For patients who are looking for a fast, technologically advanced approach to treating an aging forehead, look no further than an endoscopic brow lift from Los Angeles plastic surgeon Peter Lee, MD. “This is the most modern procedure to address forehead sagging concerns,” says the University of Chicago graduate who has performed upwards of 30,000 plastic surgery cases throughout his 20-year career. “Because the incision is minimal, the recovery time is really quick. Plus, the results typically last for upwards of 10 years.”
How do you know if it’s time for a brow lift?
“As we get older, our eyelids start to sag, and this is usually a contribution of both skin looseness and eyebrow dropping. The eyebrow drops because the forehead drops, and some of the hallmarks of a sagging forehead are drooping of the upper eyelid, especially at the end, the distance between the eyebrow and the eyes become shorter and a line starts developing at the bridge of the nose. The lines on our foreheads don’t occur because we get older, they occur because we subconsciously raise our eyebrows when we get older. The way to address all of these problems is lifting the entire forehead and the temple, along with the eyebrow, also known as endoscopic brow lift surgery.”
What does endoscopic brow lift surgery entail?
“The most modern procedure to address forehead sagging concerns is the endoscopic brow lift surgery. Five small injections behind the hairline, all of which are 1.5 cm in length, are required. Through the incisions, we insert a very small camera to see the tissues. Anyone who’s ever heard me talk about any type of lifting surgery will know that freeing the tissue up from its attachments is the most important part about lifting. Everything is stuck together under the skin and you really have to release all of these attachments before we start the lifting, which is why we use the tiny camera.
Once the tissues are released and everything is easy to lift, we lift up the tissue and position the eyebrow to the level that we want. Instead of using stitches, we use the Endotine device, which is the size of your fingertip nail and it’s made of the same materials as the absorbable sutures we use during surgery, but it’s a temporary, solid implant. This device is inserted in three locations, one in the center of the forehead and two at the center of the eyebrow arch. The direction of the lift is straight up at the middle of the forehead, and on the sides it’s more diagonal to truly rejuvenate the upper third of the face.The Endotine device dissolves after six months. During this time, the entire area that was lifted up gets stuck down to its new position and everything becomes settled.”
How long will results last?
“The results of this surgery will last a minimum of 10 years. Because the incision is minimal, the recovery time is really quick. Usually, after about seven to 10 days, 80 percent of the swelling is down. The surgery itself takes about 35 minutes to do, and it’s usually done either with IV sedation or general anesthesia, depending on the patient’s choice. Most patients have diminished sensation in the forehead and scalp, but that is purely temporary and in about two months, the sensation becomes normal again.”
