Endoscopic Brow Lift

Gravity and our Body

As we get older we find ourselves losing against gravity.  All our external parts tend to follow toward the ground including our eyelids and eyebrows.  Fortunately there are procedures that help us look youthful like the endoscopic brow lift. Our looks are important to us because it affects the way we think about ourselves and react toward others.  Nobody likes to go under surgery, especially if the surgery is not a life saving event but a cosmetic necessity.  What are the risks?  Does the plastic surgeon have enough qualifications or experience?  These are the questions that you have to ask yourself.  To find a reputable surgeon in any field is sometimes a task in itself. People choose surgeries like this because of the need for a dramatic change of the eyes.

Younger Looking Eyes

Our eyes are a communication tool; they are the window to the world.  The eyes are what people fix on when we are conversing and socializing.  The younger the eyes look the better we look. The endoscopic brow lift or sometimes called the forehead lift or eyelift can help the eyes become more presentable and enhance our looks. The eyelids droop when we age; therefore, making us seems a little more like we are angry or even tired.  The surgeon will elevate the brow by moving the eyebrows, separating them from the tissues underneath the skin.  The procedure does not seem to complicated, 3 to 5 incisions are made around the hairline so they remain hidden.  The skin is pulled up, away from the tissues, the muscles are visualized with an endoscope and are manipulated and cut and some may be removed.  The muscles that cause the frown lines are located between the eyebrows, they are called the corrugators.  They are known to be the frowning muscles because of there use during frowning or the expression of suffering.
This method seems to be better than a coronal lift.  Instead of cutting across the forehead and causing a more traumatic shock to the skin and nerves, an endoscope can be used to visualize every muscle, vein and nerve under the skin.  It’s a supposedly more natural lift, a look that brings back a younger version of what you used to be.  The recovery time is much shorter than the traditional facelift.  Of course, the type of surgery that you choose is up to you.
The youthful look that we once possessed becomes ours again because the procedure will lift the brow.  The procedure seems to work well on most people.  Of course, your facial structure, the methodology of the plastic surgeon, his experience and talent all come into play.
Men are beginning to have these procedures performed because of the fast recovery time and the results are effective.   In the business world it is more favorable to hire younger more youthful prospects.   A professional older businessman sometimes might need a younger look to feel better and be accepted in a younger society.  The endoscopic brow lift is better suited for the 40 to 60 year old patients.   It works better for the younger people who don’t need major facial lifts or procedures but cosmetic surgery.

Bruising from Endoscopic Brow Lift

One of the many benefits from the endoscopic brow lift is the recovery time and the minimal bruising from the surgery.  When consulting with your certified plastic surgeon he should be able to discuss, the complications, the risks and or your specific needs.  Ask for pictures so you can see a before and after results.  It would be a good idea to visualize what kind of bruising occurs and how long it will last.  Make-up can cover the bruising until the healing is finished.

Pain from the procedure is described as minimal to moderate and swelling and bruising does occur also.  Of course pain tolerance is different from one person to another.  Usually healing occurs between 5 to 10 days.
If you ask one person on a scale of one (1) to ten (10) what is your pain like?  They might say a five (5).  Another individual might describe that same pain as a nine (9).   Discuss your pain tolerance with your plastic surgeon and find out what the doctors previous patients also said.  The incisions made will probably be sutured so they will have to be taken out too.  So the results of a brow lift have to be weighed.  Do you want to sacrifice time and pain for a better looking less tired look, or do you want to forgo the procedure and keep your current look.
The Coronal lift is still used for eyebrow lifting, but seems to be a more traumatic surgery, since the cut is made across the forehead, either at or behind the hairline from ear to ear. The numbness may be more pronounced since less care is taken to avoid the nerves. One or two Centimeters of skin is removed from the top of the forehead and then sown together to give the eyebrows its lifted look.  Also the muscles are manipulated to give a better look.  Bruising and swelling still takes place.

Ask your Surgeon
Your plastic surgeon might give you some pointers for before and after your endoscopic lift.  For instance you might be told what medications you should avoid and which ones to take.  You should ask if there might be any severe bruising after the surgery and will there be any bandaging present.   Find out when you need to come back for consultation and when you can take off any bandages that were applied.   Ask about the swelling and if an ice pack will help or relieve the pain.  Do you need to rest or do you need to keep a moderately active lifestyle?   Your muscles in your face are used for so many expressions.  It is easy to forget that we use them so often.  Expressing your self in the usual manner may be a little painful and any extreme laughing may not be advised.

Always get two or three opinions about any surgery.  You should be informed to the best of your ability and ask many questions.  Pick a qualified surgeon who is successful and has your best interests at heart.  Don’t be pushed into any surgery, gather your information and discuss it with your family or friends.  The bruising, swelling and pain may be a minor nuisance to a beautiful set of eyes.

More About the Endoscopic Lift

Look Younger

Everyone wants to look just ten years younger.  Look at your picture albums and notice the changes.  Usually around very 4 to 5 years we seem to age noticeably.  With new technologies we are always looking for new ways to look younger with a smoother appearance. Can we take ten years away from our looks?  Drooping sagging eyelids, wrinkles in the forehead and sagging necks all attribute to the way we look and how we feel about ourselves.  An endoscopic lift may be the answer.

The Small Effective Endoscope

Endoscopic procedures have increased since its explosion in the late 1990s. A small  camera called the endoscope is used to visualize internal body parts.  Historically the scopes have been used for knee surgeries, spinal surgeries, bladder, kidneys, bronchi, larynx ear and abdomen. They can be rigid or flexible.  With evolving technologies, now plastic surgeons we are using this tool to reshape and implement reconstructive surgery and in doing so improving the look of the face.   The endoscope is equipped with a small camera with a light that the doctor can see through a television screen or monitor.  Tools such as cutters and Endoscopic Facelift Elevators are held externally and they can be manipulated internally at the doctors’ discretion. The elevator simply lifts the skin up and away from the skull giving the surgeon room to maneuver his scope and cutter easily.

Small Cuts May be the Answer

Unlike the Coronal lift that makes a long cut across the forehead ear to ear, small incisions are made, typically 3 to 5- usually one to two centimeter in size.  These incisions are made for gaining access to underneath the skin. The incisions are minimally invasive, typically put at the hairline or some indiscreet area so they fade quickly making a more natural appearance to the skin and for better healing.   The tools that are used are brought underneath the skin; they cut the muscles, tissues and, caughterize veins.   Muscles that are causing frown lines are minimally cut and at the same time nerves are bypassed and saved.
Of course finding a surgeon that does quality work is important.  If the procedure is performed correctly it should last a long time.  Facial lifts with an endoscope are relatively new so there really hasn’t been a long term study on the lasting effects of the surgery.  Long coronal incisions across the scalp are not used with the endoscopic lift, therefore; on the positive note discomfort and numbness for the patient is decreased or somewhat eliminated.
There are different types of lifts. They are the brow lift or eyelift, the midface lift and the neck lift.  The endoscope is very useful tool and coupled with other tools you can easily see results that bring a more youthful appearance.