There comes a point in time when we notice that we are physically aging. One of the most common signs of the coming of age is wrinkles. And nobody wants to be seen with wrinkles.

Wrinkles are literally folds in your skin that cause your skin to lose elasticity, thus making you lose the definition and contours of your body. One of the most noticeable places that wrinkles form are the forehead. It’s the largest open part of your face, so hiding wrinkles or any blemishes here is nearly impossible. Fortunately, many plastic surgeons offer a procedure known as a brow lift.

What’s a Brow Lift?

As the name of the procedure suggests, this procedure literally lifts your eyebrows. A wrinkly forehead affects more than just the forehead. The saggy skin can lead your eyebrows to hood over your otherwise lovely eyes! A brow lift pulls up not only the saggy skin on your forehead, but also the hooded eyebrows, restoring a youthful and alert complexion.

Are there different Types of Brow Lifts?

Yes, there are two different types of procedures for a brow lift. One thing they both share is the patient’s choice to have a local or a general anesthetic applied.  A local anesthetic will numb the area in which the surgeon will be operating, but will leave you awake and conscious as to what is happening. For those of us who can’t imagine having a surgery performed while being conscious, a general anesthetic is recommended.

• The first procedure is called an endoscopic incision. Although the name implies that there is only one incision, some practitioners prefer to make multiple smaller cuts. During an endoscopic incision, the surgeon will send an endoscope (a tube with a camera at the end, and special instruments) into any of the cuts to see where the wrinkles are forming. The surgeon can then correct any skin or muscle tissues to correct the wrinkles.

• The other procedure is known as a coronal incision. During this procedure, only one cut is necessary. The surgeon makes an incision that stretches from ear to ear underneath your hair, to hide the scar. Using this method has the advantage of direct visualization so that the surgeon can see with his own eyes how much the skin should be tightened. Over-tightening the skin can also be harmful so be sure to go to a surgeon who knows what they are doing.