Brow lift surgery

It’s important to meet with your chosen consultant before treatment so that you are completely comfortable with them and they know what you want to achieve. It’s helpful to bring a friend or family member to your initial meeting to help articulate your thoughts. You should also ask to see some of the surgeon’s recent before and after pictures of similar operations they’ve performed.

Your specialist will examine your face and may ask you to pull a series of different facial expressions to help decide how best to achieve the look you want. He or she may also advise you to have your hair cut before treatment, as it could hamper movement during the operation.

This is an important decision and we’re here to listen and help you achieve your goals.

If you decide to go ahead with the procedure, we’ll give you at least two weeks between consultation and operation date. This is because we want you to be really happy and confident with your decision

We understand that surgery can be a cause of anxiety – even if it’s a relatively straightforward procedure like this one. That’s why our experienced and caring medical staff will be there for you every step of the way.

There are two types of brow lift:

The ‘classic’ lift – where one continuous incision is made from one ear to the other, around the top of your hairline.

The endoscopic lift – where a series of smaller incisions are made around your hairline. The doctor inserts a camera probe into these for viewing purposes and then uses special surgical instruments to make the necessary changes. Small anchors are also used to secure the skin during the operation. These are removed a few weeks later.

The endoscopic approach is generally favoured because it is less invasive which usually means a shorter recovery time. However, the classic approach may be more effective – depending on how much work needs to be done to get the desired effect.

The operation will usually take one to two hours, depending on which approach the doctor takes. You will be under a general anaesthetic so you’ll be asleep for the duration.

After the procedure, you will be taken from the operating theatre to a recovery room, where you will come round from the anaesthesia under close supervision.

Pain relief

It’s likely that you will experience some numbness, swelling and bruising immediately after the operation. You will also probably feel as though you’ve got a bad headache but this is normal and your symptoms will start to improve over the next few weeks. We will give you medication while you’re with us and to take home to help ease any pain.

We will provide you with a supply of all the medicines your consultant feels you need to take home with you after you’ve left hospital, up to 14 days. This may be at an additional cost to some patients.

Your consultant will talk to you about the possible risks and complications of having this procedure and how they apply to you.

This will depend on which operation you’ve decided on, but when you get home you’ll need to take things easy at first. Most people return to work after a couple of weeks but it could be around a month before you feel totally confident with your new look.

Swelling and bruising can affect all parts of your face but this should be gone within a week. For at least two days after surgery try to keep your head elevated on pillows as much as possible because this will ease any swelling. It’s also a good idea to apply regular ice packs to affected areas and avoid bending or leaning down.

You may also experience itching for weeks or even months after the operation. This is normal and will ease with time.

End results

Everybody is different and your surgeon will discuss your expectations and end results with you in detail.

For many people the end results far outweigh the negatives associated with having surgery and our patients say it has given them a big confidence boost. Please see some of our patient stories to hear how this procedure has impacted their lives for better.

Looking after you

Even after you’ve left hospital, we’re still looking after you every step of the way. You will have a date for a follow up appointment arranged when you leave the hospital.

On rare occasions, complications can occur following surgery. Your surgeon will explain all the risks and complications in full. If you experience any of the symptoms explained to you please call us straight away.

If you have any questions or concerns we’re ready to help.