The forehead is one of the first areas of the face to show signs of aging. This is due to most facial expressions causing movement in the brow area. To help tighten lax skin and smooth deep wrinkles, Dr. Scott Miller performs the forehead lift, also known as the brow lift. This procedure can create a younger-looking appearance, often rejuvenating not only the brow and forehead, but also the upper eyelid and outer-eye areas.

Traditionally, the forehead lift was performed using an incision that extended from one ear to the other. Dr. Miller performs the endoscopic forehead lift, which is a less invasive approach that only involves making a few small incisions to gain access to the underlying facial structure. Through these tiny openings, he can visualize the area and modify the muscles and soft tissues to create a more youthful aesthetic.

Dr. Scott Miller is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is highly trained in plastic surgery of the face, having studied under the acclaimed Dr. Bruce F. Connell in an aesthetic surgery fellowship. In addition, Dr. Miller has written a textbook chapter on the endoscopic forehead lift technique.

What is a Brow Lift?
Brow Lift Benefits
Brow Lift Candidates
Brow Lift Procedure
Brow Lift Recovery
Brow Lift Results
Brow Lift Scars
Brow Lift Cost
Non-Surgical Brow Lift
Brow Lift Alternatives
Brow Lift Safety
Choosing a Brow Lift Surgeon
Brow Lift FAQ

What is a Brow Lift?

A brow lift is performed to reduce premature aging in the upper face by redraping the brow and relaxing musculature for a brighter, more youthful appearance. Over time, you may notice that your eyebrows have descended and appear droopy, or that the wrinkles on the forehead have deepened and become more pronounced, giving off an irritated or anxious expression. Unfortunately, tissue relaxation and expression lines are an inevitable effect of the aging process that can make you look stressed, tired, or even angry. A forehead lift is designed to smooth brow creases and restore the youthful positioning of the eyebrows. This procedure is often performed in conjunction with eyelid surgery to simultaneously treat lax skin and fine lines around the eyes.

What are the Benefits of a Brow Lift?

Signs of aging in the brow and upper face can not only make you look older, but also tend to convey unpleasant emotions like anger, stress, dissatisfaction, and tiredness. Unfortunately, these concerns typically mask a bright and energetic appearance, no matter how lively you may actually be feeling. A brow lift can be very powerful in alleviating these issues by:

Lifting sagging brows and lax tissue
Improving the appearance of frown lines
Smoothing brow creases
Restoring the brows to a more youthful location

With an endoscopic approach, patients at Miller Cosmetic Surgery also enjoy a less invasive procedure, shorter incisions, less extensive scarring, and a relatively faster healing period when compared to traditional brow lift techniques. Dr. Miller will explain the entire procedure during your consultation, helping ensure you have a well-informed understanding of the risks and limitations associated with brow lift surgery.

Who is a Good Candidate for a Brow Lift?

To determine if a forehead lift is right for you, Dr. Miller will evaluate your facial structure and discuss what you hope to achieve from surgery. Should you prove to be a good candidate, you both will begin planning the specifics of your procedure to ensure you receive beautifully natural rejuvenation. If you’re considering brow lift surgery, it’s important to be:

In good health
A non-smoker, or willing to quit smoking
Realistic about what the procedure can achieve
Positive about the potential outcome of surgery

Patients who can benefit from a brow lift typically struggle with deep horizontal and vertical frown lines, lax tissue in the forehead, eyebrows that have descended, or looking tired/unhappy. Depending on your unique needs, Dr. Miller may recommend an additional procedure, such as a facelift or eyelid surgery, to help create a more balanced look.

How is the Endoscopic Brow Lift Procedure Performed?

To begin your endoscopic forehead lift, Dr. Miller will make approximately three small incisions behind your hairline, through which he will insert the tiny surgical tools to address the brow area. With this advanced technology, Dr. Miller alters the underlying muscles and soft tissues to appear smoother and tighter while maintaining a natural look. He then repositions the brows to create a subtly refreshed appearance.

What is Brow Lift Recovery Like?

Patients are walking around within the first days following forehead lift surgery, and discomfort can be controlled with medication. Sutures and fixation come out in about one week. Swelling and bruising are normal throughout this time and these side effects should gradually recede over the first week to 10 days. Since the procedure is performed endoscopically whenever possible, there is less swelling and patients experience an overall improved recovery period.

How Long Does a Brow Lift Last?

The procedure cannot stop the natural aging process, but results from a brow lift can be very enduring and last as long as 10 to 15 years. That said, it’s not uncommon for patients to experience decades-long rejuvenation, especially when a brow lift is paired with a proper regimen of high-quality skin care products. Dr. Miller advises daily use of sun protection to minimize skin laxity as much as possible, and help preserve the outcome of a brow lift. If you start to notice the reformation of wrinkles and creases along the brow, BOTOX^® Cosmetic can be utilized as necessary to “touch up” your brow lift results.

Will I Have Visible Scars From a Brow Lift?

One of the main benefits of an endoscopic brow lift with Dr. Miller is that scars are completely hidden behind the hairline, leaving no visible scarring from the procedure. Unlike a traditional brow lift, the endoscopic technique requires only three small incisions to smooth and reposition the underlying tissues of the face. These incisions can heal discreetly for scars that remain undetectable to outside observers.

How Much Does a Brow Lift Cost?

A brow lift varies in price depending on your unique needs and the aesthetic that you’re hoping to achieve. While it is impossible to estimate the price of the procedure without evaluating your concerns, factors that may influence your brow lift expenses include:

Your needs and treatment goals
The surgical technique used
The overall complexity of the procedure

Rest assured that our Patient Care Coordinator will provide you with a personalized quote of your brow lift costs after your personal consultation with Dr. Miller. To make the price of surgery more amenable to your budgetary concerns, our practice accepts plastic surgery financing through CareCredit^®. This healthcare lending institution offers qualified applicants a variety of payment plans with low monthly installments, as well as low- to no-interest rates so you can pay for your surgery over time, rather than in a lump sum. Please reach out to our office to speak to a friendly member of our team if you would like to learn more about the cost of a brow lift.

Is a Brow Lift with BOTOX^® Cosmetic Possible?

BOTOX^® Cosmetic can achieve some of the goals of a brow lift, but there is generally no non-surgical technique that can match the effective and long-lasting rejuvenation provided by a forehead lift. That said, many patients use BOTOX^® Cosmetic to temporarily smooth creases in the forehead and reduce frown lines between the brows. This injectable treatment can work to refresh the upper third of the face by diminishing wrinkles, but drooping eyebrows and lax facial tissue cannot be addressed with a non-surgical brow lift.

Are There Alternatives to Brow Lift Surgery?

A brow lift refreshes the upper-third of the face, but many patients find they’re also bothered by skin laxity in the lower face and neck. If your goals include attaining a sharper neck and jawline, you may consider a facelift and neck lift to regain more youthful contours. This procedure can take years off your appearance, even allowing you to look ten years younger than your actual age.

Alternatively, our practice also offers BOTOX^® Cosmetic and DAXXIFY^® frown line treatment for those seeking a non-surgical technique to smooth deep glabellar wrinkles between the eyebrows. Delivered in the form of in-office injections, DAXXIFY^® has shown to be highly effective in reducing frown lines for as long as six to nine months. Similarly, BOTOX^® Cosmetic can also diminish crow’s feet, brow creases, and frown lines, but the results typically last only two to four months. Laser skin resurfacing and microneedling treatments can also enhance the tone and texture of your skin, making your complexion firmer, healthier, and more radiant. Our team can recommend the best treatments for you based on your unique needs and preferences.

Is a Brow Lift Safe?

Brow lift surgery has been safely and successfully performed on patients for many decades. While all procedures have their risks, the likelihood of complications can be greatly reduced by selecting a skilled plastic surgeon who frequently performs a brow lift and who can confirm that you’re a good candidate for surgery. San Diego patients interested in a brow lift should generally be in good health and have no uncontrolled medical conditions. At Dr. Miller’s practice, the safety and satisfaction of those who visit our office are our top priorities. We operate in a fully accredited surgical center and our medical team consists of certified nurses, board-certified anesthesiologists, and other qualified healthcare professionals to ensure you’re receiving the highest standard of care.

If you have any questions about the safety of a brow lift, please don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller so you both can discuss your concerns. Dr. Miller will answer your questions and thoroughly explain the brow lift procedure, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether the benefits outweigh the risks.

How to Select the Right Brow Lift Surgeon

When it comes to facial rejuvenation, it’s essential to choose a plastic surgeon who is well-equipped to restore a more youthful appearance without creating a tight or “over-pulled” look in the face. The following tips can help you gauge whether a prospective brow lift surgeon is the best person to achieve your aesthetic goals:

Review a surgeon’s credentials and research their training. Learning about a plastic surgeon’s educational background, professional memberships, and accolades can help you assess the breadth of their experience performing brow lift surgery. Dr. Miller’s training includes a highly sought-after aesthetic surgery fellowship with Dr. Bruce F. Connell—a leader in the field of facial plastic surgery—that gave him the tools to utilize advanced facial rejuvenation techniques during a brow lift.
Choose a plastic surgeon who is uniquely qualified to perform brow lift surgery. To achieve the best possible outcome in cosmetic surgery, you should select a surgeon with distinguished expertise performing your procedure of interest. Dr. Miller is not only a clinical instructor who educates other surgeons on proper endoscopic (minimal scar) technique, he has also authored a medical textbook chapter discussing the endoscopic brow lift.
Compare previous patients’ results with your ideal aesthetic outcome. Exploring before-and-after photos in a plastic surgeon’s portfolio can be the best indication of what can be achieved with a brow lift. Be sure to weigh the outcomes in their cosmetic surgery photo gallery against your surgical expectations, and determine whether your desired aesthetic is consistent with their previous work.
Select a brow lift surgeon who provides outstanding levels of care. Your comfort throughout the entire plastic surgery process is also an important determination that should inform your search for a brow lift surgeon. Read online reviews to gain an idea of a plastic surgeon’s bedside manner and—when you’re ready—schedule a consultation with him or her to find out whether or not you feel confident under their care.

Additional Brow Lift FAQs

Is a brow lift for men different from a brow lift for women?

As one of the more popular male facial plastic surgery procedures, a brow lift can be an excellent treatment option to reclaim a brighter, more youthful look for men and women alike. Dr. Miller will always take the natural character of your face into account when performing a brow lift, but the general endoscopic techniques utilized during surgery are the same for both men and women. Ultimately, each brow lift procedure is personalized to achieve a natural and refined outcome according to a patient’s specific needs and aesthetic goals.

Does insurance cover a brow lift?

Insurance providers typically don’t offer coverage for cosmetic procedures like a brow lift, but our practice does accept patient financing from CareCredit^® if you would like to pay in smaller, more manageable installments. CareCredit^® provides qualified patients with several low- to no-interest payment options for elective healthcare services, which is why these financing plans are frequently utilized for aesthetic treatments and procedures.

Can a brow lift be combined with other procedures?

Yes, a brow lift is commonly combined with other facial plastic surgery procedures to further reduce signs of aging along the entire length of the face. Since brow lift surgery only treats the upper facial planes, many patients also opt to undergo blepharoplasty, a facelift, and/or a neck lift to restore a taut, youthful look throughout.

How soon can I work out after a brow lift?

Exercise, strenuous activity, and heavy lifting should generally be avoided for at least four weeks after your procedure, or until Dr. Miller instructs otherwise. While every patient heals at a unique rate, you can be confident that Dr. Miller will monitor your progress during your follow-up appointments and advise you on when you can safely resume exercise. Once Dr. Miller clears you to do so, it’s often helpful to start out with light exercise and progressively work your way towards more intense workouts as you assess how your body responds.

After a forehead lift, patients appear well-rested and more youthful. If you would like to learn more about the endoscopic procedure, please contact us to schedule your consultation with Dr. Miller.