It has become difficult to stay young-looking in today’s fast-paced, constantly harried, pollutant-saturated urban corporate environment. Millions of us have become slaves to worry-induced stress and premature aging, which manifests itself most prominently on our foreheads. Once, perhaps, wrinkles and lines above your brow may have been considered marks of wisdom and experience. Now, they are little more than scars from the hazard of modern living.

As a remedy to those unsightly creases, cosmetic surgery offers us the option to undergo a brow lift, otherwise known as a forehead or eyebrow lift. This conventional procedure shrinks those stress lines, smooths out the forehead, and elevates the brow line, giving the patient a refreshed, slightly more youthful appearance. Compared to other cosmetic surgical options, the work to be done during a brow lift is fairly minimal. Of course, the shift in the appearance of the patient will not be that significant, either, even as years are removed from a person’s face. However, this quality of brow lift surgery is actually preferred by the people who undergo the operation, as it provides a more subtle transformation. Men in particular, for whom plastic surgery is still relatively less popular, appreciate the fact that it doesn’t look like they have had work done.

The procedure itself traditionally involves the doctor cutting a full incision across the forehead, around the top area, just behind the hair line. The opening created becomes the focal point for the removal of excess tissue and skin, evening out the forehead surface. Afterwards, the forehead skin flap is pulled upward and adjusted to wipe out horizontal wrinkles and raise the eyebrow line. Lastly, sutures are used to seal the initial forehead incision.

Alternately, the incision may be made far behind the hairline, in a variation of the process called a coronal brow lift. The incision is made from ear to ear, and the forehead lifted open to perform reconstruction. The general advantage of this variant is that the scarring afterwards is not apparent, being hidden within a person’s hair, or due to the natural contours of the person’s face.

More recently, brow lifts have been largely performed through endoscopic surgery, in which several small incisions are made along the forehead line, and special instruments are inserted to reposition, remove or adjust muscle and tissue beneath. This method has been preferred by patients due to its being less invasive and producing less visible scarring afterwards. Though generally recommended to younger patients who many not need such extensive work, it can be availed of in advanced cases depending on the areas that require alteration.

After the surgery, the forehead may be taped for additional support during the healing process, and the head wrapped completely in sterile bandages to minimize bruising and swelling. A thin tube to drain excess fluid, such as blood, may be inserted under the skin for a day or two after the operation. The recovery period after a brow lift surgery is about a week to ten days, after which the sutures will be removed, and patients may return to work and resume their normal daily activities. This period may be much shorter in the case of endoscopic treatments. The pain and discomfort associated with the recovery can be controlled with standard over-the-counter pain medication. Scarring from the operation is not extensive, and in endoscopic method and coronal brow lift cases, barely noticeable or concealed well.

As a brow lift is a comparatively safe, conventional procedure, the risks of complications arising are quite rare. Infection is a concern, but this is the case with any surgical procedure. Skin and nerve damage are also possible, but not probable.