Eyebrow / forehead

The goal

The goal is to optimize your appearance without appearing essentially different. Some knowledge of behavioural psychology is vital and that is exactly where the expertise of NaturalFaces lies. A woman with a relatively high eyebrow position is seen as frank and reliable, while a man with a relatively low eyebrow position is perceived as decisive for instance. So gender and knowing your preferred appearance are the most important guidelines for choosing the right procedure.

The method

An eyebrow lift can be performed in various ways, varying from the removal of some skin immediately above the eyebrows (the so-called direct eyebrow lift), or a lift from only the tail of the eyebrow (temporal or transpalpebral brow lift) to the so-called endoscopic forehead lift. The latter variation is the most preferred method, as it combines the smallest scars with the most diversity in achieving the desired position. The endoscopic forehead lift is “keyhole” surgery that is performed through only two very limited incisions that fall within the hairline.

Most of the time the brow or forehead lift will be performed in combination with a correction of the upper eyelids. Reason for this is that both lie adjacent to each other and have, for obvious reasons, been subject to the same degree of wear and tear. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis.

All the steps of an eyebrow correction

All the phases of a correction of the position of the eyebrow are explained below in more detail. My recommendation would be that you read this information carefully and contact us if any questions arise. I wish you a good recovery!

The preparation

• You should not take medication that makes your blood thinner, this increases the risk of bleeding. Therefore, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, Brufen, Ibuprofen and Nurofen should be stopped two weeks before surgery, up until to two weeks after the procedure.
• Ask us in advance if you have any doubts about the safety of your current medication regarding the operation.
• If you smoke, it is strongly recommended that you quit two weeks before to at least a week after the surgery. Smoking restricts blood flow, which may prevent proper wound healing.
• Make sure someone is able to pick you up after your surgery, because you can't drive home (also you’re not insured) if you’ve just undergone surgery.
• We advise you to shop for your groceries in advance, so that you don’t have to do this immediately after the operation.
• We also advise you to arrange for some help at home for the first few days after surgery.
• Make sure you get the prescription eye drops and gel before your surgery date.

The forehead lift procedure

• Please come to the surgery without makeup or contact lenses in.
• On the day of the operation, I’ll see you right before the operation and I will briefly go through the whole procedure with you again.
• I will make some skin markings where I will perform the operation and take pictures to record the preoperative situation.
• The operation will be performed in a fully equipped operating room, adhering to the strictest medical rules and guidelines.
• The operation is generally be performed under sedation anaesthesia, which is always well tolerated. You’ll receive a sleeping aid through an IV, which means that you will be dreaming during the procedure.
• Two incisions will be made just within the hairline. You won’t be able to see them once healed and most people are not bothered by it much. If the procedure is combined with an upper eyelid correction, an incision will also be made there. See the page on the procedure of an upper eyelid correction.
• The operation takes 60 minutes.
• The cuts in the hair are closed with staples, because this does not hurt the hair roots and therefore the scars are able to heal better and become less visible. You may experience a slight stretching sensation here in the first weeks after the procedure.
• At the end of the procedure, a lightly pressing bandage is applied, which must be left on until the morning after the procedure.

After the procedure

• After the operation you will be taken to our recovery room. Your forehead and eyelids will be cooled there to reduce the initial swelling as much as possible.
• Once the local anaesthetic has worn off (after 2-4 hours), you may experience some discomfort for a few hours. Paracetamol (2x500mg) is usually sufficient.
• In the beginning it slowly swells and (sometimes) some bruising develops. Regular cooling of your eyelids will help keep this swelling to a minimum. The swelling will increase for the first three days before it subsides. Cooling therefore makes most sense during the first 3 days.
• In the beginning your eyes can sometimes feel a bit dry. If you notice this, it is wise to support your eyes with the help of some eye drops (or ointment before going to sleep). You will receive a prescription for eye drops and eye ointment before the operation and have to make sure you collect them beforehand.
• Avoid bending or lifting heavy things in the first few days. During this period it is sometimes nice to sleep with an extra pillow so that your head is slightly higher, so the swelling will decrease faster.
• You’ll notice that you can do many things in your daily life, but you are simply somewhat limited by the swelling. For example, your eyes are just easily tired and you will have to adjust your pace accordingly. If you don’t do this, the process will be more troubling than is necessary.
• We’ll make an appointment for a week after the operation. We’ll check up on the wound and the patches and the stitches of the eyelids. From this moment onwards using make-up is possible again.
• By this time the swelling and bruising, if any, have usually returned to an acceptable level that allows social activities to resume. Sometimes, however, these side effects take longer to disappear completely. We therefore recommend that you do not plan really important social activities in the first 3 weeks after the procedure.
• We also recommend that you avoid any heavy physical activities in the first 2 weeks.
• You will get a second appointment two weeks after the procedure, when the staples of the scars on top of the head will be removed. This is done with special pliers; people generally don’t notice a lot.
• You will notice a varying feeling of tightness in your forehead and upper eyelid,
• which often lasts for several weeks, but then slowly disappears. Massaging the scars with a silicone gel made for scars, such as Dermatrix, can relieve this feeling.
• The scar will be slightly red compared to the surrounding area. This will last for approximately 3-4 months. This is mostly visible at the side of the eyelids. You can use makeup to camouflage this.
• A scar usually takes a year to fully settle and heal. During this period it is vulnerable to damage from UV light, such as from sunlight or sunbeds. We recommend that you protect the scars from the sun by covering them or applying a sunscreen (factor 50).
• Most people only need one eyebrow correction. Realize that after the procedure, the aging process will continue as normal and that slack structures will slowly sink even after repositioning. Fortunately, in practice, this rarely leads to the same problems.