How can an Upper Facelift reduce the signs of ageing?
An upper facelift is a cosmetic surgery that rejuvenates the upper third of your face from the corner of your eye to the top of your forehead.
A wrinkle-free forehead, lifted brows, and wide-looking eyes are all features of a beautiful and younger-looking face. With age, deep wrinkles and heavy skin folds start becoming visible on your forehead. The eyebrows also droop over the eyes. This can make your face look exhausted and your eyes look sleepy.
A forehead lift can help reverse the signs of facial ageing by getting rid of your forehead wrinkles and frown lines, raising your eyebrows, and tightening your forehead skin.
Dr Scott Turner is an expert facial plastic surgeon in Sydney NSW with unique skills in performing facelift surgery. He has helped hundreds of patients with facial rejuvenation.
What Is An Upper Facelift?
An upper facelift, also known as a brow lift or forehead lift, is a facial rejuvenation cosmetic surgery that targets the upper third of your face. It addresses the signs of ageing in the area of your face above the corners of your eyes including your forehead and brow line.
A lot of your facial expressions and different moods show on your forehead. As you grow older, your facial skin becomes thinner and starts to droop. And the worry, stress, or concern that you might have carried over the years start to become more obvious on your forehead.
As a result, you may experience visible signs of ageing in your forehead, including:
- Deep forehead wrinkles
- Horizontal forehead lines
- Hollowed temples
- Droopy eyebrows
- Frown lines
- Squint lines at the top of your nose
- Heavy brows
- Crow’s feet wrinkles around the eye
Lax forehead skin and heavy eyebrows can make your face look tired or sleepy and make your entire face look older than you feel.
A upper facelift can tighten your forehead, remove forehead wrinkles and skin folds, and lift your upper eyebrows. By performing an upper facelift, Dr Scott Turner can restore the youthful appearance of your forehead and give your eyes a more alert and energetic look.
What Are The Benefits of An Upper Facelift?
Deflated temples, droopy forehead skin, and deep forehead lines can add years to your face and make it look less appealing. Getting a forehead lift can get rid of these cosmetic concerns and make you look younger, healthier, and more attractive.
An upper facelift can offer patients the following benefits:
- It gets rid of forehead wrinkles
- It gets rid of forehead skin folds
- It reduces frown lines
- It flattens the forehead
- It lifts the eyebrows
- It lifts the temples and widens the eyes
Upper Facelift vs Full Facelift – What’s the Difference?
All types of facelift procedures share the same goal: to rejuvenate the face and restore its youthful appearance. However, different types of facelifts target different areas of the face with visible facial ageing signs.
A forehead lift focuses on the cosmetic concerns in the upper third of your face, whereas a full or traditional facelift addresses the entire face down to the neck.
A full facelift:
- Removes excess skin from the face and neck
- Lifts the cheeks
- Fixes droopy jowls
- Smooths out skin folds and wrinkles in the whole face
A traditional facelift can recontour your jawline and neck, get rid of marionette lines, fix a double chin, and give your entire face an overall smoother appearance.
On the other hand, an upper facelift:
- Tightens saggy skin on the forehead
- Lifts the upper eyebrows
- Smooths out skin folds and wrinkles in the forehead
A brow lift can tighten your forehead and give your brighter-looking eyes.
A full facelift may be a better option for patients with advanced signs of ageing in different areas of the face such as the midface, cheeks, jawline, and neck. Alternatively, an upper facelift may be a better choice for patients with wrinkles or droopy skin that are restricted to their forehead, brow and upper eye area.
Who Is a Good Candidate for An Upper Facelift?
If you’re worried that your forehead looks too wrinkly or too loose, then an upper facelift might be a solution to your problems.
A brow lift works best for people who:
- Need an improvement in the forehead, brow, and upper eye area
- Need to improve deep forehead wrinkles and sagging brow area
- Do not have advanced signs of skin ageing in other areas of the face
You’re probably a good candidate for a forehead lift if you’re generally satisfied with how your face looks and only wish to minimise your forehead wrinkles, tighten your forehead, and slightly lift your eyebrows.
See Dr Turner’s Real Patients Before and After Facelift Photos
See More Before and After Facelift Photos in Dr Turner’s Facelift Before and After Gallery.
The information provided is for general purposes only, it is not intended to replace a professional consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon. Invasive procedures carry inherent risks and potential complications which will be discussed in detail. Results vary and should be used only as a guide as every client is unique, which is why a second opinion is advisable. Learn more about the risks of plastic surgery at https://drturner.com.au/patient-resources/risks-complications-of-surgery/
How Is An Upper Facelift Performed?
An upper facelift surgery is a generally safe procedure when performed by a highly trained and expert facial plastic surgeon, such as Dr Turner. You’ll be given general or local anaesthesia so you would be comfortable during your facelift.
During your upper facelift, Dr Turner will perform the following:
- First, he will carefully make a coronal incision- an incision made from ear to ear across the top of your head within your hairline. Dr Turner makes sure the incision line can be well concealed within your hair after your facelift surgery
- Next, your forehead skin layer will be cautiously separated from the underlying facial tissue layers
- Then, Dr Turner will lift your deep forehead tissue, tighten it, and meticulously adjust your forehead muscles if necessary
- Afterward, any excess loose skin will be cut out
- Finally, Dr Turner will close your wounds using delicate suturing techniques that leave minimal traces of your facelift surgery and promote fast healing of your wounds
The forehead is a very sensitive and prominent area of the face that needs to be handled with great care and extreme skill. Dr Scott Turner has extensive experience in performing forehead rejuvenation procedures that give extremely natural and long-lasting results.
Upper Facelift Surgery Recovery
Patients usually experience slightly different recovery periods depending on their age, general health, and the level of facial repair that was performed.
During recovery from upper facelift surgery, you can expect the following:
- Your forehead may be wrapped to minimise bruising and swelling after your forehead lift. Dr Turner will regularly check on your wound to determine when the wrap can come off
- A thin tube may be placed at your incision site to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect under your skin. When it’s appropriate, the drain will be removed
- Your wounds may take around 10-14 days to heal; so expect to take some time off work and other normal activities for one or two weeks
- Your sutures are typically removed one week after your upper facelift
- You should keep your head elevated, especially during sleep, as you recover from your brow lift
- You should avoid any vigorous activity during your healing period
- Within two weeks your wounds should look good enough for you to be comfortable with going out and attending public events. Makeup can help you cover up any bruising you might have in your forehead area
- Your face will continue to heal for several weeks. As the swelling goes down, the results of your brow lift surgery will start to become more obvious. Complete recovery may take up to several months
Dr Turner will give you specific instructions on:
- Any medications or painkillers you might need after your upper facelift surgery
- How to care for your wounds and surgical drains
- Any signs of concern or infection at the surgical site
- When to follow up with him after your upper facelift
You will be able to see the results of your brow lift surgery almost immediately. As your wounds heal and the swelling goes down, your face will keep on improving. Over the few months following your surgery, the final results of your upper facelift will become more obvious.
What Are The Risks of Upper Facelift Surgery?
- Pain: You shouldn’t feel any significant pain following your upper facelift surgery. You may feel discomfort or tightness around your forehead during the first 3-4 days after your procedure. You’ll gradually start feeling more comfortable in the following days
- Bruising: Bruising around your incision wound is common during the first 10 days after a forehead lift. The bruises will start to change colour and considerably fade by the second week following your brow lift surgery
- Swelling: Most of the swelling in your upper face should resolve within about 2 weeks after your upper facelift. Minor swelling can persist for several more weeks before it completely subsides
What Are The Potential Complications of Upper Facelift Surgery?
After a successful forehead lift surgery, you should have a smooth recovery. Nevertheless, the same as with any surgery, an upper facelift may involve some complications, such as:
- Seroma (fluid accumulation under the skin)
- Hematoma (blood accumulation under the skin)
- Infection at the wound site
- Itching around the incision site
- Numbness in the forehead area
It is important to choose a highly experienced facial plastic surgeon with extensive training for your forehead lift surgery, such as Dr Turner. By combining his surgical skills with his anatomical knowledge, Dr Turner can predict and avoid any possible complications after your upper facelift surgery.
Find out more about the potential risks and complications of plastic surgery.
How much is Upper Facelift Surgery in Sydney?
After your consultation with Dr Turner, he will be able to give you an estimate of how much you would need to pay for your upper facelift.
The cost usually depends on the location where the surgery is performed, the type of anaesthesia used, the required surgical equipment, and the extent of forehead ageing that needs to be reversed. Nonetheless, an upper facelift is usually less expensive than a full facelift since it addresses a smaller area of the face.
Medicare mostly covers only medically necessary surgeries and does NOT cover cosmetic surgeries lke facelifts, but there are different payment plans available to help you cover the costs of the intervention.
Getting a forehead lift not only changes how you look, but it can also change the way you feel about yourself. When you look older, you start feeling older and you might stop doing things you used to enjoy or attending as many social events.
An upper facelift can help you regain the same vibrant lively appearance you used to have 10 or even 15 years ago.
FAQs about Upper Facelift Surgery
What is the best facelift procedure?
- When it comes to the ideal facelift, there’s no “one size fits all” answer. Different types of facelifts focus on different areas of the face: upper facelift, mid-facelift, mini facelift, and lower facelift. The right facelift surgery for you can be determined after a conversation with your plastic surgeon where you discuss your cosmetic concerns, goals, and desired outcomes of your facelift surgery.
How long does an upper facelift last?
- The results of your upper face lift should be regarded as relatively permanent. However, keep in mind that while a forehead lift can reverse the signs of ageing from your forehead, it does not stop them. Your skin will continue to age naturally even after your surgery so make sure you stick to a good skincare routine, stay hydrated, and eat healthy after your upper facelift procedure. You may need a further facial rejuvenation surgery in around 10 years time.
What age is best for an upper facelift?
- The decision to get a facelift is a highly personal one. Sagging skin, deep wrinkles, and fine lines can leave you unhappy and dissatisfied with the way you look. If you feel that your face is starting to show visible signs of ageing, then a facelift may be a suitable option for you.
For more information about Facelift Surgery with Dr Turner
- Read Dr Turner’s procedure page on Facelift Surgery
- Read Dr Turner’s procedure page on Face Surgery
- See Dr Turner’s results – Facelift Surgery before and after photos
- Read Dr Turner’s blog post Recovery after Facelift Timeline
- Read Dr Turner’s blog post Facelift FAQs
