Forehead lifts aren’t a new phenomenon but over the years advancements in technology have allowed cosmetic surgeons to develop better, more effective methods in order to get the best results. Just as the signs of aging can appear around the mouth, nose, and the eye area, the forehead is also a target for Father Time. If you have deep furrows or wrinkles on your forehead that you want to eliminate, then forehead lifts may be something worth looking into.

Forehead lifts also help to restore youthfulness to the eyebrows, eyelids and upper face area in general. Over the years the forehead tends to become a victim of deep wrinkles, caused by constant furrowing of the brow, sagging skin and even unsightly folds of skin on the upper eyelid. The most common forms of forehead lifts are the open forehead lift, endoscopic forehead lift and the slide forehead lift. Each treatment has its own techniques as well as pros and cons. It will be up to your surgeon to decide which technique will best serve your needs and get you the best results.

The open forehead lift uses a technique that involves creating an incision from ear to ear that goes across the scalp. The muscles that create the furrow or “scowl” are removed after the skin of the forehead is rolled forward. This technique also allows wrinkles to be reduced so that they are less noticeable. After the muscles have been removed a new version of the forehead is created by removing a strip of the scalp (along with the hair), lifting the forehead and sewing the skin together along the original incision. The surgeon will create tension in order to effectively “lift” the forehead along with the eyebrow, eyelids and temple area. The major downside to the open forehead lift technique is that scarring is more noticeable because of the missing strip of scalp and hair, as well as a chance that the skin of the forehead can slip down over time. A common side effect is permanent loss of hair along the area where the scalp was removed.

The endoscopic forehead lift technique requires making five incisions (one inch in length) in the scalp. The surgeon then pulls the forehead from the bone between the crown of the head and the eyebrows. Then a special camera and fiberoptic light is used to allow the surgeon to manipulate or remove the muscles. Afterwards, the surgeon slides the forehead and scalp up and backwards to create the lift. The incisions are then sutured. While this method is easier for recreating the new forehead, it isn’t as accurate in treating the muscles in question.

The slide forehead technique is the latest version of this procedure and considered to be the most effective because it uses a combination of both the open and endoscopic forehead lift techniques. The open forehead lift incision is used to remove the muscles and the endoscopic method is used to reposition the new forehead and suture the incision. The skin of the forehead is then lifted up and backwards. The slide forehead lift technique makes the incisions less noticeable and since no scalp is removed, the scarring is minimal.

It is important to find a licensed and experienced surgeon to perform a forehead lift. Be sure to do a consultation and ask for references from previous patients as well as before and after photos.

Related Articles
	When Plastic Surgery May Not Be Worth the Risk Statistics show that the interest of Americans in plastic surgery continues to grow. This is despite a number of well publicized horror stories and deaths from cosmetic surgery complications. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of procedures rose to 12 million   ...Read more		The Liquid Facelift A liquid facelift is a facial contouring procedure that involves the use of strategically placed dermal fillers and collagen builders around the face. The exact placement of these two, plus the timeliness that they are placed, can produce results similar to a facelift or other facial   ...Read more