Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)
What is a brow lift?
Also known as a forehead lift, a brow lift is a surgical procedure performed to reduce signs of aging in the forehead area. It aims to remove or minimize deep horizontal creases across the forehead and bridge of the nose, and the frown lines between the eyebrows. It also lifts the eyebrows, making the eyes look more open.
The forehead lift procedure
Brow-lift surgery usually takes about one to two hours to perform, and takes place at a hospital, an office-based surgical suite, or an ambulatory center. Either general anesthesia or intravenous sedation is used. Depending on the surgical technique used, one long incision or a series of small incisions is made. Tissue and muscle underneath the skin are moved or repositioned as necessary.
Dr. R. Brannon Claytor
Dr. Claytor is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and holds over 20 years of experience as a cosmetic plastic surgeon. An innovator and teacher in the field of plastic surgery, he uses advanced techniques like the drain-free tummy tuck and deep plane facelift to streamline recovery and provide natural-looking, durable results.
Types of brow lifts
There are different types of brow lift procedures:
The coronal lift
Also referred to as the “traditional lift” is the most common type of brow lift. It involves an ear to ear incision. The downside to this type of procedure is a very large and potentially noticeable scar. This may also result in areas of numbness on the scalp.
The endoscopic brow lift
The endoscopic brow lift is a minimally invasive alternative to the coronal lift that uses 3–5 small incisions hidden within the hairline rather than a long ear-to-ear incision. Dr. Claytor inserts a tiny camera through one incision to guide specialized instruments that release, lift, and reposition brow tissues—securing them with dissolvable anchors or sutures. Dr. Claytor and his Philadelphia endoscopic brow lift patients love that this technique preserves the natural hairline position. Dr. Claytor can also perform this procedure under local anesthesia for patients who prefer to avoid general anesthesia.
Show video transcript
Endoscopic brow lift. What is it? How does it work? How do you do it? Patients will come in and they’ll say, “Dr. Claytor, my brow, I would like to have it lifted. How do we do this?” We mark where it is that they want it lifted. We make tiny little incisions up in the scalp so you don’t see them. Often times, we’ll make another tiny little incision here. What I do is I go in with my scope and I’m able to elevate the tissue and look around and do all the releasing. And I’m looking and releasing. This is a very very dense area of adhesion right along the lateral brow and it is essential to release that area so that you get a really really good desirable brow lift that stays for a long time. That’s one of the frustrations with a brow lift is that they drop down over time. So you’re coming in with a scope and that’s what allows you to do this very minimally invasively. In the old days we would make big incisions across here right at the hairline and I think they were just impossible to hide that scar and I think there was a lot of stigmata with that.
So after you’ve used the scope to elevate everything and release everything, now you come in with your drill. A lot of times we do this on patients who are awake, which is interesting. They really have no concept where we’re doing this because the skull region is an area that is insensate once you’re down to the skull. So they don’t feel it at all. So we engage the drill. When we turn the handle, the drill bit spins around. It does not go all the way through. It just goes through the outer cortex of the skull. And that allows us to then be able to place the endotine, which is an absorbable piece of material with these little hooks on it that we’re able to place right into the skull. We lift the brow, set it where we want it, and then we set it down on these endotines. And so it’s a little triangular shaped device that sits in there and it gives amazing fixation that stays in place until this dissolves, which is about 6 to 9 months away.
Sometimes patients can feel it and that’s why it’s important to put it up in the hairline. If you put it too far down onto the area of the scalp that does not have hair, you might see these little bumps. So, you put it up in the hairline so it’s basically invisible. And you can comb your hair and do everything else. And then there are a few little stitches that go right in the area of access. And you want to talk to the patient and say, “Where do you want your brow lifted?” Cuz some people want it lifted centrally, some people want it lifted laterally. And so you can migrate or move this when you first put it in to determine where you want to get the greatest lift.
If you wanted a lateral lift, a lot of times patients will come in and say, “I’m looking for those fox eyes.” That’s a really big concept today. So you need to go down here and release all of the lateral canthal retaining ligaments here. You want to let go all of these so that now the corner of the eye can come up. And this can be done through the brow lift incisions. It’s a fantastic technique. Sometimes patients don’t want to have that much elevation. Other times patients are looking for that. That’s why it’s so important to ask patients, what are you after? What are you looking for? What’s your interest? These are all the things that are possible with the endoscopic brow lift procedure.
As a recap, here we are with the scope. We can enter in here and this can give us visualization of all these different areas. So we can come in and be visualizing here while we come in with an instrument that we can use to do all the dissection and release all of the attachments. That’s the power of these small incisions through a scope. Endoscopic brow lift. Fantastic technique to elevate the upper third of the face. Hope you found this helpful.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Endoscopic Brow Lift?
The endoscopic brow lift technique works best for patients with mild to moderate brow descent, horizontal forehead lines, or frown lines who have good skin elasticity and adequate forehead height. Patients with severe brow ptosis may achieve better correction with a traditional or mini brow lift. Combining this procedure with upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) can produce especially dramatic rejuvenation of the entire upper face.
Endoscopic Brow Lift Recovery and Results
Recovery after an endoscopic brow lift in Philadelphia is generally faster than traditional brow lift approaches, with most patients returning to light activity within 5–7 days. The results are a more alert, refreshed appearance with softened forehead lines and an elevated brow, and they typically last 7–10 years. It is important to note that while this technique is much less invasive, the downside is that it may not provide as much lift as a more invasive technique.
- Read more about Dr. Claytor’s endoscopic brow lift »
Mini brow lift
If neither the coronal lift or endoscopic brow lift sound right for you, you may opt for a mini brow lift. This involves incisions at four transition regions in the upper lateral brow. This dissection is similar to the coronal lift, without the incisions crossing the central four head. This decreases the risk for an exposed, visible scar. The final result will be towards the lateral brow which is often where the most significant elevation is necessary.
Ideal brow lift candidates
If you have facial atrophy and loss of vertical lift to the forehead you may be an excellent candidate for brow lift surgery.
- Key Benefits
- Glossary
- Improved Appearance: A brow lift can elevate sagging eyebrows, reducing forehead wrinkles and frown lines, resulting in a more youthful and refreshed facial appearance.
- Enhanced Eye Contour: It can create a more alert and open eye appearance by repositioning the brows, making the eyes look larger and brighter.
- Minimized Forehead Wrinkles: By smoothing out forehead wrinkles and creases, a brow lift can contribute to a smoother, more youthful forehead.
- Alleviated Drooping Eyelids: In some cases, a brow lift can address mild to moderate eyelid drooping, improving vision and overall aesthetics.
- Long-lasting Results: Brow lift surgery offers long-lasting results, reducing the need for frequent touch-ups or temporary solutions like Botox.
- Customizable: Dr. Claytor can tailor the procedure to each patient’s specific needs for natural-looking results that complement your facial features.
Endoscopic Brow Lift: A minimally invasive surgical technique using a tiny camera and thin instruments inserted through small incisions made within the hairline.
Coronal Brow Lift: A traditional procedure that involves an incision from ear to ear across the top of the head, lifting the forehead and brow.
Temporal Brow Lift: A technique that addresses the outer part of the eyebrows and the corners of the eyes, often through incisions in the temporal region.
Foreheadplasty: Another term for a brow lift, focusing on improving the appearance of the forehead and brow area.
Forehead Reduction: Surgical reduction of the forehead size, sometimes done in conjunction with a brow lift.
Neuromodulators: Substances, like Botox, used to relax the muscles that cause wrinkles and lines, often used adjunctively with brow lifts.
Ptosis: Refers to the drooping or sagging of an area, commonly used to describe the condition of the eyelids or eyebrows.
Blepharoplasty: Eyelid surgery that can be combined with a brow lift for a more comprehensive rejuvenation of the upper face.
Suture Suspension: Technique using stitches or sutures to lift and support tissues, often used in minimally invasive brow lift procedures.
SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System): The layer of tissue beneath the skin that is sometimes adjusted during brow lift surgery or during a Philadelphia facelift to achieve a more youthful appearance.
Recovery after a brow lift
The recovery period varies depending on whether or not you opt for multiple procedures. A brow lift is often performed in conjunction with a deep plane facelift. This would result in recovery from two procedures at the same time.
Numbing medication may be injected at the time of surgery to diminish discomfort. Once this wears off the patient may take the prescribed oral pain medication.
Bandages are often removed one day post-operation and the patient may shower. A full recovery may take upwards of one month but patients are frequently allowed to resume increased activity one week post-procedure.
What results can I expect from a brow lift?
Depending on the patient’s pre-surgical appearance and goals, a brow lift’s results, which can be seen immediately, can be either subtle or dramatic. Eyes will appear more “open,” and creases across the forehead will diminish.
Side effects of forehead lifts
As with any surgery, patients may experience mild side effects. Numbness may occur in the scalp region due to the nerves in the area of operation. Scars are also an unfortunate, necessary side effect of any operation. These scars can be minimized by surgical technique and post-operative wound care.
Why choose Dr. Claytor for your plastic surgeon?
Double Board-Certified for a high level of safety and precision
Chief of Plastic Surgery at Main Line Health, a top health system
Board Member of The Aesthetic Society, shaping the future of aesthetics
10x Philadelphia Magazine Top Doctor for exceptional patient care
Recognized as one of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons by Newsweek
Drain-free recovery expert for faster, more comfortable healing
Deep plane facelift innovator and global educator
Active researcher in surgical and non-surgical aesthetic advancements
Highly regarded for his surgical expertise and outcomes, as well as his dedicated follow-up care
Interested in learning more about Brow Lifts? Call 610.527.4833 to schedule a consultation and learn more! Our practice serves Bryn Mawr, PA and the greater Philadelphia area.
References »
Cho MJ, Carboy JA, Rohrich RJ. Complications in Brow Lifts: A Systemic Review of Surgical and Nonsurgical Brow Rejuvenations. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open. 2018. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001943
Karimi N, Kashkouli MB, Sianati H, Khademi B. Techniques of Eyebrow Lifting: A Narrative Review. Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research. 2020. doi: 10.18502/jovr.v15i2.6740
Nicholas J. Panella, Jordan L. Wallin, and Neal D. Goldman. Patient Outcomes, Satisfaction, and Improvement in Headaches After Endoscopic Brow-lift. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. 2013. http://doi.org/10.1001/jamafacial.2013.924
Broadbent T, Mokhktarzadeh A, Harrison A. Minimally invasive brow lifting techniques. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2017. doi: 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000391
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Medically reviewed by Dr. R. Brannon Claytor — Updated on Mar 11, 2026