Brow Lift Dallas, Fort Worth - Procedure Information

• Introduction
• Is a forehead lift right for me?
• What should I expect from my brow lift consultation?
• What does a forehead lift entail?
• Are there safety concerns associated with forehead lift surgery?
• How should I prepare for my brow lift surgery?
• What will happen the day of my surgery?
• What should I expect during my recovery?
• How soon will I see my results, and how long will they last?
• How long will I continue to see my plastic surgeon?
• Choosing a plastic surgeon
• Make sure your surgeon is board certified
• Ask about the surgeon's hospital privileges

Introduction

Do you often appear more haggard or stressed than you feel? Do you look in the mirror and see an angry-looking face when you're feeling calm and serene? Often issues in the forehead can cause problems such as these. A furrowed brow, frown lines and drooping, sagging eyebrows can create a tired, angry or sad expression that doesn't represent your true mood or disposition.

If you believe your forehead is preventing you from looking your best, a forehead lift (or brow lift) may offer you the refreshed look you seek. A forehead lift can diminish horizontal creases across the forehead, correct sagging or low-positioned eyebrows, and erase angry-looking frown lines for a more relaxed look.

Though basic brow lift information is provided on this website, the best way to get answers to specific questions about your needs is to schedule a personal consultation with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. For individuals considering a forehead lift in Dallas, plastic surgeon Dr. White is ABPS certified and will gladly address any questions and concerns you may have during consultation.

Is a forehead lift right for me?

Though most men and women who undergo brow lift surgery are between 40 and 60 years-of-age, the procedure can offer great results in older and younger individuals as well. Good candidates for a brow lift include healthy men and women with any of the following conditions:

• Deep horizontal forehead creases
• Frown lines between the eyebrows and across the top of the nose
• An unnaturally tired appearance created by sagging or low-positioned eyebrows

Though brow lift surgery offers great benefits to many who under go it, the procedure should to be approached with extra caution for those with any of the following medical conditions:

• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Blood-clotting problems
• The tendency to form excessive scars

Be sure to alert your plastic surgeon if you are affected by any of these problems.

What should I expect from my brow lift consultation?

A personal consultation with your surgeon is the first step for any patient considering cosmetic surgery. Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. Steven White believes in careful patient consultation to assess your physical and emotional health, discuss your aesthetic goals, and address any questions or concerns you may have.

Issues you should be prepared to discuss during consultation with Dr. White include:

• All medical conditions, both past and present
• Current medications, including nutritional supplements and herbal remedies
• Past surgeries
• Other treatments you have received

Your physical evaluation with Dr. White will include an assessment of your bone structure and underlying facial tissues as well as your skin thickness, elasticity and texture. He will also need to evaluate your forehead contour, the muscle activity in the area, and the brow position, as well as the amount of redundant eyelid skin and the position of your hairline.

For a more complete rejuvenation, Dr. White may discuss additional procedures that can be performed along with brow lift surgery. Dallas men and women frequently combine a forehead lift with:

• Eyelid surgery, to address upper eyelid droop or bags beneath the eyes
• Face lift, to remove excess skin and tighten facial muscles
• Skin treatments, such as chemical peels, to improve skin tone and minimize fine wrinkles

What does a forehead lift entail?

There are many variations to the brow lift procedure. The technique Dr. White uses for you depends upon your individual features and aesthetic goals. Dr. White will discuss your options with you during your pre-op consultation.

Coronal Incision Technique: This common brow lift technique uses a long incision most often concealed with the hairline. The incision begins above the ears and runs along the top of the scalp. To avoid elevation of the hairline, the incision may be placed in front of the hairline instead. Either way, the incision is designed to be as inconspicuous as possible when healed. Through this incision, Dr. White can alter or remove parts of the muscles that cause furrowing, wrinkles and frown lines. He can also remove excess skin and lift your eyebrows to improve their position.

Endoscopic brow lift: This limited-incision option use and endoscope for viewing, a long, thin tube with a light on the end, which is attached to a video camera. Rather than using a long incision, the endoscope is inserted through several small incisions in the scalp for less scarring and faster recovery. In some instances, a combination of endoscopic and other techniques may be used.

Other limited-incision techniques: Some limited-incision options can be performed without an endoscope, using small temple incisions to adjust drooping eyebrows, and upper-eyelid incisions to correct frown lines.

Frown lines alone can be treated with small, upper-eyelid incisions-the same type of incisions used in blepharoplasty (eyelid surgey). An endoscopic procedure may be used in this instance as well.

Are there safety concerns associated with forehead lift surgery?

Though thousands of men and women undergo brow lifts each year and experience no major complications, brow lift surgery does carry some degree risk. It is important you be well informed of these risks when considering a forehead lift. Dallas cosmetic surgeon Dr. White sees the discussion of potential risks and complications as one of the most important aspects of patient consultation. During your consultation, he will discuss these potential complications with you, listen to your safety questions, and offer instructions on how to minimize your risk.

How should I prepare for my brow lift surgery?

It is important to follow Dr. White's instructions when preparing for forehead lift surgery to ensure the best possible results. Those instructions may include:

• Refraining from smoking for several weeks before and after surgery
• The avoidance certain medications
• Arranging for help following surgery, such as a ride home and in-home care
• Growing your hair to cover your incisions as they heal

What will happen the day of my surgery?

For your comfort and convenience, Dr. White maintains privileges in several hospitals in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area. It's possible your brow lift surgery may be performed on an outpatient basis. Or it may require a short hospital stay, depending upon the extent of your surgery.

During surgery, medications will be administered to ensure comfort. General anesthesia will most likely be used to allow you to sleep during the procedure. Dr. White uses only doctors (anesthesiologists)-not nurses (CRNA's or anesthetists)-to administer anesthesia to his Dallas plastic surgery patients. He will carefully monitor your physical status throughout the operation and during your recovery.

What should I expect during my recovery?

Dr. White uses new advanced techniques to foster faster recovery for all his Dallas/Fort Worth plastic surgery patients. Directly after surgery, you'll be taken to a recovery area. A bandage may be used around your face to control swelling, and small drainage tubes may be placed beneath the skin to prevent the accumulation of fluids. Though post-surgical discomfort is typically minimal, your pain can be controlled with medication. Though everyone heals at a different pace, you can expect your recovery to roughly follow this general time line:

The day of brow lift surgery

• You can expect to experience some bruising and swelling which can be reduced by keeping your head elevated.

The first week

• Bandages and drains will be removed
• Bathing and showering will be permitted
• Swelling in the cheek and eyelid area will reach its peak, then begin to subside
• Light activity will be permitted
• Sleeping with elevated head will continue to aid in the reduction of swelling

Within two weeks

• Most bruising will subside
• Stitches will be removed
• Applying makeup to hide bruising and discoloration will be allowed
• Normal activities and non-strenuous work will be permitted

After three weeks

• Swelling will continue to subside
• Numbness and itching will diminish greatly
• Exercise may be resumed

Direct sunlight should be avoided throughout the entire healing process. Sunblock should be used long-term to protect your skin.

How soon will I see my results, and how long will they last?

Most people who undergo a brow lift surgery are very pleased with their results. The healing, however, will take some time, so you may not see the final results of your surgery for several months.

How long your brow lift results will last depends upon a number of factors, including your genetics and the lifestyle you lead. Though a forehead lift cannot stop the aging process, Dallas brow lift surgery patients are typically very happy with their facial appearance for many years following their procedure.

How long will I continue to see my plastic surgeon?

Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. White believes in the importance of follow-up visits, to answer any questions you may have and monitor your healing process. Rather than delegating all of these visits to a nurse, he enjoys seeing his patients as they heal over time. Your first post-operative visit will be scheduled after the initial healing period, during the first week after surgery. In the following months, Dr. White may ask you to return for periodic checkups. Keeping these appointments is important to allow him to assess your long-term results and address any questions or concerns you may have.

Choosing a plastic surgeon

When considering undergoing a forehead lift or any other type cosmetic surgery, Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. White believes choosing a qualified surgeon to perform it is one of the most important factors. Though it's hard to believe, not all physicians who perform cosmetic surgery have had formal surgical training. It's important to research the credentials of all surgeons you consider for your procedure. Dr. White is fully trained in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery as well as Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery). He invites potential patients to fully explore his training, experience online or during a personal consultation.

Make sure your surgeon is board certified

Find out if your doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Surgeons with this certification have completed a minimum of five years of surgical training following medical school, including a plastic surgery residency program. During this intensive program, surgeons learn to perform surgical procedures for the entire body and face. At the same time, they develop their technical skill and aesthetic judgment. After training, a surgeon must pass comprehensive oral and written exams before being granted certification.

Both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery require their members to be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Plastic surgeons with this certification have completed approved training and examinations in plastic surgery including both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures.

Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. White is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery as well as the American Board of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery. He is one of the few plastic surgeons in the United States certified by both of these boards.

Ask about the surgeon's hospital privileges

It is very important to find out if your surgeon has operating privileges in an accredited hospital for the procedure you are considering, even if you are planning to undergo surgery in your doctor's office or at a surgery center. Before granting privileges, hospital review committees evaluate a surgeon's training and competency for specific procedures.

Dr. White maintains surgical privileges at several area hospitals in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

To find out more, click on Making Sense of Certification.

For more information on Dallas brow lift surgery, or to schedule a consultation with Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. White, call 214.696.6676 or contact us online at usaplasticsurgery.com.

       

STEVEN J WHITE, MD
PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL OF DALLAS
TEXAS HEALTH PRESBYTERIAN DALLAS
PROFESSIONAL BUILDING 3, SUITE 814
8230 WALNUT HILL, DALLAS, TEXAS 75231

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