A brow lift is a safe and effective cosmetic procedure that reduces the appearance of sagging eyebrows, as well as frown lines. Wrinkles and furrows on your forehead can make you look aged beyond your years. With multiple techniques, a brow lift revitalizes the upper third of the face and corrects many signs of aging. This surgery raises and smooths your forehead skin for a more pleasing and youthful appearance.

At La Jolla Plastic Surgery and Dermatology, Richard Chaffoo, MD, FACS, FICS is a Triple Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon with considerable technical skill and experience. With a specialization in facial rejuvenation procedures, he strives to deliver optimal brow lifts to safely achieve a more refreshed, energetic look.

Request your complimentary consultation online or call (800) 373-4773 to contact us directly. We have offices in Beverly Hills, Corona Del Mar, La Jolla, Newport Beach, and San Diego.

Before and After Photos

About The Brow Lift

When performing a brow lift, Dr. Chaffoo can manipulate the skin and internal tissue to elevate the brows and smooth the forehead. There are two very popular and commonly performed types of brow lift surgery: the traditional or direct brow lift, and the endoscopic brow lift. They both achieve the same results but offer different advantages for the patient.

Traditional Brow Lift

Usually reserved for male patients with thick, full brows, a direct brow lift removes a crescent of skin above the eyebrow and shifts the structure higher on the forehead. Dr. Chaffoo carefully places an incision above the area, releases the anchoring muscles, and lifts the brow to reposition it on the brow bone. This technique works well for patients who have a thinning hairline and bushy brows that can hide the scarring after recovery. It also corrects eyebrow asymmetry and smooths forehead wrinkles. ⁽¹⁾

Endoscopic Brow Lift

Using an endoscope, this brow lift technique restores a youthful-looking and rested appearance to the area above the eyes. Dr. Chaffoo utilizes complex techniques to insert endoscopic equipment and then undermines the forehead skin through very small incisions along the hairline. He places internal sutures to lift and secure the forehead tissue, then gently stitches the external incisions with very thin sutures. This ensures there is little tension on the skin to promote smooth healing. Patients may prefer this type of brow lift if they are worried about scarring, or if their forehead wrinkles are mild to moderate. ⁽²⁾

Brow Lift Benefits

The goal of a brow lift is to reduce loose, sagging skin around the eyes and brow, as well as reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and folds developing on the upper face. This procedure also offers immediate results and moderately invasive methods.

Other benefits of brow lifts offer include:

Ideal Candidates

Ideal candidates for a brow lift are adults in good general health who have started to notice a significant development of loose, sagging skin on the upper face. It can be successful on patients of any age, however, we recommend it for older patients who are struggling with side effects of aging, gravity, weight fluctuations, hormonal changes, and more. Patients who opt for the procedure must be in good general health and have a clear understanding of what the surgery entails.

Personal Consultation with Dr. Chaffoo

You will have an opportunity to discuss your aesthetic goals and medical history with Dr. Chaffoo to determine if you are safe to undergo the procedure. At your consultation, he will evaluate important factors such as your age, the condition of the skin in the treatment area, hair distribution pattern, and the bone structure underneath.

Using this information, he will share with you the options for producing a more youthful appearance, and also discuss in detail what to expect with a brow lift including:

Preparation

To prepare for your brow lift, please refrain from smoking tobacco and nicotine products for at least one month before and after treatment. This greatly reduces your risk of complications. You should also avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen as these medications thin your blood and interfere with recovery. If you regularly take certain herbal supplements like vitamin E, please ask Dr. Chaffoo about an alternative that is safe to use before surgery. We recommend that you create a comfortable space in your home and easy-to-prepare meals to ensure a stress-free healing process. Please remember to schedule time off from work and ask a trusted adult to transport you to our facilities and back home on your operation day. Your care team provides all other preoperative instructions you may need during your initial consultation with Dr. Chaffoo.

Brow Lift Procedure

Dr. Chaffoo’s team will administer the appropriate anesthesia to keep you comfortable. Depending on your chosen brow lift method, he will then make his incisions and carefully undermine the skin of the forehead. For a direct brow lift, after making his way to the eyebrows, Dr. Chaffoo will modify the muscles and tissue underneath then lift and secure them higher on the forehead with internal sutures. For an endoscopic brow lift, through small incisions in the hairline, he will use a small camera attached to an endoscope to visualize the tissues. He will reshape and contour the underlying muscles and tissue via separate incisions along the hairline. Dr. Chaffoo finishes the procedure by placing precise sutures that do not create unnecessary skin tension. The procedure takes just 1 to 2 hours to complete.

Recovery

After your surgery, you will likely experience swelling, redness, bruising, and mild discomfort for the first few days to weeks. This subsides on its own. After 10 to 14 days, most patients are ready to return to work and normal activity. If you are worried about discoloration, cosmetics can help to blend in any post-operative bruising. While general recovery rates vary, most patients are fully recovered in just a few short weeks.

You should avoid certain activities or movements to help aid the healing process. Dr. Chaffoo will remove any sutures used to close the incisions when it is safe to do so. It’s also important to limit your exposure to UV light (sunlight, tanning beds) for several months following your brow lift.

Results

The results of your brow lift surgery go into effect immediately, but you will need to wait till the swelling subsides to truly see the final shape. Any inflammation or discoloration will slowly resolve over time and incision lines will fade away. The final results of your surgery will appear over the next few months.

Corresponding & Complementary Procedures

Eyelid Lift (Blepharoplasty)

For even greater facial rejuvenation, many men and women elect eyelid surgery or facelift surgery as a combination procedure in addition to their brow lift. If performing a brow lift and an eyelid lift together, Dr. Chaffoo completes the brow lift first to determine how much the surgery affects the eyelids. After a brow lift, patients can typically notice a slight lift of the eyelid. Blepharoplasty enhances this by removing skin and excess fat from the lower or upper eyelid area. It revitalizes the eyes and corrects signs of aging like sagging skin, puffy under eyes, and peripheral vision loss.

Facelift

During a facelift, Dr. Chaffoo undermines the facial skin and manipulates the internal structures to lift and rejuvenate the lower half of the face. He places sutures to elevate sagging or shifting muscle layers and trims excess skin to correct facial volume loss and jowling. In congruence with a brow lift, patients achieve an overall restructuring of the face to promote a more youthful-looking complexion.

Cost of a Brow Lift in San Diego

The cost of cosmetic surgery at La Jolla Plastic Surgery & Dermatology will vary for everyone. We determine the price based on your unique needs and the extent of correction and treatment desired to achieve the optimal results.

To schedule your appointment with Dr. Chaffoo, please call (800) 373-4773 or fill out this contact form for more details.

FAQ

References

1. Pascali M, Bocchini I, Avantaggiato A, et al. Direct brow lifting: Specific indications for a simplified approach to eyebrow ptosis. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery. 2016;49(01):66-71. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0358.182243
2. Raggio BS, Winters R. Endoscopic Brow Lift. PubMed. Published 2022. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545220/