Forehead lift

Aging and cosmetic surgery

Signs of aging are inevitable – they often appear sooner on the face than elsewhere on the body and in the mind. At least, that is how many feel. As time goes by, the skin looses its elasticity. Gravity pulls the skin, fat and muscles down. The result is well known: Bags and folds that appear where you least want them, especially in overweight people. In addition, the face muscles are in constant movement, and this naturally creates wrinkles. Creases and wrinkles first appear along the jaw line, under the mouth, on the side of the nose and under the chin. At the same time, the skin of the eyelids stretch, fat bags become more visible and smile lines appear. The sun, wind and temperature swings influence on the changes, and stress smoking and alcohol accelerate the process even further. Several diseases and medications also speed up the ageing process of the face. Many of these signs can be corrected with a cosmetic operation, but the ageing continues. No operation can ”rejuvenate” the face completely.

The facelift is the procedure most people think of when cosmetic surgery is mentioned. During an operation like this, the loose skin of the lower part of the face –the side of the mouth, along the jaw line and under the chin is tightened. Sometimes the muscles are also tightened, and excess fat may be removed.

History

For many years, only so-called ”mini-lifts” and simple eyelid operations were performed. Mini-lift means that a piece of the skin in front of the ear is removed and the edges are sewn back together again. This may be effective for a brief period, but the operation had to be repeated rather often. With the development of modern anesthetics, as well as an increasing acceptance of these types of operations in countries like USA and France, cosmetic surgery was developed further after the war. Later, methods used to tighten loose muscles of the face, were developed. Nowadays, the introduction of liposculpture or liposuction, combined with facelift, has improved the method even more. The results are now good and lasting. Thus, it has also become easier to gain recognition for these operations among the common man and woman.

Nevertheless, it was not until the 1980’s that cosmetic surgery really started to get popular. The media’s focus on looking good has been important in this development. New ideals and the increase in prosperity have also played an important role. In particular, the eyelid operations have become common.

1. What can be achieved with a forehead lift?

Some are born with their eyebrows set low. This can give them a sad or grave appearance. Middle-aged people often experience that the outer part of the eyebrow droops. Yet others have quite normal eyes, but want their eyebrows slightly tilted. As you can see, there are different reasons for adjusting the height of the eyebrows.

Deep creases on the forehead will be less salient after a forehead lift. In those who desire a completely smooth forehead, a part of the thin muscle tissue of the forehead, is removed. Most however, want to be left with the ability to mimic with their forehead, so we only use this to a limited extent.

There are two types of angry frown lines: The most common starts at the root of the nose and upwards where it divides into two or three lines. The other is further down on the root of the nose, horizontally. In order to remove the angry frown lines permanently, the muscle tissue that cause them must be removed completely. A temporary improvement can be achieved with the use of BOTOX – an injection treatment - that needs to be repeated a few times a year.

The ”smile lines” on the side of the eyes will be smoothened out only to a certain degree. Bothersome, course ”smile lines” can be improved with another operation, a so-called temple lift.

2. Who will benefit from a forehead lift?

3. Before the operation

During the consultation, we will demonstrate the effect of the forehead lift with the help of a mirror, which enables you to see whether the operation will give the desired result. The position of the scar is also important to discuss during the consultation. It may be placed at the height of the hairline or further up on the scalp.

The anterior incision may be seen as a thin line and should be used with caution in patients who wish to wear their hair pulled back. The incision will lower the hairline some, and is not suitable for those with low hairlines to begin with. On the other hand and for the same reason, it is ideal for those who have high hairlines before the operation. Should you wish to repeat the operation later, the anterior incision is ideal for you.

The coronal incision is most common. The scar will be completely hidden by the hair, but the method may cause tiny hairless spots along the scar in rare cases. These bold spots are of no concern to patients with normal hair growth. The rear incision will raise the hairline a little and is less suitable for those who have a high hairline before surgery.

4. The day of the operation

After you have been given a mild sedative, about one centimeter of hair along the planned scar line, is shaved off. It starts right above your ear, continues along the scalp, and ends above the other ear. The shaved line usually corresponds to the amount of skin that is to be removed and most of the time the shaved area will not show after the operation. The hair also quickly grows back.

During the operation, the skin is separated from the underlying tissue all the way down to the eyebrows. The angry frown lines are usually removed. In patients with deep creases along the forehead, a bit of the muscle tissue on the forehead is sometimes removed. The eyebrows are raised up to the desired height, excess skin is removed and the incision is closed with silver clips. With anterior incisions, a fine suture is used to close the visible part of the incision.

Then, your head will be covered with a bandage that goes all around your head and almost into your eyes, like a winter cap. The stay in our clinic usually lasts from 4-6 hours.

5. After the operation

It is normal to have a mild headache during the first 24 hours. Ordinary pain relievers like Paralgin, Paracet, etc. usually help with the pain. Should your eyes swell or become bruised (it is completely normal and safe!), an icepack will be helpful.

1 to 2 weeks absence from work is normal. In some cases, there will be bruises below the eyes for a longer time than that, but they can be covered up with makeup.

You can wash your hair after 5 days. Use the showerhead and let the lukewarm water do the work for you. Do not use your fingers, but gently work up a foam with the palm of your hand before you rinse your hair thoroughly. Afterwards, comb your hair gently with a large-toothed comb. It is best to have someone help you comb your hair to avoid the clips and sutures. Be very careful with the hairdryer – use low heat and plenty of distance! Usually, the hair is washed on the same day the sutures or clips are removed. Those who do not have help at home, will get their hair washed at the clinic the same day.

The sutures are usually removed after 5 days, while the clips are removed after 8 days.

6. What kind of results can I expect?

7. Side-effects

Any accumulated blood in the wound will be removed in the clinic without any use of anesthetics. Hematomas are harmless and do not affect the result of the procedure. The forehead skin is robust and has good blood circulation. Therefore, there are hardly ever any complications after a forehead lift.

8. Temple lift

9. Endoscopic techniques