Brow Lift

A forehead lift, also known as a brow lift, is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to raise and tighten the skin of the upper third of the face, near the forehead and eyebrows. A brow lift can remove forehead expression lines, smooth out furrows between the brows, and raise drooping eyebrows. During a brow lift procedure, the skin of the upper part of the face is elevated and redraped and the underlying muscles are tightened to reveal a youthful, fresh look. The information below is designed to provide a brief overview of brow lift surgery. Dr. Ross has also written some further personal views about brow lift surgery which we invite you to consider.

Who is a candidate for forehead lift surgery?

Forehead lift surgery, performed at our cosmetic plastic surgery practice in Victoria, is most commonly used to treat the more noticeable effects of aging, including wrinkling and excess skin across the forehead and brows. A brow lift offers a limited alternative to a full facelift and can help patients of any age, who are bothered by deep frown lines or a heavy brow. Of course, brow lift can be undertaken in conjunction with face lift surgery to maximise the aesthetic result. Because the position of the brows is a major indicator of age, a brow lift is ideal for anyone who wants a younger, more “awake” look. A brow lift is a popular choice for both men and women, and can be performed in conjunction with eyelid surgery or a facelift. For younger patients with less significant forehead wrinkling and furrows, we offer Botulinum Toxin injections as an alternative to a brow lift. The use of Botulinum Toxin injections can help to delay aging changes to the forehead, but will not be effective in more significant forehead aging scenarios. It is best to discuss the options initially with Dr Ross, but if injections do not prove effective, brow lift surgery is likely to a better treatment option.

What can I expect during and after a forehead lift procedure?

A forehead lift is a relatively straightforward cosmetic surgery procedure and is generally performed at a surgical facility on an outpatient basis. Dr. Ross offers both traditional “open” brow lifts and endoscopic brow lifts. An “open” brow lift requires one long scalp incision that will be hidden behind the hairline, while an endoscopic brow lift requires several shorter incisions in the hair bearing scalp. Both procedures are undertaken in a few hours and the expected recovery time is usually one to two weeks, possibly shorter for endoscopic patients. Following brow lift surgery, patients usually wear a protective dressing for 7 to 10 days, when they return to the clinic for review. Some patients will experience pain and numbness near the incision lines along with temporary swelling and bruising, that can affect the eyes, but this settles in most cases quite quickly. Incisions in the hair-bearing scalp can result in some temporarily cessation of hair growth adjacent to incisions, but this usually returns to normal after a couple of weeks.

Most patients are very happy with the results of their brow lift surgery. A brow lift can reduce signs of aging in the forehead for five to fifteen years following surgery. Patients can expect to look remarkably rested and much more alert following a brow lift. To find out more about endoscopic and open brow lift techniques, please contact our cosmetic plastic surgery practice in Melbourne, Victoria. Our office staff will help you with your initial enquiries and will arrange a consultation with Dr Ross to undertake a full assessment and suggest an appropriate treatment plan that will address your concerns.

Temporal Lift

A temporal lift is a modification of the forehead lift, where only the lateral aspects of the forehead are raised, tightening temporal skin to minimise “crow’s feet” wrinkles and raise the position of drooping lateral eyebrows. It is often performed in conjunction with upper (and lower) eyelid blepharoplasty to address aging related changes in the temporal area.
Although the procedure can be undertaken under direct vision, using the operating endoscope will allow improved vision and mobilisation of temporal and lateral orbital structures for a maximised aesthetic result.

Who is a candidate for temporal lift surgery?

Temporal lift surgery, when performed through our Melbourne, Victoria cosmetic plastic surgery practice is undertaken to minimise age related changes around the temple including crow’s feet wrinkles around the lateral canthus of the eye and elevate and rejuvenate the lateral eyebrow. Often this procedure is performed as an adjunct to rejuvenating eyelid surgery. It is a procedure to be considered by patients not yet ready to commit to face lift surgery.

What can I expect during and after a temporal lift procedure?

A temporal lift procedure is a relatively straight forward case that is undertaken on an outpatient basis and usually is undertaken in 90 minutes. Often it is performed in conjunction with blepharoplasty surgery for maximal results. Patients are discharged from hospital with a protective dressing and minimal post operative care is required. Numbness, pain and minor hair loss around the scars are possible complications but usually settle quite quickly. Temporary or permanent weakness of the forehead muscles can also occur after this procedure. Most patients can return to full activity within one to two weeks following surgery with a rejuvenated facial appearance.

Neck Lift

Rejuvenation of the neck is a commonly requested facial aesthetic procedure at our Melbourne based cosmetic surgery clinic, Bayside Plastic Surgery. It is one of the most troubling changes that occurs in facial aging and concerns in patients of all ages about neck contour are frequently expressed. Some people are concerned about fullness in the neck that can be seen with weight gain, due to fat deposition. Others are concerned about laxity of neck skin seen with aging or extensive weight loss. Recontouring of the neck can have a profound aesthetic benefit and many patients will incorporate neck lift surgery with other facial rejuvenation procedures like facelift or rhinoplasty and facial augmentation.

Click here to see patients who have previously undergone a neck lift procedure.

What procedures are available for neck recontouring?

Dr Ross has four different procedures available for patients considering neck recontouring and rejuvenation surgery. In patients with excessive fat deposition in the neck, especially in the anterior neck underneath the chin, suction lipectomy alone, will debulk the neck to achieve an improved neck contour. On occasions this technique will need to be undertaken in conjunction with other procedures to achieve an optimal result. In patients with loose, sagging neck skin as a result of aging or extensive weight loss, direct anterior neck skin excision and recontouring can achieve an improved contour with an inconspicuous neck scar in a relatively quick day surgery procedure with limited downtime. In those patients with weakness of neck musculature causing laxity of the neck, a direct platysma muscle plication procedure through a submental incision below the chin will tighten and rejuvenate the anterior neck, often in conjunction with a submental lipectomy. Finally, in those patients wanting definitive neck recontouring and tightening a formal open neck lift and platysmaplasty, through periauricular incisions is the most optimal approach. This procedure is commonly performed in conjunction with a facelift to give the optimal aesthetic rejuvenation of the face and neck. Usually no additional scars are needed in the anterior neck with this approach.

What can I expect during and after a neck lift procedure?

With the lipectomy, direct excision and platysma plication procedures, these are all undertaken as day surgery cases under general anaesthetic with minimal post-operative downtime and are effective for limited improvements in neck contour. Often a neck support garment is required to be worn for a couple of weeks. With a formal neck lift and platysmaplasty, surgery takes about 2-3 hours and often overnight hospital stay is advised particularly when other procedures are undertaken concurrently. Dressings are worn for 5-7 days and full recovery takes 2-3 weeks, similar to facelift surgery. During that time a neck support garment is recommended to be worn to optimise the aesthetic outcome.
Following surgery patients can expect a good long term result, with a rejuvenated, tighter and recontoured neck. A high satisfaction rate is observed with patients following neck lift surgery.
Please contact our office at Bayside Plastic Surgery to discuss your neck contour concerns, the staff will assist with your queries and arrange a consultation with Dr Ross to do an aesthetic assessment and suggest an appropriate treatment plan that will address your concerns.