When the Problem Is the Brow, Not the Eyelid
Many patients come to our Loveland office believing they need upper eyelid surgery, and sometimes they do. Often, though, the real issue sits about an inch higher. As the brow descends with age, it pushes skin down onto the upper lid, and the eye looks heavy no matter how much lid skin you remove.
A brow lift raises the forehead and brow back toward where they used to sit, which opens the eye and softens the horizontal lines and vertical frown creases that come with it.
That distinction matters, because the right result starts with the right procedure. Dr. Warren Schutte makes that determination in person at your consultation, well before any surgery is scheduled.
What a Brow Lift Corrects
A brow lift addresses the forehead and the tissue above the eyes. It can improve:
- Heavy or descended eyebrows that make the eyes look tired
- Horizontal lines across the forehead
- Vertical frown lines between the brows, the ones people call the elevens
- A resting expression that reads as angry, sad, or exhausted when you feel none of those things
What it won’t do: remove crow’s feet, treat lower lid bags, or tighten the jawline and neck. Those are different procedures with different incisions.
Brow Lift or Eyelid Surgery
These two get confused more than any other pair of facial procedures, and they’re frequently done together. Put simply, a brow lift works above the eyebrow and eyelid surgery works below it. If your brow is in a good position and the excess skin is confined to the lid itself, eyelid surgery is the right answer on its own. If the brow has dropped, lifting the lid without lifting the brow tends to leave the eye looking only slightly better.
Dr. Schutte will tell you which one you need, including when the answer is neither. Some patients get more from a facelift, or from a non-surgical option like Botox for dynamic forehead lines.
Your Hairline and Where the Incision Goes
The incision for a brow lift is usually hidden just behind the hairline, though the procedure can also be performed endoscopically, using an instrument that allows smaller incisions. If you are bald, have a receding hairline, or have had previous upper eyelid surgery, you may assume that rules you out. Usually it does not, and you may still be a good candidate.
Dr. Schutte simply adjusts the approach, moving the incision or performing a more conservative lift to minimize visible scarring. If this is a concern for you, please mention it at your consultation so he can address it directly.
Surgery in Our Own Accredited Suite
Dr. Schutte performs all of his surgeries in our in-office surgical suite on an outpatient basis. This matters for more than convenience. It means a hand-selected surgical team that works together every day, a facility whose standards we set and maintain ourselves, and a familiar place to arrive on the morning of your procedure.
Our accredited surgical suite holds QUAD A Class C accreditation, which requires meeting the most stringent standards for equipment, operating room safety, personnel, and surgeon credentials. General anesthesia, when your procedure calls for it, is provided only by our board-certified anesthesiologists.
Understanding the Risks
Complications after a brow lift are rare and usually minor when a qualified plastic surgeon performs the procedure, but no surgery is without risk, and we want you to understand the possibilities before you decide.
- Loss of sensation along or just beyond the incision, which is common with the classic forehead lift. It’s usually temporary, but in some patients it’s permanent.
- In rare cases, injury to the nerves that control eyebrow movement, on one or both sides, resulting in loss of the ability to raise the eyebrows or wrinkle the forehead. Additional surgery may be required to correct it.
- A broad scar, which is rare, and in some patients hair loss along the scar edges
- Bleeding and infection, both very rare.
Closely following your pre-op and post-op instructions is the most important thing you can do to lower these risks.
Nicotine, Screening, and Healing
If you have used nicotine in the past year, you will need a negative nicotine test before your surgery is scheduled, and a second negative test at your pre-op visit about two weeks before.
Nicotine constricts blood vessels and reduces blood supply to the skin, which a healing forehead incision depends on. This policy exists only for your safety. We know quitting is hard, and our full nicotine policy explains the testing and the help we offer.
Cost and Paying Over Time
Brow lift cost depends on technique, whether it’s combined with another procedure, and the anesthesia your plan requires. You get a personalized estimate at your consultation covering surgeon, anesthesia, and facility fees. We accept major cards, and we offer CareCredit and PatientFi for patients who prefer to pay over time. You can review our current financing options here.
Schedule Your Free Cosmetic Consultation
Dr. Warren Schutte is a board-certified plastic surgeon, and he has practiced in Northern Colorado since 2009. He sees brow lift patients from Loveland, Fort Collins, and across Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska at our Loveland office at 1992 Rocky Mountain Avenue.
Your cosmetic consultation with Dr. Schutte is complimentary, confidential, and educational. You will leave with a clear understanding of what is driving the changes you see and which options fit you. Our goal is a natural result: you, looking rested and like yourself.
