A forehead lift, also called a brow lift, is a surgical procedure that raises sagging eyebrows and smooths deep wrinkles across the upper third of the face. It works by repositioning the muscles, skin, and underlying tissues of the forehead to restore a more open, refreshed appearance above the eyes. The average surgeon’s fee is $5,460, though total costs run higher once anesthesia and facility fees are included.
What a Forehead Lift Corrects
As you age, the skin and soft tissues of your forehead gradually descend. The brow drops lower over the eye sockets, deep horizontal lines form across the forehead, and vertical creases (sometimes called “11 lines”) develop between the eyebrows. A heavy, low brow can make you look tired, angry, or older than you feel, even when you’re well-rested.
A forehead lift addresses all of these changes at once. The surgeon removes excess skin and fat, lifts the brow to a higher position, and can partially remove the small muscles responsible for frown lines and forehead creases. Specifically, the muscles that pull your brows downward and inward are stripped or divided during surgery. Removing portions of these muscles reduces the repetitive contractions that create deep wrinkles over time, so the results go beyond simply tightening skin.
Who Is a Good Candidate
The best candidates for an endoscopic (minimally invasive) forehead lift tend to be younger patients, roughly between 30 and 40, who have a relatively small amount of skin laxity and early brow drooping. Older patients with thicker skin, significant asymmetry, or a high hairline may be better suited to a different technique, such as a direct brow lift, which places the incision right along the eyebrow itself.
Many people who think they need upper eyelid surgery actually have a drooping brow pushing excess skin onto their lids. In practice, surgeons frequently perform a forehead lift and upper eyelid surgery together to address both the brow position and any true eyelid skin excess. If you’ve noticed your upper eyelids feeling heavier or your field of vision shrinking at the top, a brow lift may be part of the solution.
Types of Surgical Techniques
Several approaches exist, and the right one depends on your anatomy, hairline, and how much correction you need.
- Endoscopic lift: The most common modern approach. The surgeon makes a few small incisions behind the hairline and uses a tiny camera and thin instruments to reposition the forehead tissues from underneath. Scarring is minimal, and recovery is faster than older methods. Results tend to be longer lasting than open approaches.
- Coronal lift: The traditional technique. A single incision runs from ear to ear across the top of the scalp. This provides the most dramatic lifting but is more invasive, carries a higher risk of numbness along the scalp, and is less commonly performed today.
- Pretrichial (hairline) lift: The incision is placed right along the front edge of the hairline. This is a good option for people with a naturally high forehead, since it avoids raising the hairline further.
- Temporal (lateral) lift: Incisions are made in the temple area to lift primarily the outer portion of the brow. This targets the tail of the eyebrow, which is often the first area to droop.
- Direct brow lift: The incision sits directly above the eyebrow. Best for men with thick brows and baldness or a high hairline, where scalp incisions would be visible. Also useful when significant asymmetry needs correction.
What Recovery Looks Like
The first week is the most uncomfortable. Swelling and bruising develop across the forehead and brows, sometimes extending below the eyes. Keeping your head elevated, applying soft gel packs, and resting are the main priorities during days one through seven.
By the end of the first week into the second week, swelling and bruising improve noticeably. Sutures come out around this time, and you can start wearing light makeup. Gentle walking is encouraged to promote circulation.
Driving typically becomes possible two to three weeks after surgery, once you’re off prescription pain medication and your mobility feels normal. By three to four weeks, most people can resume light daily activities with few restrictions. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting usually wait longer, often six weeks or more, depending on your surgeon’s guidance. Final results continue to refine over several months as residual swelling fully resolves.
Risks and Complications
Forehead lifts are generally safe, but they carry the same baseline risks as any surgery performed under anesthesia. The most notable risks specific to this procedure involve the nerves that run through the forehead.
Loss of sensation around the incision sites is the most common nerve-related issue, particularly with the coronal technique. This numbness is usually temporary but can become permanent in some cases. Less commonly, injury to the motor nerves that control eyebrow movement can occur, potentially causing an inability to raise one or both eyebrows or wrinkle the forehead. If this happens, corrective surgery may be needed.
Other possible complications include hair thinning or loss near incision lines, asymmetry in brow height, infection, and scarring. Smoking significantly increases the risk of poor healing, which is why surgeons require patients to stop well before the procedure.
Non-Surgical Alternatives
If surgery feels like too big a step, injectable treatments can provide a modest lift. Botox and similar products work by relaxing the muscles that pull the brow downward, allowing the muscles that elevate the brow to work unopposed. The result is a subtle lift of a few millimeters, compared to a centimeter or more from surgery. Effects last three to six months before the treatment needs repeating.
Dermal fillers placed just beneath the brow can add volume that creates the appearance of a lifted, fuller brow area. Some practitioners combine injectables with laser treatments that tighten forehead skin for a more noticeable effect. These options work best for mild drooping and fine lines. They won’t replicate the degree of correction that surgery provides, but they’re a reasonable starting point for someone exploring their options or not yet ready for a surgical procedure.
How Long Results Last
A surgical forehead lift produces results that last for years. The exact duration varies by technique, skin quality, and genetics, but most patients can expect the improvement to hold for roughly five to ten years before gravity and continued aging gradually soften the effect. The muscles that were partially removed during surgery don’t grow back, so deep frown lines between the brows are less likely to return to their original severity. Non-surgical treatments, by contrast, require maintenance appointments every few months to sustain even their more modest results.