Brow Lift in Orange County
A forhead lift (brow lift) is a common procedure used to smooth and reduce the lines in the forehead. With age, the upper third of the face (the upper eyelids to the hairline) can begin to descend and wrinkles can develop not only horizontally across the forehead, but also between the eyebrows. This renders a tired or even sometimes angry appearance. A brow lift procedure reverses this appearance, restoring a more youthful, rested facial appearance. Irvine, Huntington Beach and Corona brow lift candidates can direct their questions to Orange County plastic surgeon Dr. Smith. Request a FREE surgical consultation with Dr. Smith or call us at 949.653.7000.
The Consultation
Dr Smith will evaluate you for the forehead lift in the context of evaluating your facial aesthetics in their total. This evaluation involves examining your forehead, your upper and lower eyelids, your mid-facial aging, your neck, and your skin itself. No one area of the face can reasonably be viewed by itself, without consideration of the adjacent areas and the overall balance of your features. An important issue to discuss is the status of your hair growth (or loss). Hair treatments, such as bleaching and permanent wave applications can adversely affect the health of the hair follicles. Meticulous attention to the manner in which the scalp is closed, either with an open or endoscopic approach, is of critical importance in achieving a cosmetically attractive outcome.
During his examination, Dr. Smith is also looking at the symmetry of your brows, the position of your brow with respect to your bony orbit, and how you animate your forehead during conversation. Particularly expressive individuals will often carry their eyebrows in an asymmetrical posture. This cannot be fully corrected surgically and should be appreciated prior to surgical intervention.
After discussing his findings and the approach he would recommend, Dr. Smith will likely want to show you what sort of result you can reasonably expect with your procedure by the use of a special computer imaging program. In many cases, people who choose a brow lift also choose an Orange County face lift procedure for more complete rejuvenation.
Preoperative Instructions
Two weeks prior to your operation, you will need to discontinue medications which can lead to surgical complications. You will meet with Dr. Smith and his staff for a second visit, during which any remaining questions regarding the operation are answered.
Specific instructions regarding the date and time of your procedure will be given to you at this visit. You will need to arrange for an escort to drive you to and from the surgery center on the day of the operation and for the first post-operative visit. You should wear loose fitting clothing that will wash easily. Do not wear jewelry, contact lenses, or bring valuables to the operating room. Remove all body jewelry from pierced body parts; this can interfere with the procedure and may represent a safety threat to you because of the use of electrocautery during the procedure. DO NOT SHAVE your scalp prior to surgery - this may increase your risk of infection. Appropriate shaving will be done on the morning of your procedure if necessary. Perms and bleaching should be avoided for two weeks prior to and two weeks after your brow lift.
You will receive will write prescriptions for preventative antibiotics to decrease your risk of infection and a narcotic analgesic for post-operative pain relief.
The Surgery
On the morning of surgery, you will be greeted by Dr. Smith and an intravenous line will be started. Dr. Smith will need to draw lines on your face and scalp to provide him with guidelines during your procedure. Your hair will be minimally shaved appropriate to the approach used and otherwise gathered into bundles with rubber bands.
Typically surgery is performed under general anesthesia and a forehead lift typically takes about an hour. Dressings will be placed around your forehead and scalp after surgery. After an appropriate period of observation in our recovery room, you will be discharged into the company of an adult. If you have no one to provide you with assistance, our office can make arrangements for medical transport at an additional charge. Out-of-town patients should plan to stay locally for approximately 5 days.
Postoperative Recovery
You will most likely feel like sleeping for the rest of the day. Often, patients can develop a headache from the tension placed on their scalp. Dr. Smith uses a long-lasting local anesthetic block to provide a measure of pain relief for several hours after surgery, but it will be necessary for you to take pain medication for about 3-5 days afterwards. You will not be able to wash your hair until after your first post-operative visit. You should plan to apply ice compresses to your eyes to diminish swelling and bruising. You should anticipate some swelling and bruising around the eye area, which typically resolves in the first 2 weeks.
You will be seen 2-3 days after surgery, and your dressings removed. You will then be allowed to wash your hair. You will return for removal of wound clips in a few more days.
Most patients return to work at one week or less. Final results are usually evident at 3-6 weeks, though there may be some minimal swelling which needs to disappear over the first three months.
If you have more questions about brow lifts in Orange County or if you're ready to talk to Dr. Smith you can easily request a FREE surgical consultation or you can call us at 949.653.7000. If you would prefer, you can get more information about Orange County brow lifts by sending us an email online.
Dr. Andrew Smith, providing cosmetic and plastic surgery for Orange County and Irvine area residents including Newport Beach, Huntington Beach & Riverside.