Forehead Lift

This information has been assembled to familiarize you with the facts regarding forehead lift surgery. You are requested to read the following information thoroughly and to discuss any questions which might arise with your surgeon before you proceed with the surgical procedure known as forehead lift.

Introduction

Most people feel physically and mentally vigorous and energetic long after their appearance has begun to deteriorate due to aging. A forehead lift procedure is designed to provide you with a rejuvenated appearance. The degree of improvement achieved depends on the severity of the initial deformity and the age of the patient.

As aging progresses, skin wrinkling and loss of tone can occur in the forehead area causing sagging of the brow resulting in a tired or sad look and aggravating the appearance of excess skin in the upper eyelids. Deep frown lines and wrinkles can also form compromising the appearance of the forehead region. The forehead lift procedure is designed to improve these deformities caused by age and heredity.

A forehead lift may be beneficial whenever you have too much sagging of the brow or forehead. In a younger patient with minimal sagging, the degree of improvement will be subtle, but frequently the result is extremely satisfying to the patient caring about personal appearance.

This is considered to be a major operative procedure. Contrary to popular belief and despite newspaper and magazine stories, this is not as simple as having your hair set or having a facial. Also, contrary to many of the non-medical reports, it is not possible to remove all the folds and eliminate all the wrinkles of the forehead, regardless of the treatment applied.

You must realize that your surgeon will perform the procedure safely to provide a natural result for your particular facial contour. The forehead lift procedure is directed toward improvement and does not remove each and every wrinkle or fold of the forehead. The type of skin, the age and the aging rate of each patient are factors that help determine your final result.

A common question regarding a forehead lift is, "How long will it last?" This is impossible to state for a given individual, as there are many factors involved: The amount of skin removed, the age of the patient, the patient's type of skin, healing ability, changes in weight, smoking history and general health of the patient. Skin aging continues after any operation. This surgical procedure merely turns back the aging process; it cannot stop the "hands of time".

Regardless of how tightly the forehead skin is pulled, aging and stretching of the skin begins to occur immediately after the operation. It is usual to see some recurrence of brow drooping within three months of the operation. You can look forward to some degree of improvement permanently. Most patients have sufficient improvement following a forehead lift which keeps them looking younger than their friends forever. However, you may choose to have another forehead lift in future years to maintain a more youthful appearance.

To maximize the degree of rejuvenation, many patients will choose to undergo a face lift and/or eyelid procedure at the same operative sitting.

Call Dr. Gerlach's office at 310-540-0144 for a complimentary consultation.