A forehead lift (or frontal lift) is a cosmetic surgery procedure for patients who want to remove forehead sagging, permanently correct a poor eyebrow position, reduce frown lines, and lift the eyebrows and eyelids. It relies on different techniques to re-tension the forehead and eliminate wrinkles.
1. Principle of a forehead lift
A forehead lift can be performed with a classic incision, endoscopically, or through mini-incisions that combine the advantages of direct visualization from a classic incision with the advantages of minimally invasive surgery as in endoscopy. A mini-incision forehead lift also achieves more lasting correction than an endoscopic one. The scars are entirely hidden within the hair.
With a classic incision, the scar is hidden within the hair at the top of the head, from ear to ear. Shaving the hair is generally not necessary, allowing the scar to be hidden right after the procedure.
Endoscopy is a surgical technique that involves performing a procedure by inserting a mini-camera that allows the surgeon to monitor their movements. It has the benefit of minimizing surgical trauma and considerably reducing scarring. For an endoscopic frontotemporal lift, several small incisions (about 5 to 10 mm) are made in the scalp.
The mini-incision forehead lift uses two 1.5 cm openings in the scalp, four when combined with a temporal lift, which is often the case.
The principle of the procedure involves:
- Undermining the tissue of the forehead and temples up to the brow ridge and the root of the nose.
- Weakening the muscles in the area to treat the wrinkles they cause: horizontal wrinkles for the frontalis muscle, frown lines for the muscles between the eyebrows.
- Re-tensioning the undermined tissue to remove forehead sagging, lift the eyebrows and smooth out crow's feet.
2. Recovery after a forehead lift
Recovery from a forehead lift is mainly marked by the appearance of edema (swelling) and bruising in the treated area. Their extent and duration vary greatly from patient to patient but generally resolve within a few days.
The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, and the bandage is removed before leaving the clinic. Dr. Kron performs the forehead lift in clinics in Paris accredited for cosmetic surgery.
A return to normal social and professional life is possible after a few days (generally 5 days).
As with any surgical procedure, a forehead lift carries risks (Risks in surgery), even though these are limited. It is the surgeon's role to explain to patients the risks they face based on the combination of techniques used to achieve the desired result.
Depending on age and associated risk factors, a blood test and sometimes a cardiovascular assessment may be necessary before the procedure.
3. Results of a forehead lift
The final result of the procedure can be assessed once the edema has resolved and the tissues regain their full suppleness, which takes between 3 and 6 months.
While a frontal or frontotemporal lift rejuvenates the eyes and reduces forehead wrinkles and frown lines, it should be noted that it does not make the forehead skin completely smooth. To optimize the removal of wrinkles and fine lines caused by muscle action, aesthetic medicine techniques can be considered as a replacement for, or a complement to, a lift:
- treating expression lines with a Botox injection,
- filling wrinkles and fine lines with a hyaluronic acid injection,
- smoothing the forehead skin with a peel.
A forehead lift in Paris can be combined with a procedure on the eyelids (blepharoplasty), the nose (rhinoplasty), or other facial rejuvenation procedures (LVPA facelift, neck lift by platysmaplasty, centrofacial lift, etc.).
As part of a comprehensive cosmetic, medical and aesthetic approach to facial skin aging, Universkin serums may be prescribed before and/or after a forehead lift, to prepare the skin and optimize the result achieved.
Universkin is a functional dermatology protocol that creates custom cosmetic prescriptions, whose active ingredients and dosage are determined after a complete diagnostic of your skin's condition.
Smoking increases the risk of surgical complications in any type of surgery. Stopping smoking 6-8 weeks before the procedure eliminates this additional risk. If you smoke, talk to your doctor, surgeon and anesthesiologist, or call a smoking cessation helpline.
