Gravity and the stresses of life don’t go on vacation. They don’t take a leave of absence. They keep on keepin’ on, working to make your skin droop and sag. While its effects show themselves all over your body, on your forehead they can be especially telling. And they can give other people the wrong impression.

Do you find that people ask you if you’re tired or angry often, even when you slept like a baby and are whistling a happy tune? It may be time for a brow lift with Dr. Barrera.

Since brow lifts target the upper third of the face, the procedure can be combined with other surgeries such as blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to expand their scope.

Can you use a brow lift?

Sagging brows can be simply a fact of age, or due to your genes. Most of Dr. Barrera’s brow lift patients are between the ages of 40 and 60 and feature lined or inelastic skin on their foreheads.

Here’s a simple test to get an idea of if you could benefit from a brow lift. Stand in front of the mirror and place the palms of your hands to the sides of your eyes above the eyebrows. Now pull the skin back from the eyes. This raising of the forehead is what the brow lift will do.

Two techniques to a younger forehead

Dr. Barrera performs brow lifts with two techniques: the traditional brow lift or the endoscopic brow lift. He prefers the endoscopic method, but in your consultation the two of you will decide if that method fits your needs.

• Endoscopic brow lift — In this method, Dr. Barrera makes from three to five short incisions, each less than one inch, behind the hairline. He then inserts an endoscope into one of the incisions. The endoscope enables him to see beneath the skin without making the long incision of the traditional method (see below). Through the other incisions he then lifts the skin, removes tissue, and adjusts muscles as needed.
• Traditional brow lift — Before endoscopes, this was the only method of performing a brow lift. This method uses a coronal incision that stretches from just above the ear across the top of the forehead and down to the other ear. The incision is made within hairline but may be placed further back to minimize visibility in patients with thinning hair. Next, the forehead skin is lifted, tissue removed, muscles adjusted, and the eyebrows may be lifted. Dr. Barrera trims any excess skin and then closes the incision with stitches or clips.

With both methods, there will be numbness and discomfort at the incision sites. Numbness will give way to itching as the forehead heals. This usually passes within six months.

If you find yourself being asked what you’re mad about even though nothing’s bothering you, it may be time to look in the mirror and consider a brow lift with Dr. Barrera. Call us at (713) 468-5200 to schedule a consultation.