Brow Lift Fact Sheet

The objective

A 'brow lift' or 'forehead lift’ restores drooping or furrowing skin, smoothes the forehead and brings the eyebrows to a higher position on the face by removing or tightening the muscles and tissues in the area, to give a more 'youthful' appearance.

The procedure

The operation can be carried out under a general or local anaesthetic and can take up to two hours. There are two techniques normally used: open or endoscopic surgery.

With an open brow lift, the surgeon makes an incision across the forehead around the hairline or in one of the creases. With the endoscopic technique, several smaller incisions will be made and an endoscope (surgical camera) is inserted into the tissues underneath so that they can be seen on a television screen. Both techniques will require the surgeon to remove fatty tissue and skin, which will be tightened and stitched into the new position.

Surgeons may also use ‘suture’ or ‘thread lift’ techniques, which involve placing sutures or threads with tiny “teeth” into the brow through a small incision. The threads are pulled upwards and secured, and the incision is stitched shut.

The outcome

Following surgery, the area will be covered in a dressing and the face will be swollen for a number of days. You’ll need to remain elevated for 2-4 days, sleeping upright, and avoid using styling products for two weeks. Any remaining stitches can be removed after 10 days. There be some numbness and pain, replaced by itching which can take up to six months to stop as the nerves heal.

You may be able to leave the hospital after one day, though sometimes daycare is possible. You can normally return to work after 1-2 weeks and should avoid strenuous activity for two weeks.

After the swelling has eased, the brow and forehead should appear firmer, less lined, and more ‘youthful’, although the effect may be reduced as you get older or if you put on weight.

The risks

All general anaesthesias carry associated risks, but complications particular to brow lifts include infection, problems with wound healing, and permanent scars left in the facial area.

Scarring should fade and not be noticeable if positioned along the hairline or in a forehead crease, but as the hairline recedes with age they may become visible.

Some hair around the incision may fall out and be a bit thinner until normal growth returns within a few weeks or months, serious permanent hair loss is rare but can occur.

Another risk is that of asymmetry of the eyebrows, which might need corrective surgery, and also possible permanent damage to the nerves in this area, which may leave you unable to raise your eyebrows or wrinkle your forehead.

The costs

In the UK, expect to pay from £3,000 - £5,300. Abroad, expect to pay from £820 (Belgium) to £2,500 (Italy).

The availability

Brow lift surgery is widely available in private clinics within the UK and abroad.

The popularity

Brow lifts are more popular with patients over 40 years old, both men and women who feel they have a ‘droopy’ appearance on their forehead. They are normally performed to reduce the effects of ageing and to make you look younger.