We all want our faces to accurately express how we are feeling. However, as we age, our muscles and skin tend to droop, which can make us look grumpy, upset, angry or worn-out.
The first signs of aging tend to occur in the crow’s feet and forehead area. The goal of our Pittsburgh forehead lift (also known as brow lift surgery) is to elevate the brow into its previous more youthful position and reduce deep forehead lines and creases.
What does a brow lift address?
Please note, that the goal of a brow lift is not to remove all the horizontal lines on the forehead. This often cannot be achieved with a brow lift procedure. If your main goal is to address the horizontal lines on the forehead, Botox® Cosmetic may be a better approach. Brow lift surgery is mostly designed to improve the position of the brow, not improve skin characteristics like wrinkles.
Some women find it difficult to apply and keep makeup on the upper eyelids due to the hooding of the lids. In order to test if you might be a good candidate for our forehead lift in Pittsburgh, lift the skin on top of your eyebrows into a higher position. If the excess skin in the eyebrow crease reduces, you may be a good candidate.
A forehead lift affects the upper third of the face. If you want to address the mid face, you may find that a cheek lift or facelift is a better option for you. Oftentimes, patients see the best results when combining more than one procedure to address all of their cosmetic concerns.
Botox® Cosmetic brow lift vs. a surgical brow lift
When Botox® Cosmetic is injected into the forehead, it temporarily reduces unwanted lines, creases and folds for about 3-4 months. With the right technique, it can also create a lifting effect on the eyebrows. But when forehead wrinkles, folds and creases are too deep, a forehead lift may offer a more lasting and dramatic result. Please keep in mind that not everyone with heavy brows is a candidate for a brow lift procedure. If your only concern is excess skin or fat in the upper eyelids, upper blepharoplasty surgery might be a better route for you.
What does Leong Facial Plastic Surgery represent?
Dr. Leong has carefully crafted our practice to represent integrity and transparency throughout every step of the process. During your consultation, Dr. Leong will tell you everything you need to hear—not necessarily everything you want to hear. He is solely dedicated to the well-being of his patients, including making sure they are fully educated about their treatment options.
Additionally, Dr. Leong represents total excellence in results. His goal is to create a natural appearance—never overdone or fake. When you come to Leong Facial Plastic Surgery, your experience and treatment are met with technical excellence and high integrity.
It’s your face. Trust it to a specialist.
What happens on the day of brow lift surgery?
On the day of surgery, general anesthesia is administered to prepare you for surgery. Dr. Leong then carefully creates a small incision on the hairline (which is well concealed) to access forehead skin, tissue and muscle. An endoscope (small, metal tube with a light and camera) is used to view the inside of the forehead and manipulate underlying tissue and muscle. The images taken from the camera are displayed on a screen, to clearly view the internal structures.
Because an endoscopic procedure is less invasive and requires smaller incisions, downtime and scarring are reduced. Recovery time takes approximately two weeks. Vigorous activity should be avoided in order to expedite the healing process and reduce the chance of injury or infection. You should be able to appreciate the full benefits of surgery six months after – when swelling and bruising subside. The results are usually lasting, but with age you may notice that slight symptoms return, but only mildly.
Paul Leong MD FACS
The Facial Specialist
Dr. Leong's medical education started at the Yale University School of Medicine, where he received his medical degree. He then went on to specialize in head, face, and neck surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, a top five otolaryngology program in the country. To further his education, Dr. Leong completed two fellowships, one in Advanced Oncologic Surgery of the Head and Neck at Pittsburgh Medical Center and the other in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Oregon Health Sciences University.
An alternate approach to brow lifts: the “open” approach
You should be aware that a forehead or brow lift can also be performed with an “open” approach. This technique involves a long incision going over the top of the head – from near the top of one ear to the other. Dr. Leong occasionally performs this procedure in patients with very heavy brows or patients who would actually like to elevate the position of their hairline. However, in the majority of patients, Dr. Leong finds that the endoscopic approach achieves very good results and requires less recovery than the “open” approach.
What is the recovery for forehead lift (brow lift) like?
Standard recovery time after a surgical brow lift is approximately 14 days but can vary from patient to patient. Both swelling and bruising are two of the most common side effects after this procedure and can take up to two weeks to diminish. The pain that is noted post-surgically is usually very mild and can be managed with medications such as Tylenol, though sometimes a few days of stronger pain medications are necessary. While most of the visible side effects will resolve within two to three weeks, the healing process may continue beyond this time frame. Surgical brow and forehead lift patients should be fine to return to their daily lifestyle within 10-14 days.
Now Serving Morgantown
Dr. Paul Leong is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon specializing exclusively in aesthetic facial plastic surgery. With an international reputation for the quality of his brow lift procedure, Dr. Leong’s practice has a regional scope, drawing patients from well beyond Pittsburgh. To better serve his patients in the region, Dr. Leong has expanded with an additional office in Morgantown, WV.
Financing
The financing options available at Leong Facial Plastic Surgery include CareCredit, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, cash or check.
Contact Leong Plastic Surgery
For more information on a forehead lift procedure or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Paul Leong to talk more about your options, please contact Leong Facial Plastic Surgery today.