Can A Browlift Lengthen My Forehead Without Raising My Eyebrows?

Q:  Dr. Eppley, I have a question regarding browlift surgery. I have a low hairline which is only about 2 inches from my eyebrows to my hairline. Would a browlift/forehead lift increase my forehead length and can this be done without moving my eyebrows higher. I am young but I have a lot of laxity in my forehead. Thanks!!

A: The simple answer is…no. You can’t lift/stretch the forehead skin upward without moving the eyebrows to any significant amount. Since the whole forehead skin must be loosened to get any movement, the eyebrows will naturally be raised although not to the degree that the skin is lifted since they are the furthest away from the location of the pull. You might get a half inch up to an inch if your forehead is really lax but no more. Browlifts, by definition, raise the eyebrows.

It is possible to really lengthen your forehead through tissue expansion but this is a two-step surgical process. This is where a tissue expander is initially placed under the forehead skin during the first procedure. This is gradually inflated by saline injections over four to six weeks to make the forehead skin ‘grow’. Once adequately expanded, the tissue expander is removed and the forehead lengthened with the extra skin created. This can increase the forehead skin length by several inches if desired.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana