Brow Lift in Miami, FL

Introduction to Brow Lift

At our boutique practice in Miami, brow lift is a very popular procedure. Double board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon, Gregory D. Lewen, M.D., offers brow lift procedures for men and women in Miami, Aventura, and the surrounding areas of Florida. Dr. Lewen is one of the few plastic surgeons in the area who specializes in plastic surgery of the eyes.

Dr. Lewen strives to offer the best brow lift Miami patients can look forward to. He places patient safety as one of his number one priorities.

What is a Brow Lift?

The brow and forehead areas can commonly show some of the first signs of aging as a loss of volume tends to occur in this area somewhat earlier than in other areas of the face. A person’s actual age is not the only factor that contributes to some of the premature signs of aging in this part of the face. Sun damage and other environmental stresses, combined with the natural loss of collagen, elasticity, and overall volume in brow tissues over time, can lead to a loss of structure and fullness in the brows. As the brows start to show some signs of aging, gravity can also play a role in causing some of the skin in this area to sag. As the brows start to droop a little, this can sometimes be perceived as a feeling of heaviness in the upper eyelids. Others may not even consciously realize that their brows are starting to droop, but may learn to subconsciously raise their brows as a part of a normal expression, and in order to alleviate some of the feelings of heaviness. Frequently, this can result in exaggerated frown lines, wrinkles across the forehead, and/or increased heaviness of the eyebrows and upper eyelids. These changes can contribute to an appearance that may be interpreted by others as a tired, angry, or sad expression that may not accurately reflect the way you actually feel.

What Are the Benefits of a Brow Lift?

Depending on the specific type of procedure, brow lift surgery (also known as forehead lift surgery) can:

• Minimize the creases that develop across the forehead or those that occur high on the bridge of the nose, between the eyes
• Improve what is commonly referred to as frown lines, vertical creases that develop between the eyebrows
• Reposition a low or sagging brow that is hooding over the upper eyelid
• Raise the eyebrows to a more alert and youthful position
• Correct contour irregularities

Where is Brow Lift Surgery Performed?

Depending on your individual case, Dr. Lewen may recommend for your surgery to be performed in an outpatient (ambulatory) surgery center, where you will go home the same day. In these cases, IV sedation is typically given for the procedure to induce a “twilight sleep,” and local injections of anesthesia are administered. Standard medical clearance is required prior to surgery to ensure that you are healthy for surgery. This clearance typically includes basic bloodwork, medical history, and physical exam, a recent EKG from your primary care physician or your cardiologist, and a urine pregnancy test if applicable. Dr. Lewen only chooses to perform brow lift surgery for his patients in specific facilities that meet his qualifications for providing exceptional patient care. These facilities have dedicated and attentive nursing staff and a board-certified anesthesiologist on-site to ensure that your experience is as safe and comfortable as possible.

For some patients, Dr. Lewen may offer the option for your brow lift surgery to be performed in his office procedure room. If performed in the office setting, Dr. Lewen may give you a light oral sedative prior to the surgery in order to help you relax and to make it easier for local anesthetic injections to be administered to your brow areas. Regardless of where your surgery is performed, you will require someone else to drive you home on the day of your surgery.

Direct brow lift surgery is typically performed in cases of severe brow drooping. This is Dr. Lewen’s procedure of choice for patients who have very droopy brow positions related to issues of the facial nerve or forehead muscle weakness. This procedure involves the placement of an incision either directly above the brow hairs or hidden in a deeper horizontal fold across the forehead. After the incision is made, a measured amount of tissue will be removed, and the area will be sewn closed in layers to provide a substantial lift to the brow area. Although this procedure is very effective for addressing droopy brows, it is more common to have some degree of a visible scar above the brow or on the forehead after undergoing direct brow lift surgery. For this reason, this form of brow lift surgery may not be ideal for patients who desire the best possible cosmetic result.

Endoscopic brow lift surgery is an excellent procedure, which utilizes small incisions made in the hairline. Since these incision sites are hidden well within the hairline, this is an ideal surgical option for many patients who are more concerned about having the best possible cosmetic results. Using an endoscope (for visualization, the size of a drinking straw), the forehead and brow muscles that worsen frown lines are released and sagging brows and skin are physically lifted. After the brow and forehead muscles are fully released, dissolvable anchors are placed to hold the lifted brows in place through the initial healing phase of surgery. Dr. Lewen uses different anchors for this procedure depending on the amount of brow drooping that is present, and the amount of brow lift that is desired. While all of these anchors will dissolve on their own, some may take a little longer than others until they are completely gone. Initially, the anchors may appear as small bumps under the skin just at the level of the hairline until they are fully absorbed.

Temporal brow lift surgery is the ideal procedure to address drooping brows that are more significantly affecting the outer portion of the brow. Similar to an endoscopic brow lift, this procedure utilizes an incision made at the hairline in the temple area that is well-hidden and is much more likely to heal without a significant, visible scar. For this reason, temporal brow lift surgery is another excellent procedure for patients who desire the best possible cosmetic result. After the incision is made in the hairline, Dr. Lewen will carefully dissect down to the brow area and release some of the tissue that holds the brows fixed in place. A conservative amount of tissue excision is usually performed, and sutures are placed to close the incision site in layers carefully. Dr. Lewen does not typically utilize an anchor when performing temporal brow lift surgery. This procedure is ideal for many patients who have significant brow droop affecting more of the outer portion of the brow, but who are still looking to have the best possible cosmetic result.