youthfulness in their appearance. Dr. Sarah Avila is a board-certified oculofacial surgeon with a customized approach using modern approaches and the latest technologies to achieve a natural, refreshed look.
What Is a Brow Lift?
A brow lift, also known as a forehead lift, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that involves lifting the skin of the forehead to restore a youthful and alert appearance to the face. As we age, reduced skin elasticity, gravity, and muscle changes can cause the brow to descend. Genetics and sex can also play a role in brow position, despite age. As the brow drops, we see creases, lines, and wrinkles form. The weight of the heavy brow can also impact the eyelids, causing the appearance of hooded eyes or excess eyelid skin. Patients may be completely unaware that their brows are the cause of their tired appearance, as these changes occur gradually over time. In your consultation, Dr. Avila will assess your brow position, which should rest naturally along the bone of the orbital rim. The tail of the brow is usually the first to descend. Patients may note puffiness, excess skin, or hooding along their eyelid without realizing this is a result of a dropped brow. This is why a brow lift is commonly combined with an eyelid blepharoplasty or eyelid lift. In many cases, addressing both the eyebrow and eyelid in unity allows for the most natural, aesthetic appearance.
How Does It Work?
A brow lift in Miami involves the use of various techniques that are tailored to each patient’s individual needs. However, the core method of how it works remains the same: your surgeon will reposition tissues for a tighter, more smoothed appearance overall. Typically speaking, men have a flatter, less arched brow shape that should be maintained for natural results, while women generally prefer a more arched appearance that sits a little higher than the bony orbital rim. During your consultation, Dr. Avila can simulate different appearances and let you choose your desired look. There are numerous ways to lift the brow, and common techniques range from direct lifts, internal browpexy, temporal lifts, endoscopic lifts, pretrichial lifts, and more. These approaches range in the strength of lift provided, scar placement, and durability. Dr. Avila will recommend the best approach for you according to the texture of your skin, your goals, and other factors.
Why Choose a Forehead Lift?
A forehead lift can help to address signs of aging such as deep forehead wrinkles, sagging skin in the eyebrow area, and drooping eyebrows. It can also address certain medical conditions, such as ptosis or facial nerve paralysis, that cause issues with the movement of the eyebrows. While it is a cosmetic procedure focusing on improving appearance, patients report that the benefits radiate out into their quality of life on the whole. It can also readily be combined with other cosmetic surgeries, such as an upper or lower blepharoplasty, allowing for synchronized results that further enhance the balance, refinement, and youthful appearance of the face.
Benefits
- Reducing the appearance of deep forehead wrinkles and fine lines
- Giving the face a more youthful look
- Helping to lift sagging eyebrows and eyelids
- Improving facial expressions, making them appear more alert and confident
- Experiencing a recovery process that is relatively quick with minimal scarring and discomfort
- Having a safe and effective procedure with long-lasting results
Am I a Candidate for a Forehead Lift?
The best way to determine if you are a candidate for a forehead lift in Miami is to consult with an experienced plastic surgeon. During the consultation, Dr. Avila will evaluate your medical history and facial structure to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure, exploring your treatment options based on your full discussion with her. Candidates should generally be in good health and have realistic expectations about the outcome of their surgery, and being non-smoking is key for further reduced risk and improved results. Even if it is not the right procedure for you, we take the time to fully explore your options and match you with a care plan that will fully address your goals.
Procedure Overview
Your brow lift procedure will be tailored to your individual needs and goals, but the foundation of the procedure remains similar for most patients. In most cases, the surgery begins with local anesthetic with light sedation or general anesthesia being administered, depending on the patient’s preference, health, and procedure plan. With the popular endoscopic lift, small incisions are made behind the hairline, which allow the surgeon to access and manipulate the underlying facial structures. A camera may also be inserted through these incisions so that the surgeon can better observe and adjust the structures. After any necessary adjustments are made, the incisions are closed with sutures or skin adhesive with care to ensure minimal scarring or lasting damage to any tissue structures. This technique is well suited to lift the brows with well-hidden scars but can sometimes also make the appearance of the forehead longer.
In patients who wish to lift their brows and minimize the appearance of their forehead at the same time, a pretrichial lift is considered. This places the cut along the top of the forehead near the hair follicles. The scar is less hidden initially but fades with time and can be well covered in those with bangs. The pretrichial approach can lift the brows and shorten the forehead size at the same time.
In a direct brow lift, the cut is made directly above the brow hairs. This approach is typically reserved for severe cases of brow ptosis or brow droop and for patients with prominent full brows where the scar could be well hidden.
Dr. Avila offers over ten types of brow lifts, each uniquely customizable to fit your needs. The appropriate lift for you is discussed in detail during an in-person consultation. In all cases, the procedures typically take between 1 and 2 hours, though this will depend on a few factors. For example, combining your lift with other procedures may increase the total time duration of the surgery. After everything is complete, patients can return home the same day if someone is available to drive them, such as a friend or family member.
Preparing for Your Forehead Lift
Before undergoing a brow lift in Miami, you must prepare for the procedure according to Dr. Avila’s preparation instructions. After scheduling an initial consultation with her, Dr. Avila can evaluate your facial structure and provide you with detailed instructions about what to expect before, during, and after the surgery. You may be asked to stop taking certain medications or supplements that could interfere with the results of your surgery, while other patients may need to clear up certain skin conditions or ailments first.
How Long Is the Recovery?
The recovery process for a brow lift can vary from person to person, but after surgery, you will need to take some time off work or other activities to allow your body adequate time to heal. For most patients, this downtime typically takes about 2 weeks. This time is key for ensuring the body can recover, avoiding the risk of additional complications.
You may experience swelling and bruising around the incisions that will gradually subside over 1 to 2 weeks for the most part. After about two weeks, most of the swelling should have gone down, and you should be able to begin enjoying your results. However, it is important to keep in mind that it can take several months for the procedure’s final results to become fully apparent, as all residual swelling needs to fade for your features to settle.
When Will I See the Results?
How Long Do Results Last?
The results of a brow lift can last up to five years or longer, depending on your age and lifestyle habits. This is why it’s important to take good care of your skin and follow a healthy diet in order to maintain the youthful look that the forehead lift provides. Additional factors can influence how long your results last, with things like excessive sun exposure, smoking, and alcohol consumption all negatively impacting the duration of results. Alternately, habits that involve having a good skin care routine,eating a well-balanced diet, and living even a mildly active lifestyle can all prove beneficial for prolonging results.
Can You Combine With Other Procedures?
How Much Does a Brow Lift Cost in Miami?
The cost of a brow lift in Miami will vary, depending on the type and extent of the procedure. Generally speaking, the price range for a brow lift can be quite broad, with patients who need relatively less work seeing a lower cost, while more extensive procedures may be more expensive. Other factors, such as anesthesia fees and facility costs, can also affect the overall price of your surgery. A more exact estimate can be provided by your surgeon once you have a settled-on procedure plan. While a lift is not covered by insurance due to being a cosmetic procedure, there are still flexible ways to afford a procedure. From financing options to medical credit, we are happy to help you explore your options for paying for treatment, as we believe everyone deserves to feel at their best.
Sarah Avila, MD
Specialization: Eyelid Surgery & Aesthetics
Dr. Sarah Avila is an oculofacial plastic surgeon in Miami, Florida. After completing medical school, Dr. Avila completed a residency in ophthalmology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, followed by a highly competitive two-year ASOPRS-accredited fellowship in reconstructive and cosmetic oculofacial surgery at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. During this fellowship, Dr. Avila focused on plastic surgery related to the eyelids, brows, lacrimal duct system, orbit, and face.
